This Week in Scottish Art: Science Festival, BAS8
A new company launches into the art scene this week, and there's a field trip from the Art School to magnificent ruin St Peter's Seminary, as well as zine fair, artists' talks and workshops.
Tue 22 Mar: Collective, The Art School
Tonight marks the last of five KEYWORDS events at Collective in Edinburgh. Part of a long-term reflective project on the language used to discuss contemporary art, this event focusses on the word Critical, as KEYWORDS identify a "curious style of writing" around art which can be overcomplicated and elitist. Through these events, they try to strip back exclusionary language via "engaging and entertaining debates." Following the format of the first four events, two respected scholars will present their personal perspective on the term of the evening, before an open discussion with the audience. The event takes place tonight in the Collective City Dome from 6pm; free tickets here.
A little later in the evening, an immersive installation with slow dancing experience is planned for The Art School in Glasgow as part of one-off art club night Odyssey Above. The installation begins from 8.30pm, with DJ sets later. A custom designed set (made by the event organisers and design students Tomas Palmer and Caitlin O'Connell) has been arranged to make for an enhanced and transcental "gentle clubbing" experience, soundtracked by organ music.
Wed 23 Mar: The Fruitmarket Gallery
On Wednesday, Edinburgh University writers' society PublishED leads a Creative Writing Workshop. Working with sculptor and painter Sara Barker's exhibition CHANGE-THE-SETTING as a visual prompt, they'll lead creative writing exercises inspired by the artwork on display. There are limited spaces available, as well as the promise of wine, so register your interest ASAP.
Thu 24 Mar: ECA zine fair, ESW talks
Bookmarks: Artists' Book and Zine Fair comes into its second year tomorrow at the Edinburgh College of Art, returning to showcase artists' books and zines made by practitioners from across Scotland. Bookmarks specifically looks towards these kinds of publications within the education world, and will begin with an open symposium with presentations on different aspects of creation, distribution and the potential of books and zines. The fair takes place between 1-8pm tomorrow, with the symposium kicking off the day.
Thursday evening sees Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop host artists' talks by Mark Essen and Hannah Lees. Both are current micro-residents in ESW, and will present "an introduction to their working methods and past projects". Their respective practices employ sculptural processes, as well as broader installation and multidiscplinary contexts. It's a free event, from 6-8pm; no booking necessary.
Fri 25 Mar: BAS8, Science Festival art & more
This Friday morning, ECA continues its weekly lecture series by British Art Show 8 artists exhibiting in Edinburgh University's Talbot Rice Gallery. Cally Spooner will present on her practice, which includes "plotless novellas, disjunctive theatre, looping monologues and musical arrangements". For BAS8, Spooner looked towards the outsourcing by celebrities of live performance to technology; there's reference to Beyoncé lip-synching and Lance Armstrong taking performance-enhancing drugs, told in six-minute librettos using outraged fans' comments as lyrics. Friday's talk takes place between 11.30am-1.30pm at Edinburgh College of Art; it's a free, public event with no booking required.
Also on Friday, Summerhall launches the Edinburgh Science Festival's Visual Arts Programme from 7-9pm. It's an interdisciplinary love-in between science and art, "encompassing everything from the deeply personal to the truly global - even cosmic". All of the artists involved will perform 'space-themed music' on Friday from 7.30-8.30pm, with gravitational beats by MC TRUEfacts. The exhibition then continues until 13 May.
Later in the evening, Hyper Contemporary Marketing (HCM Ltd) host their launch party at Embassy Gallery. HCM is an enterprising sounding artist-run collective, and "operates as a company that address and resolve client needs with a focus on creating new audiences for a contemporary art world." Attend the showcase of their "unique business" during "a memorable event" on Friday from 8pm. Is HCM Ltd a complete and total mickey-take? Go and find out; there'll be free drinks and a DJ whatever happens.
Sun 27 Mar: St Peter's Seminary
Don't bother looking at the weather forecast, because Sunday will be one of the last opportunities to see the magnificent Modernist ruin St Peter's Seminary before the exciting development by public arts organisation NVA begins. This building was originally a Roman Catholic seminary, before it fell into ruin, and has since become a social symbol with its eerie, elegant and (what was for some time) precarious atmosphere. It's already been cleared up a bit and Sunday sees it hosting the launch of Scotland's Festival of Architecture 2016, with light, sound and music productions planned. There's a bus leaving The Art School in central Glasgow at 6.45 pm, and due back at midnight. Tickets cost £18 for students and £23 for normies.