Collective Disturbance

About

‘Collective Disturbance’ deploys that now is one of the most pivotal times for artists to communicate and document perspectives concerning that which is affecting both our collective and individual psyches, as a means to addressing our future. Exhibiting artists respond to cultural movements in masculinity & gender, human extinction, political unrest, late capitalism, consumerism, heritage and race, body image, the effects of social media on our identities and social divide. Through explorations of these ever more relevant topics, our modes of fear, power, hope, validation, social cohesion, comparison, separation, inclusion and exclusion are all brought to light.

The artworks consider that we have much by way of progress to celebrate, yet many failures and hurdles to face. Through paintings, installations, sculpture, screen-printing and sound art, the ripple effects of this on the many facets of our collective identities is translated.

’Collective Disturbance,’ is part of the Margate Festival programme and curated by contemporary artist, Ruth Fox, an ex-Londoner now living in Margate. The show features the work of six contemporary artists living in Margate (five of whom are DFL’s - who moved ‘down from London’ and one who grew up in Thanet) and three contemporary artists living in London. Margate Festival is supported amongst others by Turner Contemporary (which hosts the Turner Prize this September) and Arts Council England. The two-week exhibition takes place in the newly restored Georgian Grade II listed building Gordon House Margate. Artists are: Robert Montgomery, Chris Moon, Claire de Lune, Ruth Fox, Helder Clara, Charlie Evaristo-Boyce, Luke Vandenberg, Samuel Eyles and Elizabeth Hunter.

The exhibition's concept takes inspiration from 'Meaning and Melancholia: Life in the Age of Bewilderment' by psychoanalyst, Christopher Bollas, which in part, “explores how recent decades have seen rapid transformations in how we define our ‘selves.’” In the book’s prologue, Bollas states, “we are reluctant to acknowledge the possibility of suffering a collective disturbance. In fact, we are witnessing a social epidemic of mental pain and a catastrophic failure to deal with this crisis in our culture.”

Venue: Gordon House Margate | www.gordonhousemargate.com | Churchfield Place, Margate CT9 1PJ Opening times: Tues - Sun: 11am - 5pm; Thursdays: 3 - 8pm

For more info, please visit: www.ruthfox.co