Be My Guest: Glasgow Open House Festival 2015

Glasgow Open House Festival is set to be the most exciting and genuinely unique art festival of this year. We talk to the organisers

Feature by Franchesca Hashemi | 01 Apr 2015

Glasgow Open House is back this May with its second ever summer festival. There is an exciting programme of exhibitions and performances, spanning not only the breadth of the city but the living rooms of the artists. That's right. With nearly thirty domestic venues and a plethora of disused or underused nooks to choose from, festival goers are being treated to a four-day showcase of the best emerging and established talent.

Just a few months ago, GOHAF saw a ripping success with their silent auction Hair Salon. The proceeds went to Festival 2015 and relied on the generosity of artists from all backgrounds – students, graduates, GSA tutors, even artists coming through from other cities – who donated over 100 pieces.

Festival directors Laura Campbell and Phoebe Barnicoat are fresh from Glasgow School of Art, where drive, entrepreneurship and flawless originality mirrors the community spirit fundamental to the city's solid reputation.

However, an exhibition outside the gallery isn't a new concept. It’s thanks to the artist-led team's 'everybody ’s welcome' ethos that the Festival is receiving due attention. Oh, there's also a killer line-up: Turner Prize nominee Marvin Gaye Chetwynd  will transform her Southside home for everybody to see, while Ellie Harrison adds another facet to anarchy with MONEY M€AL – a kind of edible-but-anti Monopoly night – and Glasgow Guild will host one of many interactive events, featuring two artists ready to take on the  floor's undoubtedly relentless questioning (this one is BYOB).

There are  too many events to mention, but it’s likely the creators  have taken great care to utilise their unique exhibiting environment so the result not only entices the artist, but invigorates the general public's perception of Glasgow's contemporaries.  

Group led projects like ‘Below, the other things we can talk about’ will see video installations and light tricks taking on the ergonomics of a come-hither black basement, while the Botanic Gardens, an East End laundrette and an intriguing set up at the Laurieston Arches, which we are told will host a number of shows within its derelict railway arches, offers even the most seasoned festival-goer a multitude of events, auras and people to play with.

It is a vision so close to execution, and since GOHAF has been founded and built upon determination, it is likely that May 2015 will succeed.

Speaking of the Festival's inception, Director Laura says: “There is a danger that after art school artists' practices will stagnate and, for a large number of graduates, cease altogether. We felt that it was time to take matters into our own hands and make a statement.

“Why just show to your friends when you can  open up your flat exhibition to a much wider audience? This is about opening up Glasgow's close-knit, grassroots art scene to people who don't necessarily know how much goes on behind closed doors.”

Forget the door – whether it's storm, close or the one that leads out back – GOHAF is taking to the streets. From 'artwork under your feet' to the screen printed flags created by Project Ability which are going to be dotted around the city, this is a festival designed to amplify the allure and a come-all atmosphere that is indicative of discourse in art.

Laura continues: “This year we are going to be crammed with talent, and artists have put so much thought into how they can approach exhibiting differently.

“I hope the public respond positively to the generosity of our artists and that the festival goes some way to creating something meaningful in the city and for our communities.”


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Glasgow Open House Art Festival runs from 1-4 May