News
Monday 14 April 2008
First UK artists to exhibit at European talent showcase (13th Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean - May 22-31, Puglia, Southern Italy)
Four graduates from Nottingham Trent University’s prestigious School of Art and Design will be among the first British artists ever to exhibit their work at a major showcase of European talent. The quartet – a fashion designer, and textile, performance and fine artist – have been invited to attend the 13th Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM) in Puglia, Southern Italy.
The Biennial, or Biennale, is regarded as a window to the continent’s finest young art and design talent, and aims to promote artists’ creativity and strengthen cultural links among participating nations. Originally intended as a platform for artists around the ‘mare nostrum’, or Mediterranean area, this is the first year that British artists have been invited to exhibit work after an approach from Arts Council England, East Midlands.
Terri Cohen (BA Fashion Design) Laura McCafferty (BA Decorative Arts) Michael Pinchbeck (MA Performance and Live Art) and Rosie Pickles (BA Fine Art) are in the process of having work shipped over to Italy. They will join almost 1,000 young artists from more than 20 countries for the event, which will feature work from a variety of fields including painting, sculpture, fashion, architecture, cinema, photography, writing, theatre and dance.
Terri Cohen will be submitting three garments from her Elusive Mystic collection, which takes its inspirations from the intricate wrapping of Egyptian mummification. The plat dress, muscle dress and mummy bra and muscle skirt, consist of lashings of luxurious tea-dyed silks, draped chiffons, duchess satin, silk jersey and woven cashmere, pleated and sculpted by hand.
Textile artist Laura McCafferty – who focuses her work on personal experience, people and place – is submitting four pieces each using screen-print, fabric applique and hand-stitch; including one made specifically for the event. Titled The Lone Raver, it depicts a peaceful scene of the morning after a festival, with an individual in white, standing solitary on the outdoor grassy dance floor. Her aim was to create a fun piece that young artists could identify with.
Writer, live artist and performance-maker, Michael Pinchbeck, will be recreating his own Christening by showing an 8mm film of the event which he will view from a wooden bench. The artist, who recreates real-life experiences to explore absences and presences, uses Sit with me for a Moment and Remember as an act of repair; an invitation to remember the event and help him to fill in the gaps left behind through time.
Rosie Pickles, whose work often deals with issues surrounding travel and places, has produced a collection of elaborate paper maps, or cityscapes, representing areas where some of the other Biennial artists live. Using a scalpel to carve out intricate features she has created stunning depictions of Nottingham, Malaga, Montpellier, Copenhagen and Ljubljana in Slovenia.
Academic Team Leader for Visual Arts at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Art and Design, Professor Terry Shave, said: “We are very proud that these extremely talented graduates will be showcasing their work alongside some of the finest artists the continent has to offer. The School is one of the most established and respected centres of creative excellence in the United Kingdom, so choosing just four individuals was a difficult task.”
He added: “As emerging talents in their respective fields, this group reflects the breadth of activity across the School and represents the spirit of innovation and artistic independence embodied in our teaching. All four are already impacting upon industry and the creative world, and are true ambassadors for the quality of the professionally-focused, challenging courses we offer.”
The Nottingham Trent University graduates will be joined by representatives from Loughborough University, De Montfort University and Derby University for the Biennial.
The Executive Director for Arts Council England, East Midlands, Laura Dyer, said: “Arts Council England, East Midlands, is delighted to be the first English region to be represented in the Biennale, and proud that such talented young artists have emerged from our region.
“Each of these universities makes a considerable contribution to the cultural footprint of the region. They are powerful investors in the arts and major players in cultural provision and development in the East Midlands. They are central to creating the region’s arts workforce and supporting high-quality arts opportunities. I look forward to the day when we welcome the Biennale to the UK.”
ENDS
Notes for editors: Dating from 1843, Nottingham Trent University’s School of Art and Design is one of most established and respected centres of creative excellence in the United Kingdom. It offers a world-class portfolio of innovative, diverse and exciting courses for study at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Within a thriving multi-cultural community, located on the vibrant Nottingham city centre campus in impressive state-of-the-art design facilities, its programmes are dynamic, contemporary, cross-cultural, interactive, innovative, exploratory, exciting and life-changing. Its courses have an established international reputation for design excellence and outstanding achievement, taught by leading experts, and incorporating flexibility, innovation, independent learning and professional practice.
For more information on the School of Art and Design visit http://www.ntu.ac.uk/art/
The BJCEM is a network which gathers members from local bodies, ministries, associations and cultural institutions from 20 countries. Since the first Biennial in Barcelona in 1985, the event has been staged at Barcelona, Thessalonica, Bologna, Marseille, Valencia, Lisbon, Turin, Rome, Sarajevo, Athens and Naples.
For more information on the Biennial visit http://www.bjcem.org/en/association/
Press enquiries please contact: Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk
Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk
