SCOTTISH ARTISTS BRING VENICE BIENNALE HOME TO EDINBURGH
By 24 Hour Museum Staff
07/12/2005
A Routine Sequence of External Actions by Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan, 2005.
The artists who created Scotland’s contribution to the 2005 Venice Biennale have come home.
Alex Pollard, Cathy Wilkes, Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan are back in Scotland where they are showing new work until March 5 2006 at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
The exhibition has been curated by Jason E Bowman and Rachel Bradley, the same team behind the display at the 51st Venice Biennale, in collaboration with gallery staff.
This new work has been made possible thanks to support from the Esmée Fairburn Foundation and the Foyle Foundation.
Wall Drawing by Alex Pollard, 2005.
"Scotland’s presentation at the Venice Biennale demonstrated the vibrancy of Scottish contemporary art on the world stage," explained Scottish Arts Council Chairman Richard Holloway.
"The homecoming of these artists’ work creates an opportunity for the people of Scotland to see what we presented to the world audience together with additional new work by the artists," he added. "I would encourage everyone to see this exhibition."
The first Venice Biennale took place in 1895 and ever since, the festival of art has placed itself in the front line of the avant-garde. It aims to promote new artistic trends and includes an International Film Festival, International Architecture Exhibition, Festival of Contemporary Music, theatre, dance and of course the International Art Exhibition.
Artists based in Scotland have been exhibiting there since 1897. In 1978 Scottish artist Mark Boyle represented Britain and since then David Mach, Douglas Gordon, Christine Borland and Roderick Buchanan, among others, have participated.
She's Pregnant Again by Cathy Wilkes, 2005.
Each artist that presented work this year is based in Glasgow and all of them have worked and exhibited across Scotland, as well as internationally.
For the latest stage of their Venice project, they’ve built upon their original work to create new pieces in a variety of media.
Alex Pollard has created a sculpture-based installation, while Cathy Wilkes has also produced a new installation.
Wilkes’ work has come to be known for it's fragile and deeply considered nature and her piece on show in Edinburgh reflects both visual meaning and lived experience. She is also exhibiting a video installation.
A Routine Sequence of External Actions by Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan, 2005.
Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan, who work collaboratively, have extended their recent practice that has seen them repeat and recycle certain motifs.
According to the exhibition literature this repetition has created something of a vocabulary, or grammar, with a system of rules and devices prescribing the work. With this system in place the artists consider how contemporary art functions in the different contexts it occupies.
To help visitors navigate their way through the work on show, guides will be offering introductory tours on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the exhibition.
There will also be a series of lectures during which each artist will talk about his or her work.
A further two special lectures have been organised with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute and will be given by Maria de Corral, co-curator of the 2005 Venice Biennale, and Enzo di Martino, author of A History of the Venice Biennale 1895-2005.