Exhibition

Humanity

25 Nov 2023 – 21 Jan 2024

Regular hours

Monday
Closed
Tuesday
10:00 – 18:00
Wednesday
10:00 – 18:00
Thursday
10:00 – 18:00
Friday
10:00 – 18:00
Saturday
10:00 – 18:00
Sunday
10:00 – 18:00

Free admission

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Award-winning charity Outside In’s national open exhibition features 80 artworks on the theme of ‘humanity’

About

Humanity is the sixth National Open exhibition organised by the charity, which was established in 2006 to assist artists encountering significant barriers due to health, disability, social circumstance or isolation. This represents the final leg of a national tour for the exhibition, which initially opened at Sotheby’s Old Bond Street before touring to Project Ability in Glasgow during the summer. 

This year, shortlisted works were judged at the Sotheby’s show by artist Bob and Roberta Smith, following in the footsteps of previous judges including Sir Grayson Perry and Cathie Pilkington. ‘Old Bands’ by Michelle Roberts was awarded first prize of a solo exhibition in 2024.  ‘Ophelia’ by Gail Henderson and ‘RNLI Saves Refugees’ by Ian Barnes were selected as runners up.

There has never been a time in recent history where the theme of humanity has had such direct relevance to the world in which we are living. The challenges posed by environmental change, war, the global pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have left us to consider what it is to be a human and how to behave humanely. Outside In artists have interpreted humanity from a wide variety of perspectives, both personal and global, and the work on show includes paintings and drawings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, film and performance pieces.

Sussex is the birthplace of Outside In and numerous local artists have work included in the show - including first prize winner Michelle Roberts, who works with Project Art Works, a collective of neurodiverse artists and activists based in Hastings. Jiffy’s ‘Seeing Other People’ is about looking, communicating and sharing ideas whilst Sophie Valeix’s collaged print ‘Common Humanity’ is a reminder to be compassionate and shows the beauty and diversity of people, if we could only see them on the inside during depressive episodes. David Puttick’s mixed media piece reflects on how all humans can be good or bad, depending on conditioning and Helen Grundy’s collage ‘The Anatomy of Rumination’ sees an anatomical diagram of ear invaded by bathers, each representing a thought, and is a plea to slow down and break cycles of worry. Luc(e) Raesmith’s assemblage addresses society’s current obsession with celebrity and the selfie, whilst Sarah Harris’s digital photograph ‘Only Human’ is a lamentation on mortality and Samuel McGann’s plaintive ‘Deep In Thought’ is a reflection on the outbreak of war in Ukraine. A mixed media installation by Jessica Starns is entitled ‘Refrigerator Mothers’, a term coined by psychiatrist Leo Kanner in the 1950s which shockingly equated autism with a lack of maternal love.

Guest artist and 2023 judge Bob and Roberta Smith commented: “Outside In does important work with artists and I was thrilled to be a guest judge at this year’s National Open. When judging the submitted artworks, I was looking out for great stories and colours, intense drawing and musical shapes. The thing I take away from this exhibition is integrity - the integrity of the artist’s voice, to want to say something. You get this incredible dialogue going on which is so sincere and direct, refreshing and deeply honest.”

“Outside In are an important organisation doing brilliant work, making a real contribution to artists and the arts,” says Hedley Swain, CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums. “They originated in Sussex and I am really pleased that we are partnering them for this inspiring exhibition at the Hove Museum of Creativity”.

Taking part

Outside In

Outside In

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