20/4/2005
Glasgow International
Different venues, Glasgow
Festival of Contemporary Visual Art. With 150 artists and contributors presenting 29 exhibitions and installations; 14 previews, over 20 artists talks and events. The programme aims to reflect the position of Glasgow as a centre for production and exhibition of internationally significant visual art and will bring to this context a range of work, much of which has either been specifically commissioned or brought to the UK for the first time for the Festival.
Festival of Contemporary Visual Art
GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL , Glasgow's first curated and commissioning FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ART, takes place across the city over twelve days from, THURSDAY 21 APRIL until MONDAY 2 MAY, 2005.
With 150 artists and contributors presenting 29 exhibitions and installations; 14 previews, over 20 artists talks and events and 11 bus tours, GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL 2005 highlights include:
TRAMWAY's hosting of a specially curated show from one of the world's premier collections of contemporary art, Mexico's, JUMEX COLLECTION, first ever European exhibition
newly commissioned work by Glasgow based and internationally renowned SMITH/STEWART at 64 OSBORNE STREET
NEIL MULHOLLAND’S specially curated CAMPBELL’S SOUP exhibition at GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART
iconic American artist, BARBARA KRUGER’S new installation at GALLERY OF MODERN ART along with her specially commissioned billboard work at Glasgow’s CENTRAL STATION.
Next year’s Festival which will take place from WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2006 until MON 1 MAY 2006.
GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL has grown out of the existing infrastructure in the visual arts in Glasgow, and both celebrates and supports the continued growth and achievements of Glasgow’s visual arts sector. The programme aims to reflect the position of Glasgow as a centre for production and exhibition of internationally significant visual art and will bring to this context a range of work, much of which has either been specifically commissioned or brought to the UK for the first time for the Festival.
GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL is working together with Glasgow’s leading visual arts venues along with new sites, indoor and out, to deliver a world-class annual event which will profile Scottish and International contemporary visual artistic talent.
The programme highlights a number of internationally significant artists who are based in the city. It also supports a range of grassroots activity, highlighting the many emerging artists that Glasgow continues to produce and sustain. The range and quality of Glasgow’s exhibition spaces – both indoor formal spaces and outdoor ‘found’ spaces will reflect Glasgow’s capacity to exhibit internationally significant visual art.
Many Glasgow and Scottish based artists enjoy International support from Visual Art Festivals worldwide. Glasgow International is a unique opportunity to give those artists the chance to bring that work to Scottish audiences and in return host International artists.
Francis McKee, Curator, Glasgow International, 2005 said:
This is the first Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art and, as such, it is an event that is attempting to lay foundations for future years. Already, this year’s program demonstrates the commitment of artists and organisations across the city to create something truly substantial. As curator of the festival I have been aware of, and tried to highlight, the curatorial diversity across the many venues in Glasgow.
This approach seemed more natural than to impose a theme or rigid structure on an organic art scene that regularly generates work of high quality.
Some of the exhibitions have been developed specifically for the festival such as Capmbell’s Soup curated by Neil Mulholland while other projects (This Peaceful War and Gifts of Sound and Vision) have been collaborations with curators such as Patricia Martin or Aileen Corkery. Next year’s festival, which begins on 19th April 2006, should carry this approach much further and build on these beginnings.
LIZ CAMERON, LORD PROVOST of GLASGOW said: ‘Glasgow City Council has made a strong commitment to the growth and development of the visual arts in Glasgow. GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL is an exciting addition to the Council’s already significant support of the visual arts sector and one which allows us to develop new artistic and funding partnerships and to celebrate Glasgow’s deserved reputation as a major international centre for the visual arts.'
DAVID LLOYD, International Events Programme Manager, EVENTSCOTLAND said:
’EVENTSCOTLAND is delighted to be supporting the inaugural GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL festival. The Festival is offering an exciting and ambitious programme which has the potential to attract visitors from within Scotland, the UK and overseas to the city in Spring. It is an ideal opportunity to showcase Scotland's flair and ability to stage world-class events and reinforce its position as a leading cultural events destination.’
RISK celebrates the ways in which artists investigate the values of social inclusion - not as a political diversionary tactic but as a radical art practice.
The government definition of the role of arts in social inclusion rarely engages with the real politics of power. RISK goes beyond the social into the realms of direct action, protest and political change; the project is committed to clarity in the presentation of art and ideas and opening opportunities for people to participate.
SEAM presents the first solo show by WILL FOSTER, an emerging Glasgow based artist. SHOP, curated by SEAM has been designed by FOSTER for a specific site on SALTMARKET, just outside the Merchant City. FOSTER has encouraged a re-interpretation of this area through a project centered on one shop.
Bypassing the language and materials of architects and city planners, FOSTER'S project aims to demystify the process of redevelopment and urban regeneration by empowering individuals to discuss, fantasise and realize their own environments. By involving a wide audience in the creation of the work the project highlights issues of ownership and authority in urban space.
Through an on-going process of collaboration with specific individuals and the local community, FOSTER has recorded a variety of views of this unique site. SHOP exists as a series of conversations, investigations and propositions, edited and presented by FOSTER to initiate a discussion of ideas and theories about our inhabitation of space.
Full programme: http://www.glasgowinternational.org/?node_id=1.9
Diverse venues
Glasgow