Author: Rachel Sved - Page 2

Against Apartheid School Workshops

Posted on December 15, 2023April 12, 2024 by Rachel Sved

Last month, we had the opportunity to work with students from St Andrews Primary School as part of our exhibition Against Apartheid. The students were given a tour of both the gallery and an artist’s studio. This was followed by two workshop sessions, led by KARST studio holder Anna Boland, in which the students explored their unique individual responses to the work on show through clay sculpture and large-scale printmaking. The resulting work was used to form an exhibition in KARST’s Fenster space, curated by the students, which they had the opportunity to share with family and friends as part of a private view.

Despite attending schools in close proximity to KARST, many local students have never visited the gallery. This project was an opportunity for the children to experience contemporary art and get an insight into the life of an artist, whilst testing out new materials and exploring their individual creative ideas. Here are some quotes from the students on their experience visiting KARST and taking part in the project:

I am proud that my work is able to be in the gallery.

I loved it when you taught us the pinch pot technique because now when I do my air dried clay I tend to use that one the most.

I really want to bring my family to the gallery

I loved every single bit of art and video (featured in Against Apartheid) and making things out of clay

This project was in partnership with Millfields inspired.

Against Apartheid: Keynote Speech by Annalee Davis

Posted on November 11, 2023November 11, 2023 by Rachel Sved

On the opening night of our current exhibition Against Apartheid, Barbadian visual artist and writer Annalee Davis gave a keynote speech on her practice which combined history and biography in discussions of ‘post-plantation economies’ with cultural activism in the arts sector.

Didn’t make the live event? You can watch the full recording here:

Credit: Craig Whyte

Black Atlantic

Posted on November 10, 2023November 10, 2023 by Rachel Sved

SATURDAY 25 – SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2023

Black Atlantic is a weekend of public programming where participants are invited to consider how far racial equity and inclusion can serve as creative tactics for the imagination of just and sustainable planetary futures here and now. The weekend will be a celebration of such tactics in all their diversity and will combine a free event as well as this ticketed programme at The Market Hall.

On 25 November the day will begin at 11am at KARST, with a workshop by educator Tanisha Hicks-Beresford on joy as a decolonial strategy. This will be followed by conversations with artists Sylvie Sema Glissant and Angela Camacho with podcaster Jelena Sofronijevic (Empirelines) about their contributions to Against Apartheid.

The programme then moves to the Market Hall starting with Musical Passage, a free open jam session led by jazz educators Tomorrow’s Warriors and involving young people from across Devon and Cornwall.

The ticketed programme commences at 5pm with a keynote presentation by Francoise Verges marking the 30th anniversary of Paul Gilroy’s seminal book The Black Atlantic; songs performed by singer Angeline Morrison reflecting the Black British presence in English folk music over centuries; an in-conversation with renowned decolonial theorist Paul Gilroy and podcaster Jelena Sofronijevic (Empirelines); and DJ Yoda’s 50 years of Hip-Hop set.

Planetary Imagination, an installation by Ashish Ghadiali originally commissioned by The Box, will play on a loop inside the Market Hall’s immersive dome throughout the evening.

Throughout the day, food from the team at Jabulani will be on sale and available at KARST from 12-2pm and then at The Market Hall from 5pm.

On Sunday 26 November the morning will begin with a Deep Listening workshop by Ximena Alarcon from The Center for Deep Listening at 10am at the Mayflower Steps. Participants will then take part in A Silent Walk following a route designed by members of the Open City Night school and ending at the Peace Garden on Plymouth Hoe, where the weekend’s proceedings will be drawn to a close around midday.

Black Atlantic is part of Open City, a season of decolonial art and public programming organised by Radical Ecology through autumn 2023 with partners across South-West England and in the context of the exhibition Against Apartheid at KARST.

To book for the Saturday evening at the Market Hall in Devonport, click here.

Against Apartheid: Artist Panel

Posted on November 3, 2023November 3, 2023 by Rachel Sved

Last month, curator Ashish Ghadiali brought together artists Annalee Davis, Kedisha Coakley, Iman Datoo and Ashanti Hare for a panel discussion hosted in KARST’s Fenster space as part of the opening event for our current exhibition, Against Apartheid. Didn’t make the live event? Scroll down to watch the full recording.

Film: Craig Whyte

Graduate Residents join KARST

Posted on October 26, 2023October 27, 2023 by Rachel Sved

This month, KARST is pleased to welcome two graduate artists for a six-month studio residency, Beth Evans (Arts University Plymouth) and Sophie Lines (Bath Spa University).

