'STILL'
18 November 2013 – 11 January 2014
Solent Showcase, Sir James Matthews Building, Above Bar, Southampton SO14 7NN
What is the artistic legacy of the Olympic year? How has it changed the way we think about sport, the body, activity and rest? Southampton Solent University’s Showcase Gallery welcomes the work of contemporary British artists including a Turner Prize winner in a new exhibition, STILL.
STILL is a positive examination of what happens after a legacy event such as the London 2012 Olympic Games by analysing post-Olympic Britain and exploring moments of space, balance and control after physical activity.
The exhibition comprises of video, photography and installation media from British artists made in the last twenty years and is supported by Hampshire Sculpture Trust. It includes Turner Prize winning artwork by Gillian Wearing from her 1997 piece ‘60 Minutes Silence’.The Arts Council Collection has kindly loaned two fascinating pieces; Clare Strand showcases a suspended body in space with no visible means of support. As if by magic she exposes the supernatural and unexpected, posing queries which are not necessarily answerable. The Arts Council Collection has also provided Gillian Wearing’s award-winning artwork which examines what it really takes to keep still, pushing the boundaries of decorum, poise and control.
STILL looks at the potential and limitations of the human body with Melanie Manchot’s work examining the great physical, mental and emotional preparation preceding winter sport of the highest calibre. Jo Longhurst is the holder of the 2012 Grange Prize for Photography and completed a PhD by Practice from the Royal College of Art; her photograph constructions capture the dynamism of bodies caught in flight during gymnastic manoeuvres.
Toby Glanville, a self-taught photographer, whose work is in the collections of London’s National Portrait Gallery and The Victoria & Albert Museum, provides artwork devoid of human presence, but which suggest intriguing evidence of recent human activity.
Admission is free, The gallery space is open Monday – Friday 11–6pm and Saturday 11–5pm. For access, please use city centre car parks.
Ends
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE MEDIA OFFICE ON 023 8031 9642 or email events@solent.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
- Image attached: Clare Strand's 'Aerial Suspension'
- Hampshire Sculpture Trust exists to promote the enjoyment of sculpture and other contemporary art, through exhibitions and events: www.hampshiresculpturetrust.co.uk
- The Arts Council Collection has supplied two artworks for STILL: http://www.artscouncilcollection.org.uk
- Exhibition curated by Dr John Gillett and Sara Roberts.
About Southampton Solent University
Southampton Solent University offers more than 23,000 students over 200 qualifications ranging from HND to PhD, in subjects such as maritime education and training, fashion and design, media and television, music, health, sport and leisure, business, IT and technology. The university was awarded the 2013 Quality Assurance kitemark for quality and standards of teaching and learning. Solent was voted one of the most creative universities in the UK in a Which? University 2013 poll of students.
About Solent Showcase
Solent Showcase's opening hours: Monday – Friday 11–6pm, Saturday 11–5pm. Admission free. For access, please use city centre car parks.
Solent Showcase Gallery is a public gallery located within Southampton Solent University and is a key factor in Southampton’s emergent Cultural Quarter: www.solent.ac.uk/showcase
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