This Week in Scottish Art: Sonica, Generator & more

Sonica Festival

Most pressing news first: Sonica is in full flight this week. Its remit is the most exciting and diverse sonic art, with many unique opportunities to experience site-specific artworks across Glasgow. In the Govanhill Baths, Robbie Thomson presents The New Alps. Making a dystopia of metal robots, the sculptural and soundwork is a kind of spooky, mellow Sharmanka. Thomson’s New Alps is open 12-8pm this week until Sun 8 Nov when it closes at 5pm. Free entry.

Also part of Sonica this week at the CCA, Kathy Hinde’s Tipping Point feeds back on itself in a complex network of microphones, small glass sculptures and shifting water levels. There are four more free ticketed performances this week, on Wed 4 Nov and Sat 7 Nov. Tipping Point also operates as a standalone sound sculpture, which can be visited for free, 12-8pm until Sun 8 Nov (12-5pm).

These are just two examples of Sonica’s rich programme, which you can read here in full. We also interviewed founder Cathie Boyd about the exciting new commissions this year.

Visual art in Glasgow

Over in visual art, Glasgow's ongoing public art project Picture Window features artists' films being projected through the windows of Bakery47 in Pollokshields, Market Gallery on Duke Street in the East, and Southblock in Trongate. A closing reception will be held for the project on Friday 7 Nov, 7-9pm in the Market Gallery.

A few excellent shows draw to a close this Saturday. First, there’s a major new exhibition by Hayley Tompkins in The Modern Institute's Aird’s Lane gallery, with brutal and delicate works, both painted and collaged. There are also group shows by Kendall Koppe and Mary Mary, which we gave special mention to back in September when they opened. Exhibitor Aaron Angell discusses his work with a handsome man in the following interview:

Also closing Sat 7 Nov, Glasgow-based multimedia artist Karen Vaughan shows her current works-in-progress at Project Room. Rest Awhile is “a consideration of the social, historical and geographical landscapes of Scotland’s east coast fishing villages and surrounding seascapes” through black and white photography, depicting “overlapping, merging and often fragmented panoramas.” Vaughan’s work is also on show as part of Surface Tension, a group exhibition of process-based photography at Street Level Photoworks, ending Sun 8 Nov.

Extending its run, the interesting and rare showing of the work of late painter Adrian Morris in Glasgow’s 42 Carlton Place will now be accessible by advance appointment throughout November (telephone 0141 4201079 or email 42carltonplace@gmail.com to book). Read our well-deserved five-star review of the show here.

Exhibitions in Edinburgh and Dundee

Recipient of this year’s Edinburgh College of Art and Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) Bursary Award, Amy Boulton gives an artist’s talk on Thurs 5 Nov at 6-7pm in ESW. Reflecting on her time at the institution thus far, and recent developments in her practice, Boulton will discuss her digital media work, which investigates “the aesthetics and politics of aspirational living and urban regeneration.”

In Dundee this Saturday from 7-9pm, Generator present their brand new screening and open their Collective Space. After an extensive refurb and redesign of this previously unused space, they’ve worked with Meadows and Crawford to respond to “its role within Dundee’s infrastructure and cultural landscape.” Look forward to more news of events, talks and workshops from this important new extension for the Dundee and wider Scottish contemporary art scene.

Finally, on Fri 6 Nov and Sat 7 Nov, Embassy Gallery present Move Me. This is the gallery's first members' show of moving image work, presented in affiliation with the inaugural Edinburgh Artists’ Moving Image Festival’s (EAMIF) – a selection of works will be screened in a special EAMIF screening by Embassy in December. On Fri 6 Nov, the fruits of Embassy’s recent open call will be screened in full between 7-10pm, then shown in the gallery over Saturday and Sunday, 12-6pm.