Bridget Kennedy
Bridget Kennedy (b. 1970 Netherlands) is a compulsive organiser. She uses systemisation as a survival tactic, as a means of creating a little quietness amidst the clamor of modern life. She lives on the outskirts of a small village in the North of England. Whilst seeking out wildness and wilderness through interaction with “nature” she succumbs to the ever present desire to tame and control. A fascination with maps brings together her two main interests: landscape and the translation of information. Looking is an activity that is under constant scrutiny in Kennedy's practice, with regard to cartography she is intrigued by the leap of imagination that a map-reader undergoes in order to understand a three dimensional environment when looking at a set of symbols on a piece of paper. She expects her viewers to work together with her on their relationship with her pieces, giving clues in titles such as "Trying to understand the creation of the universe with beads and wire" and "Every letter is a number, every number is a colour (creation myths one and two)". There are two main strands to her practice, one is studio based and one is work made in response to place. She uses drawing, sculpture, photography and moving image in conjunction with the study of historical, critical and literary texts to aid her research and sustain her practice. Cool and impersonal at first glance these works expose a very human fragility on closer inspection. Imperfections resulting from the hand-made, homespun and irrational character of the romantic subtly compete with the rigid framework.
Coming Up: September 2024 - Without Walls - exhibition in two rural venues across Northumberland
September 11th 2024 - Speaking at Nuclear Futures online conference
Recent exhibitions:
2024- Mirror Neurons - Group exhibition in Hatton Gallery - Newcastle, July 3rd - Aug 3rd.
2023: MAW, Middlesborough Arts Week, Sept 28th - Oct 7th
2023: Hearse House, part of Heritage Open Days, 16th-17th Sept
2023: Linum: Linen Biennale, R-Space, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, 2nd-30th Sept
2023: Radiant Objects: encounters in the nuclear age, Newark Works, Bath, 27th May to 10th June.
2022: Communication Measures to Bridge 4.543 Billion Years, Vallum Gallery, University of Cumbria, part of Geoweek 7th -15th May.
2022: Mixed Bag, St James Hatcham Building, London, 23rd - 27th Feb.
2021: The Time of Iron: VARC, Tarset, September
2021: An invitation from an Artist: Bellingham Heritage Centre, July
2019, The Contemporary Countryside, Fold Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed: 1st-7th Nov
2019, Material Flow, Stroud Museum in the park, 28th Aug- to 22st Sept
2019, New Light Prize exhibition, Tullie House Museum, Carlisle: 13 Oct 2018-27 Jan
2019, #untitled 10, Bowes Museum, Co Durham, 09 Nov 2018 –11 January
Recent Events:
Great North Night, Great North Museum, Newcastle, 12th Dec, 2023: research presentation at public engagement event.
Nuclear History Group: July 2020: presenter at on line conference
National Nuclear Laboratory:12th Feb 2020: delivered lunchtime lecture
Nuclear Culture Research Group, Goldsmiths, London: December 2018: presenter at Radiological Deep Time Conference
Group exhibitions
Middlesbrough Art Weekender, 4th-7th Oct 2018
New Light Prize exhibition, Tullie House Museum, Carlisle: 13th Oct 2018-27th Jan 2019
KIN-doms, Dartington Hall, Totnes: 28th Sept - 17th Nov 2018
KINdoms, FAB, Bath: 26th May-10th June 2018
New Light Prize exhibition, Hudderfield Art Gallery: 10th March - 2nd June 2018
New Light Prize exhibition, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle: 18th Nov 2017- 18th Feb 2018
Power in The Land, Bay Art, Cardiff: 18th Feb - 18th March 2017
As Above So Below, Allenheads Contemporary Arts: 27th - 30th October 2016
Sites of Wonder, University of Kent: 30th September - 2nd December 2016
Power in The Land, Aberystwyth Art Centre: 14th May - 2nd July 2016
Power in The Land, Oriel Davies Gallery: 6th February - 6th April 2016
The Story of Wylfa, archival exhibition marking the final shut down of Wylfa Nuclear Power Station, Oriel Ynys Mon, Anglesey: 23rd Jan - 10th July 2016
