Graduating students on the Curating Contemporary Art MA programme present their final exhibitions at the Royal College of Art Galleries. In contrast to previous years, the students have chosen to present four independent exhibitions. Collectively they involve artists, theatre designers, and writers from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australasia, and are engaged in themes of cybernetics, speculative fiction, language and globalisation.
Black Box Formula: Black Box Formula is an exhibition of new work by contemporary artists reflecting on the nature of the Black Box, a concept used in technology and social sciences. Artists employ prosthetics, networks and post-human thinking in works displayed in an installation evocative of the Black Box process. Artists include: Zach Blas (US), Harry Sanderson (UK), Lawrence Lek (UK) Hyungkoo Lee (KR) and Chang Heavy Industries (US/KR).
Echo Chamber: Echo Chamber is a new commission by acclaimed theatre designer Chloe Lamford, currently Royal Court Theatre Associate Artist. The project is a unique collaboration with Lamford, reframing relationships between contemporary art and theatre. The audience is invited into a dystopic future world, a theatrical set where a programme of artists’ interventions, performances and screenings unfold over the course of the exhibition. Artists include: Chloe Lamford (UK), The ARKA Group (UK), Bedwyr Williams (UK), Graeme Thomson & Silvia Maglioni (FR), Louise Hervé & Chloé Maillet (FR), Mark Aerial Waller (UK) and the editors of Living in the Future (UK).
Statement House (temporary title): An ambitious commission, statement house (temporary title) by French artist Jean-Pascal Flavien continues his international series of houses for living, resting and working. Located outside the RCA’s main entrance, the site-specific structure will host writers engaged in ‘writing the house’. statement house (temporary title) is the artist’s first commission in the UK and will run until 3 May 2015. Artist: Jean Pascal Flavien (FR).
Whose Game is it?: Whose Game is it? is an exhibition that considers contemporary socio-political questions in a globalised world of disparities and hegemonies. The exhibition asks audiences to reflect on these issues through playful and interactive works including a doughnut-shaped table-tennis table. Artists include: Dan Perjovschi (RO), Lia Perjovschi (RO), Tintin Wulia (ID/AU), Lee Wen (SG), Han Ishu (CN/JP) and Raqs Media Collective (IN).
The Royal College of Art: is the world’s most influential postgraduate university of art and design. Specialising in teaching and research, the RCA offers the degrees of MA, MPhil and PhD across the disciplines of fine art, applied art, design, communications and humanities. There are over 1,400 masters and doctoral students and more than 1,000 professionals interacting with them – including scholars, leading art and design practitioners, along with specialists, advisors and distinguished visitors. www.rca.ac.uk
Curating Contemporary Art Programme: The MA Curating Contemporary Art is internationally recognised for its commitment and emphasis on collaborative, studio-based project work that integrates theory and practice throughout the two years of the curriculum. It approaches the field critically, theoretically and through best practice in commissioning, exhibition-making, programming and writing with London-based and national arts venues ensuring that the knowledge and understanding of these practices is grounded in the context of public audiences, globalisation and the digital. In the increasingly complex cultural environment which curating takes place, research-led teaching by staff and post-doctoral students ensures the curatorial significance, intellectual value and critical vitality of the MA programme. Widely acknowledged as an important marker of current developments in contemporary art, the annual CCA show in the RCA galleries has become known for its experimental approaches to working with artists and for introducing new international artists to UK audiences.