We’ve painted the Project Space floor the requisite grey- I think we’ve got the shade of it just right for an art space and lots of interesting fluff balls painted into the surface from who knows where. Also dug and weeded the minuscule flower border under the facade – what shall we ever put in it that makes a statement and costs nothing???Suggestions please!
The lettering for our simultaneously plush and nasty sign is due this week and the side window frames have been sanded ready to paint.
Altogether, the space is coming up shiny with a bit of spit and polish. We’ve had the usual discussion about types of evaluation for visitors to the talk on Thursday, and importantly, glass shapes and sources of wine for the talk.
We’ve had a fair few people confirmed as attending, which is great news and a testemony to the interest in Isabel’s experience and vision.
I’ve included another image from St Margaret’s, Cley Church as a picture of a grey floor might be rather boring.
A Project Space trip out to view St Margaret’s Church, Cley. This was to provide a context for the inaugural Queen of Hungary talk on the 24th. Isabel Vasseur will, amongst other things, discuss her vision and approach to curating a show in and around St Margaret’s. Stephanie and I met up with artist Frances Kearney in the interior, who has a personal perspective on the building and stories to tell of it.
The church is beautiful, full of wrathful and comic carved beasties on pews, in niches and on parapets – full of myth, mystery and damnation. The arches are splendid and stonework looks filigree delicate with a sense of wear and erosion over everything. Standing on the high ground behind the church, it was easy to imagine the old, old harbour and the ships that would have bustled and busied just below the church. All grass, road and some houses now.
The grey sky became too grey for us to explore the coastal, marshy strip that will also form part of the exhibition.
It will be fascinating to see how the show shapes up and moulds itself into the niches.
Here is some information about our first ever event in the Project Space; a talk by Isabel Vassuer:
The Queen of Hungary Project Space
Aylsham, Norfolk NR11 6HF
7.00pm on Thursday 24th November 2011
Free Event
We are delighted to present the first event in a 6-month programme of seminars by leading curators and artists at the new Project Space.
The inaugural talk is to be given by Isabel Vasseur, director of ArtOffice and curator of Salthouse12. Isabel was a pioneer of the Public Art movement at the beginning of the 1980s, and founded ArtOffice 27 years ago. ArtOffice evolved into an association of professional curators, architects and art historians who undertook a vast range of projects. Over the past decade these have included working with Channel 4, Covent Garden Opera House and Aldeburgh Festival.
Isabel will talk about her varied career in public art, exhibition making and publishing while also elaborating on her vision as curator of Salthouse12.
www.artoffice.co.uk
The Project Space is fully accessible and there is parking at the front of the space.
To book a place please email [email protected].
Places are limited to 25.
I think we should consider sending a map for those who book a place, for those not familiar with this part of North Norfolk.
Dominique Rey
Hours spent painting the Project Space to get it ready for the inaugral event this month. Stephanie seems particularly skilled at decorating and finding uses for pieces of ripped up newspaper. We decided on a stringent yellow for the newly replaced woodwork around the windows, which we bought in Aylsham, but it turned out not nearly’nasty’ enough – we will have to adapt it.
Also debating all the practicalities such as how many chairs we can comfortable fit into the space for the talk and then where to source the chairs, typefaces for the Project Space sign, wine and beer provenders, and so on. It feels satisfying to be working in this hands-on way after al our discussions, but –
There is a LOT to do.
Dominique Rey
We’ll be off tomorrow, or rather later this morning, to start painting the not-yet-sparkly Project Space. Hoping for an early-ish start, so I shall spend the day fuelled by coffee and a croissant.
I will post a more paint spattered message later.
Dominique Rey