Beth Evans is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator and writer whose practice is informed by both lived experience and imagined realities. Taking influence from the scientific and the poetic, Beth adopts non-tangible concepts and transforms them into ‘sculptural metaphors’. Currently, they are exploring what it means to create intimate, autobiographical work whilst simultaneously remaining distant enough that the practice remains emotionally sustainable.

Beth says: “I can’t wait to be in the studio, working amongst KARST’s community of artists and having the space to let my practice grow organically, maybe in scale, but definitely in concept.”

Sophie Line is an artist fabricating for the future, heavily influenced by found objects, nature and futuristic plants. They explore this through process-based works that evoke an emotional response. Sophie pushes the limits of materiality. This stems from their investigation into sustainable resources, material alternatives and producing their own bioplastics. Sophie intends to blur the boundaries between art, science and design, exploring how they can come together to create sustainable alternatives to environmental issues.

Sophie says: I am thrilled to be joining KARST and cannot wait to engage with the community and fellow creatives. I am excited to explore the unique and diverse natural environment of Plymouth to see how it can inspire and influence my practice.

Open City Season

Posted on September 15, 2023September 29, 2023 by Rachel Sved

This autumn, Radical Ecology, KARST and other partners present the Open City season of decolonial art and public programming.

Open City invites artists, activists and thinkers from across south-west England to listen, walk and dream together as we explore the essential role of inclusive civic spaces in creating just and sustainable planetary futures.

Centred around our upcoming group exhibition, Against Apartheid (28 September – 2 December 2023), the season brings together interconnected issues including histories and legacies of the plantation, contemporary contexts of forced migration and climate breakdown. Programmed events include talks and public lectures by speakers including artist Annalee Davis, writer Gary Younge, climate scientist Tim Lenton and activist Françoise Vergès.

The role of music and deep listening – being genuinely curious about someone else’s story – as tools for facilitating a collective transformation. Interventions delivered in collaboration with the Centre for Deep Listening draw on legacies of artist and researcher Pauline Oliveros, as well as new iterations of an ongoing programme for jazz education across Devon and Cornwall, Musical Passage. Live performances by spoken word artist Otis Mensah and folk singer Angeline Morrison form part of the Black Atlantic symposium – a public celebration of the 30th anniversary of Paul Gilroy’s seminal decolonial text, The Black Atlantic (25 & 26 November 2023).

At KARST, Wednesday nights throughout October and November will be the site of an Open City Night School. Eight community leaders will bring together perspectives on Plymouth from across refugee and asylum seeker communities, school teachers, third sector workers and the armed forces, developing methods for seeing the city through the eyes of another. This learning will inform the collaborative development of A Silent Walk. The walk through Plymouth will take place on 26 November 2023, ending with a shared breakfast on Plymouth Hoe and reflections on how we might harvest these public processes to imagine new and practicable frameworks for environmental justice.

Open City is presented by Radical Ecology in partnership with KARST, The Box, Choose Love, Real Ideas Organisation, Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support, Diversity Business Incubator, Jabulani, Plymouth Culture, The Arts Institute at the University of Plymouth, Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, Arts and Culture at the University of Exeter, UCL Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the study of Racism and Racialisation, The Center for Deep Listening at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, Asone Music Hub, Plymouth Music Hub, Devon and Torbay Music Hubs, Torbay Community Development Trust, the Apricot Centre and Zebra Collective.

Key Dates:

28 September, 4.45pm-5.45pm – Keynote Lecture: Annalee Davis, Lecture Theatre 1, Roland Levinsky Building at University of Plymouth. BOOK HERE.

28 September, 6-8pm – Against Apartheid exhibition opening at KARST

28 September, 7.30pm-8pm – Artist Panel: Annalee Davis, Iman Datoo, Kedisha Coakley and Ashanti Hare in conversation at KARST. (FULLY BOOKED)

29 September-2 December – Against Apartheid exhibition at KARST

4 October, 6-8pm – Open City Night School: Trauma Geographies with Dr. Sana Murrani at KARST. BOOK HERE

11 October, 6-8pm – Open City Night School: Deep Listening Workshop with Ximena Alarcón Díaz at KARST. BOOK HERE

18 October, 6-8pm – Open City Night School at KARST

1 November, 6-8pm – Open City Night School at KARST

2 November, 8pm – Gary Younge: Dispatches from the Diaspora presented by Zebra Collective at Barbican Theatre

4 November, 2-4pm – Musical Passage: Workshop and Jam Session at The Exchange, Penzance

15 November, 6-8pm – Open City Night School at KARST

22 November, 6-8pm – Open City Night School at KARST

25-6 November – Black Atlantic Symposium at KARST and The Market Hall, Devonport

26 November – A Silent Walk, Plymouth

29 November – Open City Night School at KARST

New studio holders announced

Posted on August 31, 2023September 21, 2023 by Rachel Sved

Four new studio holders have joined KARST’s community, taking residence in Under – the space below KARST. We welcome Rachel Dobbs and Hannah Rose (LOW PROFILE), Tom Pether and Arielle Etheridge.

LOW PROFILE are artists Rachel Dobbs and Hannah Rose who have been working together in collaboration since 2003. The pair are most interested in the connections between people and creating new experiences that happen in people’s real lives. They find ways to create temporary communities, collective experiences and situations that get people thinking about their individual role within a group. They celebrate the strength of coming together, camaraderie, resourcefulness, resilience, generosity and loyalty.

Rachel and Hannah say: “We have started to make larger physical objects and need to have more space to experiment and develop ideas. We’re really looking forward to being able to have a space to work out ideas and leave them ‘up’ to return to. We are also super excited to be part of an artist community and to benefit from hanging out with other artists we admire.”

LOW PROFILE are currently undertaking a residency at GROW, Plymouth, where they are inviting people to come to free, drop-in Making Days. Using simple patchwork and hand-quilting techniques, people work together to make artworks that celebrate the power of coming together to achieve change through community building, group effort and collective action.

Tom Pether is a visual artist and writer whose work explores memory, fantasy, and the ways in which we are haunted – both by the past and the future. Through simple material juxtapositions, Tom´s sculptures build unstable bridges between the concrete and the ephemeral, and reference both our desire to escape the world and our inevitable failure to do so.

Tom says: “Being new to Plymouth, it is really exciting to be invited to join this vibrant studio community. It feels great to become a part of the city´s art scene, and I´m looking forward to opportunities for collaboration.”

Arielle Etheridge is a biracial, American artist based in Devon. Her work looks into her ancestry surrounding the Etheridge slave plantation and draws on collective cultural memory and the black Atlantic. Arielle explores traditional ways of making – including quilting, weaving, printmaking and natural dyeing – alongside modern practices such as photography.

Arielle says: “This is my first time having my own studio and I’m so happy it’s at KARST. There is always something going on, whether it’s crits, talks, artist-led events or shows. It’s such a great community to belong to!

UNDER Studio Open Call

Posted on July 8, 2023September 21, 2023 by Rachel Sved

In August 2023, a new studio will become available at UNDER (the unit below KARST’s main space). This is a raw studio space similar to how KARST studios were before our recent capital works project.

Studio Facilities & Membership:

24 hour access
Limited number of allocated parking spaces
Kitchen facilities
Communal social area
Meeting / conference room (on request)
Access to technical equipment
Access to roller doors for loading
Artist links on KARST website & social media
Opportunities for studio visits / critique with art professionals

Studio details:

Studio 15: Individual, 4.5m x 1.8m at price £115

Cost is inclusive of VAT & business rates, Wi-Fi, and utility bills including electric and water.

Access and facilities

Studio entrance includes one step into the building. Once inside the building, the space under KARST is on one level with accessible facilities and a roller shutter for loading. There is no central heating within the space, however an electric heater will be provided.

Applicants are considered on the basis of:

An active and critically engaged contemporary fine art practice
The clarity of direction of their work
Already established networks within and beyond Plymouth
Evidently exhibiting work on a regional, national or international level
Willingness to proactively participate in regular studio meetings and peer sessions
A commitment of at least 15 hours per week to on site studio practice
The current community of studio artists and their practices
Progression since graduation where relevant.

Key Dates

Deadline: 18th July 2023
Notification: 20th July 2023
Tenancy begins: 1st August 2023

Application process

All applicants are encouraged to visit our website and arrange a meeting with staff or residents before applying to find out the suitability of the studio in relation to their practice.

All applications must include a completed application form which includes supporting information, such as images, relevant links, artist CV and appropriate references based on the selection criteria.

Successful applicants will be invited for an informal discussion about studio provision prior to a final offer of tenancy.

Selection criteria

Spaces are reviewed and assessed by a selection panel, comprising KARST staff and board members. The application process is identical to the six-monthly project proposals existing studio holders make every April and October when they reapply for their studios.

For more information and to discuss your application contact studio@karst.org.uk.

Introducing Fenster

Posted on May 4, 2023May 4, 2023 by Rachel Sved

Introducing Fenster – a dynamic new space at KARST that we invite artists, curators and students to activate. The flexible nature of the space encourages versatility, creating the conditions for a multitude of uses, including learning, experimenting and connecting.

How are we using the space?

Fenster was created as a space for KARST studio holders to test their work and over the last year it has held talks, test spaces, workshops and artists crits. Last month, KARST studio holder Paul Hillon used Fenster as a test space for his large scale light sculptures.

