Tag Archives: Nottingham Contemporary

January 30, 2012

Nottingham Contemporary – the new show

By Tim GARRATT

I was at Nottingham Contemporary last Friday night for too short a time. I had received my usual invite to have a launch tour of this latest exhibition – Thomas Demand and Decolonising Architecture. Sadly I was trying to get a number of reports out so had to do whistle-stop tour…

From what I have seen and heard this is going to be of my favourite exhibitions so far. There some great photographs in the galleries – taken by Demand of architectural models they are really quite clever. He shows the models in a fairly raw and basic state, which is rather at odds with the finished article (the buildings). The images are large scale – which I liked! Demand has worked with the architects who designed the Contemporary (Caruso St John) before – so this is an interesting connection. A mix of architecture and photography was always going to get my vote!

The second exhibition is some further, real, architectural models and some interpretations of the lawless line on the border of Israel and Palestine. I have often looks at maps and smiled at the thickness of drawn elements – Roads, for example, would be a mile wide if drawn to scale! But the alternative is that they would be so thin that you wouldn’t actually see them. The lawless line takes this scale issue rather literally – at less than 1mm thick drawn on a 1:20,000 plan, it scales up to nearly 5m wide in real life! And this line permeates buildings and people’s lives – drawn rather arbitrarily on a map, I’m not sure the cartographer realised the implications.

There is an amazing sculpture which includes a floating staircase through the Palestine Parliament – which you have to see to appreciate.

I need to go back to the gallery soon to have a better look. But I would encourage everyone to go to see this exhibition…this one is rather good!

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January 16, 2012

Nottingham’s Creativity Industry!

By Tim GARRATT

I was at an amazing event last week, hosted by the Nottingham Contemporary. It was a showcase event of the Creative Class of 2012. This is an initiative started by the Invest in Nottingham Club.

We were treated to 9 presentations by some of Nottinghams creative talent. Each was running a business – of varying sizes. The event was compered by Sir John Peace – Chairman of Experian and High Sheriff of Nottingham. He was an excellent speaker and questioner-in-chief of the businesses!

The companies can all be found on the Invest in Nottingham web site here, but a couple stood out.

Firstly, Susi Henson and her Eternal Spirits corsetier business. She is regarded as a world class operator in a luxury brand market. The clothes are designed and made in Nottingham.

Carl Barratt the CEO of Monica Healthcare showed us his invented in Nottingham wearable foetal heart monitor. Previous tethered systems look rather old-fashioned compared to this ipod sized device. But he is on the move and was talking about embedding his clever technology into a sticky plaster!

I also ike the approach of Barnaby Kent and his Plumtree Group. This was a man who was deliberately trying to stay below the radar. Awards were not on his agenda. He builds software to be sold into the massive NHS machine. This is taliored and client led work.

There were some themes from the evening…

Universities, Universities and Universities. Followed by BioCity and Antenna. These institutions and organisations are critical to the well being of the creative sector in Nottingham.

We shouldn’t underestimate them, we sometimes do.

But there were some gems of comments too:

* stop looking down, look up
* look for repeatable revenue streams – keeping customers is key
* Awards and profile are not for everyone – there is a market for those who stay below the radar

It was a fascinating evening and showed that there is a pool of talent in this fair city, some of which is not very visible. But the efforts of the Club should address this.

I was inspired.

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January 12, 2012

Nottingham Contemporary – looking forward to 2012

By Tim GARRATT

As you probably know I am a huge fan of Nottingham Contemporary. I think it does a fantastic job in promoting Nottingham. For that reason, as a firm, we sponsor the gallery. We were the first Corporate Sponsors and are delighted to be associated.

I have also been given a sneak preview of what is coming up in 2012 – and am looking forward to some of the shows already. One of things that will celebrated is the 500,000th visitor – which is pretty amazing in just over two years. By 2013 it is estimated that the Contemporary will have brought £23m to the local economy.

So far 120 artists have been shown, from 32 Countries. These have included Giacometti (and the eye-wateringly valuable bronze statues), Hockney and Diane Arbus. The latter was my favourite … so far!

But 2012 has four shows already planned (the shows are planned up to two years in advance). The first starting on 28th January will include Thomas Demand – “Model Studies”. I am looking forward to this as it involves photographing architectural models. I have always thought some of the models made for buildings were often better than the buildings finally constructed. This should be good!

Then in April we have a video installation of Mika Rottenburg. I will go with an open mind, but think this will be the challenging work for me. The summer exhibition will be a joint affair – Alfred Kubin and Francis Uprichard – this will be a mixture of drawings and sculpture. Finally, possibly the most interesting exhibition will start on 20th October – “Haiti”. This will be an ambitious show – assembling some of Haiti’s art spanning seven decades – and the first in a major centre for years. 150 paintings, flags and sculptures are heading our way…

I am looking forward to the programme already!

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November 13, 2011

Happy Birthday Nottingham Contemporary

By Tim GARRATT

I can’t believe you are two! You seem so much more mature than your young years…

You popped onto the Nottingham scene in November 2009 – and since that time you seem to have met nearly half a million people. You have showed off a lot and impressed a lot of people! Some may have been confused by some of the things you have done, but in the main it’s been an entertaining few years!

Most two year olds are just walking and stringing a few words together. But you seem to be jogging along happily and chatting away in an adult world! And you can dress yourself – even if Jim is needed sometimes to do the trickier zips and press-studs!

I haven’t seen a tantrum (yet) – on the whole you have been pretty well behaved…

Next – potty training, but that should be a doddle!

Happy second birthday Nottingham Contemporary. Jelly and Ice Cream all round!

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October 24, 2011

Nottingham Contemporary – new stuff!

By Tim GARRATT

Hot on the heels of the success of the last exhibition, Nottingham Contemporary opens shortly with a new bunch of stuff. Klaus Weber is the latest in the long line of shows. This one started last Friday  and will run through to 8th January 2012.

I went to the Opening night – I have found that it helps when you get a tour from Alex, the Galleries Director. It is different from the last few shows. But I liked it.

Weber has two distinct shows – firstly a collection of his own work  and then a collection he has curated. His own work includes some giant windscreen wipers on the main gallery windows – and a running man on the roof! I liked the human body – with organs substituted for fruit!

The ‘curated’ gallery is an eclectic mix of stuff – and I need to go back to work it all out. There are lots of subliminal messages I think. Lots of amusing anecdotes. He is a man, I guess, who is a little on the edge! Some of the pictures are quite thought-provoking.

I couldn’t help reflect again that some of the work has come about through an ability to sit down and think. It’s something that my work doesn’t really let you do; we have become about process. It’s really refreshing to look at work – in this case art – and see that someone has thought about what they have done…

It is well worth a visit. Let me know what you think if (when) you do go…

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July 19, 2011

Obscene amounts of money?

By Tim GARRATT

Last week we saw a couple in Scotland scoop £161m on the Euromillions Lottery. They re-define ‘lucky’. You can’t help but wish them well with their instant wealth and fame.

I got into a discussion at Nottingham Contemporary last week about the ‘value’ of art. Or should that be ‘price’ of art? I work in a fairly capitalist sector of the market. It is driven by money and I see lots of it thrown at property. It doesn’t really worry me too much – as an agent it’s not usually ‘my’ money. I am trying to make other people money (or at least protect what they have) and I get paid for doing that.

I rarely come across the levels of money from Lottery Winners. Or for that matter that value / cost of some art pieces. Last year some Giacometti work sold at auction for £65m. That was a life size piece of bronze sculpture. If you want to see what a Giacommetti looks like – go and see one at the Nottingham Contemporary!

The Giacometti sculpture is fantastic. But is is ‘worth’ £50m+? In a true market it is worth what someone will pay and what someone will sell for.

But the interesting question posed was whether this sort of money was obscene when you consider the value of that money. For instance the ‘value’ of Bangladesh is estimated to be around that sum. A piece of art has the same value as a whole Country? Wow.

There will always be rich and poor. There will always be lucky people and unlucky people. But you do have to wonder sometimes how things have got so out of kilter? Surely it is out of kilter?

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July 16, 2011

Nottingham Contemporary – the latest show

By Tim GARRATT

The latest art show at Nottingham Contemporary has opened. I was at a lunch yesterday and then had a look around the Contemporary’s 8th offering.

Now that is a great record... although the look may be more challenging?

This one is very different from the previous one I blogged about here. It is smaller in scale – there’s no elephant in the corner of the room here. But there is an eclectic mix of ‘objects’ – smaller, but in some cases eye-wateringly valuable. Nottingham is privileged to have a number of Alberto Giacometti sculptures and paintings. I have seen some at the Tate before, but I am not sure that Nottingham has played home to this number. They are very very valuable.

