The Zabludowicz Collection has announced the details of the 2014 Testing Ground for Art and Education, an annual month-long season dedicated to nurturing the professional and creative development of emerging curators and artists and exploring different modes of art education.
Now in its sixth year, the season opens with an exhibition that is the culmination of a three-month collaboration between MA curating students from Goldsmiths College and The Cass, London Metropolitan University. A Sense of Things (16–26 January 2014) examines the world of objects and the strategies artists employ to overcome the often overwhelming clamour of clutter, featuring works by 17 artists from the Zabludowicz Collection and 8 invited artists. The exhibition will be accompanied by a public programme of performances and workshops during its final weekend.
EXHIBITING ARTISTS
Showing works from the Zabludowicz Collection: Tonico Lemos Auad, Alexandre da Cunha, Matthew Darbyshire, Sean Edwards, Neil Gall, Alexander Heim, Jim Lambie, Oliver Laric, Elad Lassry, Mark Leckey, Roxy Paine, Hannah Perry, Seth Price, Daniel Silver, Matthew Smith, Jack Strange, Lei Xue.
Invited artists: Adriano Amaral, Jamie Bracken-Lobb, David Buckley, Rob Chavasse, John Henry Newton, Viktor Timofeev, Leonardo Ulian, Andrea Zucchini.
Building on the success of its debut, Testing Ground: Master Class returns in 2014 (30 January–6 February), and offers a unique and free opportunity for a small group of emerging artists to work closely with leading international artists to discuss and develop their studio practice. Over the course of a week, eight young artists nominated by a nationwide group of artist-run spaces will participate in an intensive series of tutorials, workshops, reading groups, studio and gallery visits and seminars led by artist Doug Fishbone and guest artists including Marcus Coates, Ben Rivers and Lindsay Seers as well as Zabludowicz Collection curators. In addition, each of the established artists will present an evening lecture giving participants and public a greater insight into their practice. This year’s Master Class will focus on a critical consideration around ideas of staging in relation to performative aspects of contemporary art practice alongside the physica l presen tation and viewing of artworks.
The emerging artists participating in the initiative have been nominated by Castlefield in Manchester, Eastside Projects in Birmingham, The NewBridge Project in Newcastle, The Pipe Factory in Glasgow, S1 in Sheffield, Spike Island in Bristol and Studio Voltaire in London. Each space was asked to identify artists for whom the opportunity to work with these tutors would be both an opportunity to consolidate their practice and give it a significant boost. In addition to having unparalleled access to internationally renowned artists, the Master Class participants are also able to build a national network of peers.