About
Join us at Abbot Hall, the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry, Blackwell, and the Coniston Institute for this irresistible journey through the twists and turns of Grizedale Arts' last 15 years, taking in artists Andy Goldsworthy, Marcus Coates, Olaf Breuning, Turner Prize winners Jeremy Deller and Laure Prouvost, and many, many more along the way.
This lively and stimulating show looks back at the recent history of this radical organisation and tells the story sometimes serious, sometimes irreverent of how an arts agency in a rural corner of England has expanded its reach from working with local Cumbrian communities to a global model for contemporary art practice. Central to its philosophy is an emphasis on the use value of art from their HQ at Lawson Park, above Coniston Water, Grizedale Arts runs a programme of residencies and events that promote the creation of art as an instrument for social change and improvement both locally and within the wider community.
This expansive show - a retrospective of sorts presents a challenging view of the rural landscape and the conventional âromantic' perceptions of it, featuring reconstructions, artist films, complex installations, original artworks, performance and a wealth of other material that will provoke, confuse, enlighten and entertain.
In addition to the main exhibition at Abbot Hall, don't miss the following satellite shows:
Across the courtyard, at the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry, Laure Prouvost's recent Turner Prize winning film installation, Wantee, celebrates her fictional grandfather's association with artist Kurt Schwitters. A short drive away, at Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House, Grizedale Arts have created After Ford 151 Blackwell's Dark Place, a collision of objects and ideas that presents a politicised history of design, and explores the notion of Arts and Crafts as a resistance movement.
At the Coniston Institute, Grizedale Arts have curated It's All About the Landscape (10 October 1 December), a contemporary and historical exhibition that includes pre-industrial revolution landscapes, making workshops and an antiques shop. The installation has been designed by artist DJ Simpson and accommodates an indoor bowls alley, maintaining village use of the hall throughout the show.