The show this time is in two ‘Acts’ and is titled Jean Genet. It is essentially a collection of works by a number of artists (including Giacometti) – they are really varied and I need to go back to take it all in. But the Giacometti’s are worth going to see – and you can then try and make sense of the other objects. The 2nd Act is more rebellious and is centred around The Black Panther.

I also learned something I really didn’t know. You may know I am a fan of Bowie – what I didn’t realise was that he had met Genet and the Jean Genie was a ‘clumsy pun on the name’…

So this is a short blog to remind you to go and have a look – I need to go back and have a proper look! But, on the face of it, it looks quite inspiring!

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July 8, 2011

Art for free?

By Tim GARRATT

As you probably know I am a huge fan of Nottingham Contemporary. I think the Gallery is a fantastic advert for Nottingham. At every opportunity I shout about it – and go there.

Jackson Pollock at The Tate Modern

In London at the weekend we ventured to Tate Modern. I have been a few times but my wife, Lesley has not! In fact she hasn’t been to London for quite some times – the joke is that we have been to New York more than we have been to London (ignoring the technical matter of flying out of Heathrow).

I like the Tate – they have some really impressive modern pieces of art – paintings, drawings, photography and sculpture. There’s plenty to see. The shop is great and the restaurant on the ground floor really good too. In fact my blog was started in that restaurant – over a lunch with my mate John Lyle. The coffee is pretty good…

But, the current exhibition was a step too far. They have Joan Miro on show. I have seen his fantastic Foundation in Barcelona. I love his work – and was once offered a pair of his prints in New York for a mere $52,000 – I didn’t. But the Tate exhibition is a paid entry. And it’s £15.50 to get in. £31.00 for two. That’s quite a lot?

I guess that they have quite a lot you can see for free, so I’m not complaining really. But I was reminded that Nottingham Contemporary is free. You are encouraged to make a donation – but the starting point is that it costs zip.

I like Art for free. I will happily spend money in the coffee bar and shop… Is this wrong?

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June 18, 2011

Nottingham Contemporary – again

By Tim GARRATT

Last week my firm held a Corporate event at the Nottingham Contemporary again. We had around 50 people attend – and these are the final days of the Huang Yong Ping & Wael Shawky exhibition. It finishes on Sunday 26th June.

I have lost count of how many times I have been to the Contemporary during this show; perhaps six? I thought I could probably now do the guided tour – especially of the Huang show! But Jim Brouwer does a great job of bringing it all to life. People were really interested in how the art was transported and assembled in the building.

I think this has been a great exhibition and I’m told that visitor numbers have been good.

But I was also amazed at how many of our guests had not been to the Contemporary. So even a in its second year we have people who often work in the City who haven’t stepped inside…

So, if you haven’t been – or you know someone who hasn’t been – go / tell them they must go! After all, where else would you get to see an elephant, a plane fuselage, a minaret and a dog peeing on the wall – all in one place?

And I can’t wait for the next exhibition – Jean Genet – which starts on 16th July. You can be sure I will be at the Opening and I shall look forward to the tours…Six to beat!

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May 21, 2011

Another Contemporary Opens today!

By Tim GARRATT

Today the newest Contemporary Art Gallery opens – in Wakefield. David Chipperfield Architects have designed the new Hepworth Gallery – named after Barbara Hepworth – the famous Yorkshire artist.

It looks really good (although I am not convinced about the external architecture again!) and I hope to get there as soon as possible. It’s a large building (16,000 square feet) – making it the largest exhibition space outside London. The building includes 10 gallery spaces, an auditorium, learning studios, garden, café and shop, and is set against the backdrop of the River Calder.

It is made up of a number of trapezoidal blocks – and has no front or back!

Unlike The Nottingham Contemporary, The Hepworth will feature a permanent display of historic and modern art, alongside temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. In addition the Hepworth Family have gifted 44 full size working models (these are surviving prototypes made in plaster and aluminium which were used as models Hepworth then built in bronze).

It seems that there has been a resurgence of new Galleries in the UK, I have seen two in the last twelve months or so (outside Nottingham) – and I am looking forward to seeing this new Gallery too. It seems that Contemporary Art is becoming more accessible – and that has to be a good thing. It is especially good that at Nottingham the visitor profile has included a high proportion of young people.

I just wish that they had not used drab concrete on the new building – although perhaps I should wait until I see it before making a real judgement!

8 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Nottingham

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