* * *

stepsiblings
Fri 21 - Wed 26 July 2006 12-6pm daily
Opens: Friday, 21 July, 6 - 9 pm*
Contact: thestepsiblings@hotmail.co.uk

 

Dave Anderson. Zoe Anspach. Max Bacharach. Nick Dawson. George Fereday. Annelie Fawke. Yuichi Hirako. Cariad Hancock. Takako Jin. Kenta Suzuki. Atsuko Usuba. Stephen Warrington. Michael Whitby.

curated by Kenta Suzuki, Yuichi Hirako

Introduction
A blank space that has done away with all unnecessary sensory stimulation - that is the nature of the space that we call a White Cube. There is nothing there to bring to mind any associations of historical or cultural background. It is, as it were, a nationality-less space. The atmosphere of the space is thereby entirely dependent upon the work that is placed within it.

In this project, we are proposing to fill this indifferent space with the artworks of nine British and four Japanese artists. At first glance, these works all seem to have their individual identities, but once you divide them into two groups according to their nationalities, it transpires that the works tend to share some features common with works from the same country. To prevent a certain atmosphere from developing, which tends to happen when artists of the same nationality are put together, the works in this show have been displayed unsystematically. Name plates have been avoided, and by so doing, the nationality of each work has been made more obscure. The idea is to enjoy the random collision of atmospheres between the individual works.

The setup of a degree show is a similar kind of entity, in which the works of numerous artists from various backgrounds are displayed together at the same time. In a degree show, each artist is given their spaces with equal priority. The visitors wander around the spaces prepared for them, much as one would stroll in an aquarium, from tank to tank, admiring the diversity of fish on display. The difference between the aquarium and this exhibition is that the artists here are like a multitude of different fish that have all been tossed into one enormous fish tank. They are oblivious of the main objective of this project, and are each exhibiting their works for their own respective reasons. Returning briefly to the metaphor of the fish in one huge tank the fish would probably swim around in panic and confusion at first, then gradually form shoals, the stronger species eating the weaker ones, and eventually develop some kind of harmony within the tank. Let's wait and see what happens between the fish in our gallery.

Kenta Suzuki
Translated by Takako Jin