Tuesday 13 November 2012

The Word Art Collective's Exhibition of Emerging Artists in Hoxton


A new exhibition is opening in the Hoxton Arches on 21st November, fusing art, language, and reflecting European identity.  What this means in practice is lots of emerging artists and designers, with lots of styles including street art, fine art, and typography.

"The Word Art Collective is pleased to announce their exhibition Word Art funded by the European Commission under the British Council’s Youth in Action programme. The exhibition will run from 21 November to 8 December at Hoxton Arches in East London.
Fusing art and language and reflecting on European identity, the exhibition will present cutting-edge works by a group of exceptional emerging artists and designers, most of whom have made new pieces commissioned by the Word Art Collective.
Word Art Collective Director Priya Khanchandani comments: “We’ve brought together a talented group of international artists who have used words and images in unison, to show that both modes of expression have in common the power to convey what is fundamental about us; to tell stories, give voice to new ideas, to prick our imagination and move us.”
Word Art Collective commissioned photographer Kofi Allen and author Courttia Newland to create a collaborative piece for the exhibition entitled ‘Watching the Watchers’.
Newland has written a flash fiction story to accompany the previously unpublished photograph taken by Allen at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival which will be displayed alongside the image.
Graphic novelist and illustrator Nick Hayes will present an illustration that depicts man transforming the natural world into his own fantastical visions using language, sounds and mythological narrative. Hayes incorporates the ancient Pictish alphabet to describe this act as ‘Enchantment’.
‘Hope something happens, Hope nothing happens’ by up-and-coming fine artist and Royal College of Art graduate Wonwoo Lee is a sculptural gate piece inspired by Auguste Rodin’s iconic Gates of Hell, relecting on our expectations and the uncertainties in life.
Street artist Mobstr, known for his guerrilla typography which comments on advertising in public spaces and questions people’s relationship with the built environment, will be working off the street for the first time. 
The artist, whose identity is top secret, will be given late-night access to paint an original work onto one of the gallery’s inside walls that will be revealed at the opening.
The Word Art Collective also launched a pan European digital art competition from which the winning entry, selected from over fifty submissions by a judging panel chaired by Head of Research at the Victoria & Albert Museum Dr Glenn Adamson, will be announced at the Press & VIP Evening with a €300 prize awarded.
Several other events will complement the exhibition, namely a funded workshop with students from a local Hackney school, to be taught by Word Art author Courttia Newland, as well as Thursday lates including the Whitechapel Gallery’s First Thursday on 6 December.
Distinguished curator Dr Glenn Adamson is the mentor to the Word Art Collective, a non-profit initiative established by a group of Londoners under 30 working in art and design. He comments: “As in all outbursts of everyday speech, there is a lot of energy in the show, and a great deal of truth."

When - 21st November - 8th December

Where - Arch 402, Cremer Street, London, E2 8HD


Link 1 - The Word Art Collective
Link 2 - The Word Art Collective on Twitter

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