Snail Porridge, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
Curated by artist Bob and Roberta Smith, this exhibition features artwork, music and writing from prisoners, those held in secure hospitals and secure children’s homes, and by people on probation in north west England. The show highlights the annual Koestler Awards – a charitable scheme that has been running for over 50 years to promote artistic achievement in the criminal justice system and secure sectors.
Until 15 June, www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/event/snail-porridge
Neil Clements: The Garage Fordist, Tramway, Glasgow
The way in which ideas of artistic agency have evolved in relation to broader technological and cultural developments are explored in this exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Glasgow-based artist Neil Clements. Included is a new series, Testbeds, that refers both to 1960s hard edge abstraction and the heraldic forms employed by the military, and Clements’ ongoing series of sculptures that take museum barriers as their starting point.
Until 15 June, www.tramway.org
Art & Life: The Paintings of Beryl Bainbridge, Inigo Rooms, Somerset House, London
A selection of writer Beryl Bainbridge’s paintings, etchings and drawings, contextualised by material from her novels. As with her writing, Bainbridge’s art merges events from her personal life with history and myth to blur the boundaries between past and present, and fact and fiction.
Until 19 October, www.kcl.ac.uk
Jacob Dahlgren: On Balance, Fabrica, Brighton
This kaleidoscopic show features a sculptural form constructed from thousands of metres of multi-coloured ribbon, plus a large floor work comprising 713 polished bathroom scales in candy-pop colours. On Balance is a co-commission with Brighton Festival 2014.
Until 26 May, fabrica.org.uk
Gerry Bibby: Combination Boiler, Showroom, London
Artist in residence Gerry Bibby has probed the idiosyncrasies of Showroom’s behind the scenes apparatus and systems — rendering them as potential creative material. A particular focus is the organisation’s heating system, the ebb and flow of which provides warmth and a generative tissue throughout the building and the community within it. This new commission forms part of the How to work together programme in collaboration with Chisenhale Gallery and Studio Voltaire.
Until 21 June, www.theshowroom.org
Selections chosen by Jack Hutchinson
