Acting Head of Programme, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
Bob & Roberta Smith
Help Build the Ruins of Democracy
11 Dec – 3 April 2005
Photography by Colin Davison
As a Curator I have worked in variety of contexts programming exhibitions and developing projects with artists in galleries such as BALTIC, Gateshead and Ikon Gallery, Birmingham. As freelance curator and writer I have presented artists in smaller solo projects, working with venues in the North East and in partnership with other agencies. Many of these projects return to a personal interest in contemporary photography
I joined the programme team at BALTIC 2 years ago and have worked on the realisation and presentation of several major exhibitions for BALTIC including the solo exhibition of Sam Taylor-Wood in 2006; Vik Muniz, Pictures of People, with Brazilian photographer Vik Muniz and recently worked to present the Zabludowicz Art Collection exhibition presenting some 30 international artists as well as an integral collaboration from artist Mustafa Hulusi that crosses from the gallery to the street.
In Autumn 2006 I worked to present Spank the Monkey with the linked commissions programme in the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead with artists Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey, FAILE and Invader amongst others.
In 2005 I co-curated the Ed & Nancy Kienholz exhibition for BALTIC and its tour to the MCA, Sydney, Australia. This was the largest presentation of their work in the UK and involved complex multi part sculptural installations that challenged conventions of display and was both hard hitting and politically relevant. Developing projects such as these with time for research and putting together publications is also of real interest.
After seeing a show of the bold extraordinary paintings of the New York painter Barnaby Furnas in 2004 in London I moved to put together his first public gallery museum show and his first publication.
I also worked with Bob & Roberta Smith on Help Build the Ruins of Democracy in 2005 to create a startling and immersive installation by the artist for BALTIC’s spaces.
As a curator and writer based in the North East I’ve worked to develop projects, exhibitions and publications with several artists in the region including Julian Germain, James Hugonin, Fiona Crisp, Graham Dolphin, Matt Stokes, Darren Banks, Peter Evans and Uta Kogelsberger.
My interests in contemporary practice are broad ranging with a strong interest in photography, and photography publication projects.