The Shape of Things (Alinah Azadeh)

First Bristol meeting (1)

I just had my first trip up to Bristol. As well as the excitement of a museum project/solo show on the horizon, there is also the added bonus of some really good friends plus some family who live there who I will now get to see on a regular basis for the next year.

I met with Julia Carver, who is the assistant curator at the museum and my main contact. She seems very sensitive and open and looks like a pre-raphaellite painting, with a wonderful profile and poetic demeanour. I also met the Exhibitions Manager Phil, Reetha who works in the community development section and Louise who is the Learning /Participation Officer. There is a lot to plan for so we talked over some practical issues plus some ideas based on my proposal, which will no doubt develop and adapt to the space and audience (especially having just done The Bibliomancer’s Dream’ at Southbank where I learnt a lot about interactive work in densely occupied spaces!).

Julia showed me around the museum, it is a beautiful space and has been carefully curated with an emphasis on appealing to families. What do I remember? A David Bomberg painting (the teacher of my first drawing teacher, Roy Oxlade) among a collection of interesting modern work, an array of large stuffed animals, a small deep blue glass vessel, the old maps of Bristol around the first floor atrium space, the enormous books in the curators office, as tall as my daughter.

I have till September to research and develop my ideas to a point where we can start to plan the exhibition and start talking with the 3D designer, the marketing team etc. That isn’t really very long although the seed of this idea has been with me for many years and I think it will find its form comfortably within this time.

I am also back in the studio continuing to work on my ‘Gifts of the Departed’ series which I realise is very much related to this project and has pre-empted it in some way. For the selection we had to take an object along and I took my first piece in the series, apprehensive as to the reaction since it feels so new. The response was very positive and this has helped me to decide on investing in a good chunk of time over the next few months to make a series of up to 20 pieces. I enjoy the relied of working with my hands on something small after so many big commissions and teams of people over the last year, it is a real and intimate treat. Also, having a space in Pop-up studios here in the old fire brigade buildings overlooking the river in Lewes here is such a privilege and gives me the space I need to really focus away from family and domestic /professional concerns.

Alternative Selection processes

I must mention the selection process for this scheme, as it was quite unique. We were 11 artists, a group of venue curators/gallery managers, a publisher and the Shape of things team. I can’t remember the name of the method used but basically the venues presented themselves one by one, followed by the artists. I went last and was extremely nervous by the time my turn came, having seen a whole range of amazing work…. Though I was also aware that my practice, which is intensely interdisciplinary and interactive had its own place as I am not someone with a long history of making, like many of the others who had mostly mastered one or two particular forms of applied arts. I guess I am coming firstly from a conceptual/metaphorical place and so hopefully this complimented the mix of practices presented.

After a break there were two rotating, round table, speed-dating type sessions, the first was 10 mins (?) on one general subject each, e.g. aims of the scheme, marketing, etc. We had badges with different colour codes, as did the tables to ensure everyone got to talk to everyone. The second one really w as like speed double –dating as one venue hosted each table and two artists met with them to discuss how a possible partnership with that particular venue might work. It was all incredible intense but very holistic and I did feel inspired and like I had had a chance to express everything I wanted to. But then I like to talk about my work and the issues related to this bursary are close to my heart….This process might not suit someone whose primary focus is on making and not also on the discourse surrounding their work.

It must have been hard to select from 11 artists to 8 and I don’t yet know who the other artists are as nothing has gone to press yet but would have loved to have listened in on the conversation after we left and the venues/organisers had a discussion together. I think we were all pretty exhausted and blown away and it understandably took a few weeks before a decision was made as there was the complex business of matching up artists with venues in a way which worked for everyone.

If you want to know which the other venues are you can go to ‘The Shape of Things’ website which gives full info on the scheme and those involved. It is a three-year scheme and myself and the other artist selected for Bristol – Rosa Nguyen- are the first to show (Feb–April 2010)