Proximity By Proxy

About

PROXIMITY BY PROXY

On view: Thursday 29th April to Saturday 15th May 2021

Ten Masters’ students in Fine Art and Printmaking, at Cambridge School of Art, question if their work is really ‘present’ in the Ruskin Gallery as their exhibition is ‘simulated’. If presence is defined as the presence of the body, while absence is defined as the spatial temporal distance of corresponding bodies[1], can such a corporeal distinction be made when their proximity is facilitated literally and figuratively by digital proxies?

 “I think the lack of creative appeal of QR codes has had as much to do with aesthetics and distraction as security for museum curators. But the last year has seen a resurgence of the technology in our everyday lives and we reflect on this by creating an exhibition that goes beyond the ‘scan, engage and exchange’ of many of our online interactions” says student curator Stepanka Facerova.

Proximity by Proxy explores the tension between solitude and solidarity that has characterised public and private life for many people since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the experience of quarantine has brought on a heightened sense of isolation, at least for those who were in a position to stay home, the pandemic has also made strikingly clear the limitations of our individualist ethos. This period of isolation from one another has only served as a reminder of our need for both direct personal contact and, on a broader scale, for social solidarity and mutual aid.

The work in Proximity by Proxy exists along this spectrum, from the sense of isolation to the desire for connection and communication. Presented entirely online, as the Ruskin Gallery is still closed to the public, the show can’t help but grapple with the mediated togetherness offered by technology.

-ENDS -

Notes to editors:

EXHIBITION LAUNCH/PV: Thursday 29th April 2021 6.00-7.00pm - Join us live on MS Teams to celebrate the launch of Proximity by Proxy. Please register your interest at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/proximity-by-proxy-private-view-tickets-151205875845 for further details and joining instructions.

EXHIBITION HOSTED BY: www.itiswhatitisduo.com/#MyWorks

PROXIMITY BY PROXY ARTISTS:

Nur Akyildiz | Kira Barnard | Karen Burton | Liz Brown | Anna Dermitzaki | Stepanka Facerova | Rita Matika | Shanielle Monangai | Jonny Revz | Sarah Strachan |

[1] Giddens, A., 1984. The Constitution of Society. Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Cambridge: Polity Press