Curated by Sara Bowler, That's Entertainment in the upper gallery was accompanied in the lower gallery by Offsite: Inside, an experimental project which examined different ways of presenting artist-initiated projects within a gallery environment.
Perched high on the tall, wooden set
they had constructed in the upper gallery of Newlyn Art Gallery,
artists Andy Whall (Jake the Monster) and Delpha Hudson (Madame
Sacamano) examined and discussed the contents of Walter Benjamin's
black briefcase while being filmed by Alban Roinard.
An
activity which ended in seeming anger with papers being flung every
which way, it was but part of That's Entertainment which, in its turn,
was part of the third slot in the gallery's annual Transition
(Curators' Edition) programme.As the artists said, the irony in the
title of their work was intentional as it may or may not have been in
the least entertaining.
Their endgame was the creation of a performance they hoped to present on the last night of their five-day run.
Bravely, they pointed out that all they have been doing throughout
their Transition slot had been documented by film-maker Alban Roinard,
and if their project proved a fiasco, they would still go ahead anyway
with the film being shown even though it might document their failure.
Featuring work by Bruce
Davies, James Hankey, Jacqueline Knight, Elizabeth Masterton and Stacey
Righton, throughout their five-day run these artists tested different
formats, content, contexts and locations.
A critical review of
their work and the ideas presented in the show was later given by Paul
Glinkowski, writer and current Rootstein Hopkins fellow at Wimbledon
School of Art.
Involving some 60 artists and curators this
year's Transition (Curators' Edition) in Newlyn Art Gallery has already
witnessed three successful slots.
In week one, The Higher
Academy of Happiness and Green Cube: in week two, Bruce Davies and
Sovay Berriman, and, of course, in week three, Sara Bowler's That's
Entertainment and Offsite; Inside.
The fourth and final slot,
now running and which can be seen until Sunday, February 17, is Steven
Paige's Folded, Glued and Printed in the lower gallery and Amanda
Lorens' Buenos Aires Social Club in the upper gallery.
Transition:
Curators' Edition culminates on Sunday, February 17, when, from 2-5pm,
each of the curators will give a short presentation of his or her
five-day slot.
Admission to this is free and all are welcome but, as capacity is limited, advance booking is advised.
Contact Newlyn Art Gallery on 01736 363715.
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN