About
Penumbra is the inaugural art exhibition of young curatorial collective VERB. This show will present a selection of 11 emerging artists' work that demonstrates the beauty, vitality and contradictions inherent within transitional states. The exhibition will run from 1-18 May 2014 at A.P.T Gallery in Deptford, London, and will be followed by a publication. The public events programme includes tours, artist talks, performances, a panel discussion and curatorial workshops for children.
Penumbra
noun. An area in which something exists to a lesser or uncertain degree. A fringe region of half shadow. An outlying surrounding region; a periphery.
Penumbra will explore liminality; the moment of transition from one state to another. This uncertain state has long been associated with danger, but also contains the potential for a positive transformation. Liminality has been a buzz word in the art world for years, however its continued relevance to artists indicates a greater importance than mere trendiness.
The artists were selected from an open call on the subject of the uncertain, which received over 300 applications from across the UK and beyond. The current phenomenon of the young taking longer to reach a position of stability can be seen as a defining feature of our age. Emerging artists caught in this extended transitory period can offer an insight into the potential of uncertainty as well as its struggles. The presented works are diverse in both materials and approach to the subject, displaying a multiplicity of perspectives on the in- between; forming an intriguing and cohesive collection of innovative, quality works. The show will focus on three strands of liminality: spacial, temporal and transformative. However, as befits a show centred around the âin-between' and the ambiguous, many works bridge the divide between these areas.
Artists
The artists exhibiting in Penumbra are Megan Broadmeadow, Anton Burdakov, Greta Eacott, Elizabeth Hudson, Anna Hussey, Lydia Julien, Helen McGhie, Alex McNamee, Clare Price, Collette Rayner and YuYu.
Events
A series of free public events will complement the exhibition, these aim to generate discourse on the subject of the exhibition, demystify the curatorial process and provide insights into the artworks.
The panel discussion is on the subject The Progressive Potential of Uncertainty and will feature curator and critic Helena Reckitt as chair, and academic Dr. Eric Prenowitz, artist Lise Hovesen, a VERB curator and a Penumbra artist as panellists.
Key dates
Thur 01/05/2014: Exhibition preview from 18:00 (including Greta Eacott's performance)
Fri 02/05/2014: Curator's tour, 17:00
Thur 08/05/2014: Panel Discussion: The Progressive Potential of Uncertainty, 18:30
Fri 09/05/2014: Greta Eacott performance, 14:00 - 16:00
Sat 10/05/2014: Curatorial children's workshop, all day drop-in
Wed 14/05/2014: Curator's tour, 17:00
Sun 18/05/2014: Artists' talk and performance, drop-in from 13:00