Visions in the Nunnery

About

Visions is Bow Arts’ renowned biennial exhibition of moving image, digital and performance art, and this year presents work from 15 countries selected from a worldwide open call. Lead artists Hetain Patel, Nye Thompson and Benedict Drew will all show new films, the themes of which guide the curation of the show’s three programmes.  

Hetain Patel’s Programme 1 premieres a new animation from Patel, projecting outlines of himself moving across the gallery’s walls through colours, revealing different skin tones through his own body’s lines. The programme presents 26 other artists’ works that explore themes pertinent to Patel, including identity, migration, gender, heroes and movement.

Nye Thompson’ Programme 2 premieres her new film /artefact, commissioned by The Lowry’s WEEK 53 Festival, which virtually builds a colossal dividing wall on the un-walked territories of Mars. The sci-fi fuelled themes of data gathering, other worlds, space, earth and CCTV reverberate through the programme’s 23 works.

Benedict Drew’s Programme 3 premieres a new single screen work by Drew in which he tunes into vibrations and waves of energy from celestial objects, thinking about how to improvise with others through telepathy in the shadow of catastrophe. A fantastical selection of 21 works will accompany his music-filled film, drawing on 16mm film, poetry, ritual, music and nature.

Each programme will be launched with a live performance evening in Bow Arts’ outdoor courtyard. Patel will perform Make a Wish at his programme launch with dancer and collaborator Vidya Patel. An online event programme will run throughout the exhibition and all exhibition works will also be available online.

Programme 1 Hetain Patel 25 Sep – 18 Oct | Launch evening 24 Sep

Presenting Said Adrus, Richard Ashrowan, Sarah Bliss, Izaak Brandt, Lee Campbell, Drew Dodge, Diamond Frances, Rosie Gibbens, Ellie Kyungran Heo, Rowland Hill, Florrie James, Laura Kelly, Bryan P Konefsky, Kamila Kuc, Gal Leshem, Amanda Lorens, Kym McDaniel, Holly McLean, Maybelle Peters, Aron Rossman-Kiss, Carlos Saavedra, Niyaz Saghari, Christopher Samuel, Simon Robertshaw, Maxima Smith, Sam Williams.

Programme 2 Nye Thompson 20 Oct – 15 Nov | Launch evening 22 Oct

Presenting Judith Alder, John Barlow, Laurel Beckman, Max Colson, Susan Eyre, Dave Farnham, Aurèle Ferrier, Federica Foglia, Tessa Garland, Libby Heaney, Stefan Hurtig, Jo Lawrence, Robert Luzar and Martina Schmücker, Shanna Maurizi, Bijan Moosavi, Finn Rabbitt Dove, George Finlay Ramsay, Elke Reinhuber, Hiroya Sakurai, Dagmar Schürrer, Mattia Spagnuolo, Charlie Tweed.

Programme 3 Benedict Drew 17 Nov – 13 Dec | Launch evening 19 Nov

Presenting Tommy Becker, Arianne Churchman, Caryn Cline, Anita Delaney, Karel Doing, Richard Forbes-Hamilton, William Glass, Zewiditu Jewel and Lucy Cordes Engelman, Jess Johnson, Luke McCreadie, Stuart Moore, Yuri Muraoka, Reed O'Beirne, Caryn Cline and Linda Fenstermaker, Lou Lou Sainsbury, Chloe Cooper, Chiemi Shimada, Holly Slingsby, Vicky Smith, Lara Smithson, Amy Steel, Emily Whitebread, Ruby Wroe, Daniela Zahlner.