The space was utilised for our Artists in Schools collaboration with The Box – allowing us to run workshops with local primary schools and provide children with the space to curate and present their work to family and peers. Fenster provided a gallery-adjacent setting for Hardeep Pandhal to give an intimate artist’s talk about his work in British Art Show 9. Studio holders and artists based in the region also used Fenster to present their work during crits with British Art Show 9 artist Abigail Reynolds.

So why did we call the space Fenster?

Following the geological connotations of ‘KARST’, Fenster is named after the subterranean hollow created when a surface collapses to reveal what was previously out of sight. Translating to ‘window’ in German, Fenster also gives a perspective into the inner workings of the organisation and associated artists.

Images:

1. Studio holder Paul Hillon tests his large-scale light sculptures.

2. British Art Show 9 Artist Abigail Reynolds leading a one-to-one crit with studio holder Dave Beech.

3. KARST Head of Programme Ben Borthwick introducing Hardeep Pandhal. Photo: Dom Moore.

4. Artists in Schools workshop. Photo: Dom Moore.

5. Paintings produced by students as part of the Artists in Schools. Photo: Dom Moore.

Graduate Residents reflect on their time at KARST

Posted on March 23, 2023September 21, 2023 by Rachel Sved

Mitzi Dabrowski and Ashanti Hare (left to right) have come to the end of their graduate residency at KARST. We asked them to reflect on their experience having a studio at KARST and presenting the work they developed over the residency in their Test Space – Recorded Offerings.

How has having a studio at KARST changed how you work as an artist?

Mitzi Dabrowski: Having a studio at KARST has given me a bridge between graduating and the rest of my career as an artist by giving me that allocated space to continue pushing my practice and maintain a constant thread of making work. It has also given me the chance to adjust my practice to my new surroundings of Plymouth, which is something I intend to involve in my work whenever I move. It allowed me to translate my experiences of music venues in the city, therefore creating a new body of work that I can compare to my past projects with music venues in Bath and Bristol.

Ashanti Hare: Having a studio at KARST has given me the space to explore the way I think and approach making work in a new way. It has been a freeing experience in that I have been able to focus on specific areas of interest and research while also honing new skills that I previously had little time for. It has also broadened my creative network and put me in contact with some great artists/creatives that I look forward to working with in the future.

How was your experience of Test Space?

MD: Being able to use the Test Space at KARST provided a space to experiment with making large scale works as well as play with the positioning of my work in such a blank space. Working alongside the other graduate resident Ashanti was also such a positive experience where we could learn more about each other’s practice, while also curating together and finding harmonies in the way we both approach research through mark-making. Having the chance to take the eclectic collection of works I created throughout the residency and show them outside of the studio also encourage me to bounce ideas and concepts off of those that came to see the Test Space, and gain inspiration that is fuelling my last few weeks at KARST following the Test Space, as well as after I leave.

AH: Having a Test Space allowed me to think about how I see and interact with white spaces. Going forward I will think about how to incorporate space in the creation of work rather than it be just a place to show things; this is something I started to implement during the residency with the filming of a performance. This gave a new context and dimension to the work which was interesting. I’m an avid supporter of Test Space.

What is next for your practice?

MD: The next stage of my practice is pursuing my study of crowds at gigs and specific music venues, while also incorporating more of my expressive paintings into the forefront of my practice, as my time at KARST reunited my love for more expressive, personal paintings that have more references to my personal life. I will be moving back to Hertfordshire and therefore adjust my research into my experience of gigs there, while also continuing to look for opportunities to make large scale sculpture experiments and engage with studio spaces and galleries there.

AH: The residency reawakened my interest in ceremonial garments and ritual and how this is expressed across multiple cultures as a form of celebration. Furthering my research into these rich cultural histories, traditions and rituals through costume and performance feels like a natural progression within my practice. I’m in the process of creating a series of costumes that will be part of a performance film around decolonising history and rooting it magick.

What piece of advice would you give to the next set of KARST Graduate Residents?

MD: My advice for future KARST graduate residents is to say yes to opportunities and make the most of your time at KARST, particularly if you (like me) are living in Plymouth for the duration of the residency. Taking part in a studio crit with Than Hussein Clark from BAS9 in November gave me the chance to discuss my new works and ideas and really shaped how I thought about my practice and what a finished piece of work is. Involve your work or research with the culture of Plymouth, and pursue any experiments you can only do with a designated studio space. There is such a large community of creative people in the area so don’t be afraid to collaborate and get in touch with others. P.S. give yourself days off from going to the studio and working too.

AH: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to think about the end result of the residency. Use this time to have fun with what you’re creating and follow your heart. There aren’t any rules and that can be kind of scary as a recent graduate but if you approach it with playfulness and curiosity then it will be very rewarding. My advice is to play!