The Hope of Wrecks
13 September – 27 October 2013
The Hope of Wrecks is a forthcoming multi-media exhibition at the Museum of St Albans & The Art and Design Gallery, The University of Hertfordshire. Curated by Andrew Marsh and Simon Hollington.
Featured artists
Jo Addison
Chris Dobrowolski
David Ersser
Daniel Goodwin
Friedrich Kunath
Martin Kippenberger
Kypros Kyprianou
Adam Norton
Selina O
David Shrigley
Ali Tareen
Paul Thek
Opening Reception (Art and Design Gallery) Thursday 12 September 5.00pm – 8.00pm
Closing Reception (Museum of St Albans) Saturday 26 October 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Venues
University of Hertfordshire Galleries Art and Design Gallery, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB
University of Hertfordshire Galleries at Museum of St Albans, Hatfield Road, St Albans AL1 3RR
The Hope of Wrecks is a play on the title of the seminal Germanic romantic painting, The Wreck of Hope by Casper David Friedrich.
As the world is struggling to recover from a continuing global financial and ethical crisis it seems a fitting moment to explore how contemporary artists address the term ‘Hope’ both personally and politically.
The Hope of Wrecks explores how certain artists produce works which have an inherent optimism when seemingly either they, or the world that surrounds them, is at ‘rock bottom’. This optimism, whether it be overt or underlying, is expressed using strategies like humour, satire, honesty, naivety or faith.
The majority of our life experience may be futile, a tiny percentile of this experience, however, transcends inerta and despondency allowing us to feel optimistic and enthusiastic in spite of ourselves.
The show will exhibit a range of multi-media works by established, mid-career and young artists contextualising a modus operandi that has been at the core of artististic enquiry throughout history. In many of the selected artists’ work there is a ‘gallows humour’ that both mocks and confronts either themselves, their environment, or the viewer.
Taking place across both the Museum of St Albans and the Art and Design Gallery at the University of Hertfordshire.
Click here for more info.
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