This Week in Scottish Art: IC-98 at DCA & more

Platform begins the rush of new exhibitions that are coming over the next few days with the preview of Aboot Thisn That Nthe Nix Thing on Wednesday 25 Nov from 6-8pm. Addressing “humility, nastiness, tenderness and community,” they do so with a direct response to the Easterhouse area that surrounds Platform community centre and gallery.

There will be works across drawing, painting and installation, all in some way coming from “the urban surroundings of Easterhouse.” Also accompanying the exhibition is a special artist library and talk. This takes place next Tuesday (1 Dec) at 3pm in Platform. Places are free, but limited. To book, call 0141 2769696, or email info@platform-online.co.uk.

The following day in Edinburgh, the Fruitmarket Gallery joins the Book Week Scotland festivities with one-off event Writings on Art and Anti-Art. From 6.30-8.30pm, art historian and curator Dawn Ades launches her new book in conversation with with Fruitmarket curator Fiona Bradley and University of Edinburgh academic Neil Cox.

During the exchange, Ades will present her extensive expertise and knowledge on “dada, surrealism, abstraction and art from Latin America.” It's a free event, so register in advance; places are likely to dry up soon, so move fast.

On to Friday, we’re back in Glasgow for an evening with photographer David Eustace. Before being the first photographer to receive a solo show in The Scottish Gallery in its 173-year history, Eustace spoke to The Skinny about his practice – read our interview here.

After coming to photography following a career in the navy and as a prison guard, Eustace has built an international profile and successful career. He’s always candid about his devotion to the medium and answers questions with honesty, even when that’s not always in his best interests. The event begins at 7pm at Street Level Photoworks; tickets are £4. 

For an alternative plan this Friday, Dundee Contemporary Arts opens its latest major show, Drawn Into Tomorrow, from 6.30pm. Through December, January and into February, DCA present the most significant UK exhibition to date by Finnish artists IC-98 (short for Iconoclast-98, 1998 being the year the group was established).

Visa Suonpää and Patrik Söderlund make works “which combine intricate hand drawings with digital animation”, and having just represented Finland in the Venice Biennale, IC-98 will transform the gallery with large-scale projections of their video works. 

The videos on show include a raft fighting waves in Navigating the Tides of Time, an ominously creaking tree in a darkened gallery, and a 19th-century portico in Turku, Finland in the midst of changing seasons and centuries. In advance of Friday’s opening, IC-98 will give an artists’ talk at DCA from 11am on Wed 25 Nov.

On Saturday from 2-3pm, Street Level Photoworks hosts its second event of this week's round-up with the launch of new publication Scottish Photography: The First 30 Years. The book puts the emphasis on the role of Scottish scientists and artists in the medium’s development; National Museum of Scotland curator A.D. Morrison-Low, one of the book's contributors, took a leading role in NMS' Photography: A Victorian Sensation exhibition this summer. Authors Morrison-Low and Sara Stevenson will discuss this important development period of photography; free, but booking is necessary.  

Ending with Sunday, Glasgow Artist Guild host their 12th event in Saramego in the CCA with presentations from two artists. First, Montreal-based Guillaume Adjutor Provost discusses his work, which spans performance installation and sculptural platforms. Ross Whyte, PhD graduate of University of Aberdeen, will speak about his interest in “impermanence in audio-visual intermedia.” This is a free event from 7pm, with no need to book.