2016 Sites of Wonder, based on the idea of the cabinet of wonder, curated by students at the University of Kent.
2016- The Story of Wylfa, archival exhibition marking the final shut down of Wylfa Nuclear Power Station, Oriel Ynys Mon, Anglesey
2015- If I could Sink My Teeth Into The Whole Earth, ExLibris Gallery, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
2014- Another Landscape, The Shed, Haltwistle
2012 - Geological Etiquette, Mining Institute, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
2012 - Happy Yesterday, Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown, Powys, Mid Wales
2011 - In a Constant State of Flux, 151 Sidney Grove, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
2011 - Pop Up Cinema, Eden Arts, Penrith
2011 - Scientific Stranger, Heritage Open Day Event , Blacksmith's, Allenheads
2011 - Scientific Stranger II, MOMA Wales and CAT, Wales
2010 - Northern Soil, ACA Shop , Allenheads
2010 - So what's different today?, Globe Gallery, North Shields
2010 - We all own the Mona Lisa, New Bridge Street Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
2009 - "(...)", Gallerie Omphalos, Terlizzi, Bari, Italy
2009 - Artland, various venues, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham
2009 - Triparks, Dovetail, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
2008 - More Than Yesterday, Globe City, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
2008 - The Great Purpose, Mile End Park Pavilion, London
2007 - "Further More", Tramway, Glasgow
2007 - FRED 07, FRED / Fold Gallery, outdoor interventions in Cumbria
2007 - Loch Long, Bluttenweisse, Berlin
2007 - Multiplicity, In House, Edinburgh
2006 - "Kunstvlaai 6", Westergasfabriekterrein, Amsterdam
2006 - "Parasite", Gallery Blaak 10, Rotterdam
2006 - Members Show, Transmission, Glasgow
2003 - Contraflow, The Pentagon Centre, Glasgow
1999 - Run Rabbit Run, ACA, Allenheads + Waygood Gallery Newcastle, two centre exhibition (rural / urban)
Solo exhibitions
2015- Strata, ACA shop, Allenheads
2012 - Black Middens Project, Bellingham Heritage Centre, Bellingham
2011 - Bridget Kennedy Recent Works, The Board Room, Incubator, NETPark, Co Durham
2008 - Landline (Pantone coated), Veggverk, Akureyri, Iceland
2007 - "I can still feel the wind in my hair", Emerged, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow
2006 - "Every Day I Will Live", Barnes Flat Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow
1999 - From NY848467 to NY863454, ACA (Allenheads Contemporary Arts), The Old School House, Allenheads
1998 - Observations, Hancock Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
1995 - Zaira, Design Works, Felling, Newcastle upon Tyne
Residencies
2021: Entwined artist in residence with VARC: Bellingham Heritage Centre, July 2021
2015: If I Could Sink My Teeth Into The Whole Earth, XL Gallery, Newcastle
2011 - Utopian Realism, Centre For Alternative Technology, Wales
2008 - Triparks, Allenheads Contemporary Arts and Aunehead Arts, Northumberland National Park
2006 - student residency, Cove Park, Argyll and Bute Public
Commissions, collections
2020- Views of Complexity - Artwork commissioned by Public Health England in response to consultation with public around ionising radiation.
2011 - Works from Triparks Residency, purchased by Durham County Council
2001 - Soft Play, Commissions North, West Chevington Family Centre
Projects
2023- Grounding: Broadening understandings of landscape heritage through cross cultural interaction. Working with Northumberland National Park and people who are from settled ethnic backgrounds in Newcastle, or newly arrived in the UK.
2018 - 2026: Practice based PhD: Goldsmiths London (part time)
https://www.gold.ac.uk/art/research/current-mphil--phd-research/kennedy-bridget/
2016: As Above So Below, research and production at Allenheads Contemporary Arts http://www.acart.org.uk/aasb.html
2014- 2018: Power in The Land, working together with X10 group of artists investigting the impact of Nuclear Power in Britain and beyond http://www.powerintheland.co.uk
2015-16: Creative Dialogues, Arts and Health research project. http://www.creativedialoguesproject.wordpress.com/
2014-15: Connecting Killhope, Arts Engagement project for Killhope Museum. http://connectingkillhope.blogspot.co.uk/
2012- Utopian Realism, research, production and exhibtions with Mair Hughes http://utopianrealismproject.blogspot.co.uk/
1999 - Fathom Five, collaborative events at various venues, North East
Competitions, prizes and awards
2016- Funding for Power in The Land from Arts Council Wales
2011 - Funding for Utopian Realism from Awards for All, Arts Council England, England
2009 - Black Middens Project, VARC project fund, Tarset, Northumberland
Qualifications and training
2007 - Masters of Fine Art, AHRC funded, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow
2006 - exchange student, Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam
1994 - Stained Glass Apprenticeship, Vetrate Artistiche Toscane, Siena, Italy
1993 - NVQ Welding, Lloyds British, Low Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne
1992 - BA Hons, Fine Art (Sculpture), University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Publications
2016 - Nuclear Culture Source Book, ed Ele Carpenter, published by Black Dog
2016 - Power in The Land, project publication, ed Helen Grove White