Out of the Ordinary
Spectacular Craft
20 Nov 2009 - 10 Jan 2010
Lu Shengzhong | The Book of Humanity: The Empty Book (Detail), 2005. paper-cut, glass, Chinese traditionally bound books | Courtesy of Chambers Fine Art © Chambers Fine Art, New York
A V&A and Crafts Council exhibition about seven contemporary artists who place craft at the heart of their practice: Olu Amoda, Annie Cattrell, Susan Collis, Naomi Filmer, Lu Shengzhong, Yoshihiro Suda and Anne Wilson.
Collectively these artists use a diverse range of traditional and new technologies, from carving, sewing, welding to animation and laser etching. All the artists are preoccupied with the everyday as a subject. Mundane or familiar things, like a paint splatter on a dust sheet, a human breath or a weed pushing up through a crack, are presented in playful and unexpected ways. Look closely or you might miss them!
Together, these seven artists suggest new directions for the handmade in the 21st century. They have found ways to transform the ordinary into artworks that are truly extraordinary.
More on the V&A's micro site.
Like many galleries our programme is decided up to four years ahead. Here's just a handful of exhibitions we intend to show during 2009.
Exhibitions Looking ahead
Architecture of the Void
Courtyards of India
Dates to be announced
Next Spring the Hub will be exploring the architecture and rich culture of
the Gujarat and Rajasthan regions
of India, in a beautiful exhibition
called ‘Architecture of the Void’.
This Hub curated exhibition explores this fascinating architectural structure, as well as the religious, social and cultural activities that have shaped
its design and function.
Typically found in grand Indian
homes called Havelis, the courtyard is a central, internal space (or void), which runs from the ground level to the roof level of the building. Open to the elements from above, but encircled on all four sides by the rest of the home, the courtyard connects the occupants with the outside world yet preserves their privacy at the same time.
Primarily an investigation into the architectural intervention of the courtyard, the exhibition will also provide the opportunity engage with, and to learn about the rich culture and history of India. Each of the many features and functions of the courtyard has a reason for being, which when described, paint a fascinating story about the religion, history, culture, social activities, rituals, geography, weather and even the diet of the people of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
