NEW WAYS OF SEEING AT THE LIGHTBOX
On Friday 14 January ‘Ways of Seeing,’ a groundbreaking exhibition opened at The Lightbox gallery and museum. The exhibition which presents major artworks in a different light was declared open by Claudia Hammond of the BBC’s ‘All in the Mind’.
Generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this exhibition is the culmination of a revolutionary two-year project which has seen The Lightbox work with mental health service users to help them curate their own exhibition, and produce artistic responses to pieces from The Ingram Collection. A major collection of 20th Century British Art featuring Henry Moore and Elisabeth Frink among others.
With pieces from The Ingram Collection positioned next to the artistic responses of the participants ‘Ways of Seeing’ provides the public with a fascinating, new interpretation of a major collection of Modern British Art and gives a voice to people with mental health problems. ‘This is a going to be a really fascinating and innovative exhibition,’ says the Project Director Rib Davis, ‘as we will not only be seeing major works of art, but also will be invited to think about various ways of seeing those works of art, through the responses which will be exhibited with them. And some of those responses help us to see the original works in a very different light.’
Over the past two years the participants have visited a variety of arts-related environments, where they have worked with professional artists and curators to discover what makes a good exhibition. Participants have also been given the opportunity to take part in a range of workshops to develop their artistic skills and produce their own artistic responses to The Ingram Collection, some of which feature in the exhibition. The participants have decided what will feature in the exhibition and how the pieces will be positioned, mounted and lit. They have also written their own captions and contributed to the guide which accompanies the exhibition.
A lecture to accompany the exhibition, Private Minds, Public Collections will take place on Thursday 3 March at 7.00pm and will explore the many uses for public records of mental health, both for individuals and wider audiences.
For further press information contact Becky Bristow, Marketing Manager at The Lightbox, email: becky.bristow@thelightbox.org.uk , telephone: 01483 737810.
Notes:
The Ingram Collection is a private collection of Modern and Contemporary British art. It is on loan to The Lightbox from Chris Ingram, a media entrepreneur and owner of Woking Football Club.
The exhibition will run from 15 January 2011 to 13 March 2011
A Symposium, Fine Art, Fine Mental Health chaired by Claudia Hammond from the BBC’s ‘All in the Mind’ will take place on Monday 28 February at The Lightbox and will bring together leading figures in this field.
From 10 February to Thursday 10 March the Young Curators Project at The Lightbox will focus upon Ways of Seeing and participants will take part in hands-on creative workshops.
The Lightbox is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10.30am – 5.00pm and Sunday 11.00am – 5.00pm. Entrance is free. For more information please visit www.thelightbox.org.uk