Small Worlds: Future Lives - Exhibition opportunity

Small Worlds: Future Lives

An exhibition of small sculptures that are inspired by the dwellings, societies and worlds of the future. During February 2018 we will placing small artworks (Maximum size = 5cm wide x 5cm deep x 8cm high) on the streets around London Bridge. The artworks can be picked up by the public for free.

Over the past few months we have been finding and cultivating a series of public art spaces (niches, ledges, railing, flowerbeds etc) called the #unsettledgallery. The artworks will be placed one by one in these spaces during February 2018.

We will be photographing the worlds once they are in place and asking writers to create small written works inspired by these miniature societies. These written pieces will be published alongside photographs of your world on the CollectConnect website/blog. Hopefully we'll produce a small physical catalogue/book too, but I'll ask your permission separately if this comes to fruition.

There are further opportunities available too. Eskild Beck will organising a Small Worlds exhibition in Aabenraa, Denmark in May-June 2018 (Opening 3rd May). He will select some artists from our exhibition (but probably not everyone as he has limited space).

How to get involved
Small Worlds: Future Lives (#unsettledgallery London Bridge)

1) Contact Alban Low at his email address to express an interest.
or email collectconnect4@gmail.com
2) Alban will email you his home address.
3) Send your Small Worlds to this address by 19th January 2018.
4) Your sculptures should not be larger than 5cm wide x 5cm deep x 8cm high. A maximum of 3 artworks per artist.

Don't forget you must be prepared that these artworks will be exhibited on the streets and therefore may be taken by members of the public or destroyed by the weather/animals/refuse collectors etc.

Dazzle High-rise - Alban Low (#unsettledgallery No.8)

#unsettledgallery

Mooncrow - Dean Reddick (#unsettledgallery No.2)

It is only a lack of time that keeps us from organising more exhibitions each year. Our annual flagship exhibition the Art of Caring continues to grow in popularity, and stays true to our original ideals of inclusivity for artists. Because of its theme the Art of Caring is usually shown in hospitals or in nursing related spaces. But recently we've been getting that itch to exhibit artworks back out on the streets.

When we first started CollectConnect we found exhibiting outdoors was the most flexible, accessible and democratic of spaces. If someone didn't like the art we'd displayed in public, they quite simply picked it up and threw it away. More frequently people would pocket our art magnets, and take them home to display in their own gallery at home (usually their fridge!).

Dean placing Dogcrow at #unsettledgallery No.1

Over the last few months Dean Reddick and Alban Low have been cultivating a series of public spaces around London Bridge. Although these spaces change and evolve on a daily basis, we have located several that can house artworks for a longer period of time. These have been in flowerbeds, on railings, between bricks, in gullies, beside drainpipes, attached to gates and basically anywhere an artwork can rest and be seen by the public.

The #unsettledgallery, as its name suggests, is an evolving space that we have been populating with art. The London Bridge area is a thoroughfare for thousands of commuters each day. The Tate Modern, White Cube and Jerwood Space are a few metres away, Guy's Hospital sits within it boundary, alongside Europe's tallest building, The Shard. It has recently been targeted by 'terrorists' and people queue in a long line every day outside the Immigration Centre on St Thomas St. It has given us plenty of inspiration already but we hope it will now become a breeding ground for both our own art and other artists too.

Small Talking Heads - Alban Low (#unsettledgallery No.8)

Dean Reddick has exhibited several bird related sculptures in Gallery No.1 (Dogend Gallery) and Gallery No.2. While Alban Low has settled on a group of railing in Snowsfields at Gallery No.8. Where he's been placing a series of painted wooden heads based on his friend's profiles called Small Talking Heads.

Your can follow all the placements on Twitter or by dipping into this online photo album. #unsettledgallery Photos

Of course we'll be posting many of them here on the website/blog too, especially as more artists come together for exhibitions. Our first exhibition will be Small Worlds which we'll be running in conjunction with Danish artist Eskild Beck. More info soon.