Castlefield Gallery Artists Take Control!

 

You need to be quick if you want to see this Launch Pad exhibition by Manchester’s Castlefield Gallery. Open from 3rd – 12th February at the galleries Hewitt Street site.

Castlefield Launch Pad is one of many initiatives undertaken by the gallery who’s stated vision is for the North to be a place where artists can live and produce work, to nurture that talent, explore cultural trends and deepen audience relationship with contemporary art. Launch Pads are short projects which punctuate Castlefield’s main exhibition programme and offer artists and curators opportunities to use the gallery as a test bed for the production, display and consumption of contemporary art.  Stick or Twist was selected from Castlefield Gallery associate member Patricia Fleming, Director of Patricia Fleming Projects and Matthew Prendergast Castlefield Gallery’s Curator.

The preview was very well attended including artist Hilary Jack, whose work can be found in, among many other places, Manchester Art Gallery.  (I’ll be producing a blog very shortly on Hilary’s recent commission HOST for the Spinningfields Art Commission 2016)

I found Stick or Twist  a really interesting concept. Having curated an exhibition, it’s a brave curator who will give the artist freedom to change their mind and replace the curated work with another of their own choice. But, it seems to work. In fact, artist/curator Kieran Leach did exactly that, and seemed as surprised as anyone that he had chosen to change from his initial exhibit.

 

The exhibition hangs together really well and with various types of media and materials, painting, castings, installations, video, and the addition of a VR headsets to see how the original curated exhibition looked before the changes all added to a really great and interactive experience.

 

Giving gallery space to young contemporary artists in this way is a great way of promoting their art and giving them the opportunity to have a say in which works are shown.

If you have the opportunity before February 12th, it’s worth taking the time to see this exhibition, I’m sure you will enjoy!

Artists participating in Launch Pad are Phoebe Baines, Joel Chan, Aaron Clixby, Daisy Forster, Richard Hughes, Kieran Leach, Richie Moment, Rebecca Moss and Jeremy Willetts

 

Castlefield recently appointed Helen Wewiora from Arts Council England(ACE) as its new Director replacing Kwong Lee who had been with Castlefield for more than a decade. Helen has, in January, been announced as Guest Selector for the National Trusts ” Trusts New Art” programme at Quarry Bank Mill in Styal Cheshire.

 

Stick or Twist – Open 4th -12th February at Castlefield Gallery Manchester