It’s a tale as old as time. Artist discovers a run down derelict building in less than desirable part of town, artist uses building to create art, derelict building becomes fashionable and cutting edge. Less than desirable part of town beginnings churning out coffee bars. Artist is forced to move out of trendy, new metropolitan area due to rising house prices. I think there’s meant to be a monster and a talking candle stick in there too but we’ll ignore that for now.
However it has been done before, old industrial landscapes or crumbling decrepit buildings are transformed by the act of art. The Tate is famous for transforming the Liverpool docks and the Turbine Hall whilst in America, the PS1 gallery sits quietly nestled in the middle of Queens and invites it’s artists to “transform the building’s unique spaces” from old classrooms to site specific artworks. But now there’s a chance to see it happen from the very beginning. In the dark corners of Bracknell town centre, the Thames Valley based artist group ReOrsa are bringing vacated shop windows to life with non-commercial installations.
This exhibition falls into two stages. The first will occur in the empty shop windows of Bracknell, creating an art walk around the town centre, that will hopefully catch the eye of unknowing passers by as well as devoted art fans. Meanwhile the bulk of the art work will be displayed in a vacant shop, a slightly ironic setting for a group devoted to non-commercial art. Still there’s a brilliant kind of poetry to placing non-profit artwork in a space which has failed its original retail purpose. It is also ironic when you consider the reason ReOrsa was allocated these empty spaces was in the hope that the publicity and reputation gleaned from such exhibitions may boost Bracknell’s reputation and popularity. Presumably a key priority for the council ahead of Bracknell’s constantly delayed regeneration programme.
As it is the empty spaces in the town will only be available for another year at the most, (unless there are more setbacks re-development wise) this exhibition is well worth seeing before Bracknell’s transformation to thriving metropolitan centre shuts out all local art. The art walk begins the 8th September and runs to the 3rd of October whilst the major exhibition begins with a Private View on the 16th September and runs every wed to sat till the 27th.
