October 9, 2016–January 15, 2017
A Hayward Touring exhibition organised in collaboration with galleries in Leeds, Edinburgh, Norwich and Southampton.
The British Art Show is a national touring exhibition that provides a vital overview of some of the most exciting contemporary art produced in the UK. Organised by Hayward Touring at Southbank Centre, London, and taking place every five years, it introduces visitors to a new generation of artists. After opening in Leeds Art Gallery in October 2015, British Art Show 8 has toured to multiple venues across Edinburgh, Norwich and finally Southampton over the course of 15 months.
Curated by Anna Colin and Lydia Yee, British Art Show 8 features the work of 42 artists who have made a significant contribution to art in this country over the past five years. The result is a wide-ranging exhibition that encompasses sculpture, film, video-installation, photography, painting, performance and design. 26 artists have created new works especially for the exhibition, which makes this the most ambitious British Art Show to date.
British Art Show 8 is presented in Southampton across three venues; John Hansard Gallery at the University of Southampton’s Highfield Campus; Southampton City Art Gallery; and Bargate Monument, a Grade I listed medieval gatehouse in the city centre.
New works in Southampton include the fourth in Jessica Warboys’ series of “Sea Painting,” created on the coast of Southampton at Hamble Spit. This joins paintings from the three previous British Art Show 8 cities in a final site-specific installation at Southampton City Art Gallery, ahead of Warboys’ solo show at Tate St Ives in 2017.
Southampton also sees the culmination of an 18-month project, Auditory Learning, by Eileen Simpson & Ben White. The artists have worked with young people from a local youth group to vocalise sounds that trigger archival audio fragments and beats from out-of-copyright vinyl records from 1962. The mesmerising film tracking this process transforms the Bargate Monument into a 1960s studio space.
Southampton presents the final iteration of Stuart Whipps’ AMR 733V. The artist has worked throughout the duration of the tour with former workers of the Longbridge car production plant in Birmingham. Over the year, they have collaboratively restored parts of a Mini built in 1979 and a new presentation of the car—the shell and wheels—will be exhibited at John Hansard Gallery.
All venues are open Monday–Sunday, 10am–5pm for the duration of the exhibition.
John Hansard Gallery
University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ
Southampton City Art Gallery
Civic Centre, Commercial Rd, Southampton SO14 7LY
Bargate Monument
High Street, Southampton SO14 1HF
Find out more at britishartshow8.com
