Ancients, PDFs, and Paint! This week in Scottish Art
In Dundee, it’s been a year since the McManus Gallery started their exhibition A Silvered Light – Scottish Art Photography from the City’s Permanent Collection, showcasing the local authority’s impressive collection of fine art photography. So far the exhibition has shown the diverse works collected over the past 28 years but is now focusing on recent acquisitions of photographs by S.W. Prtichard and Herbert Ponting, both photographing important moments in Scottish history from the beginning of the 20th century.
Still in Dundee, in Generator there is To Sail Beyond the Sunset, with work from three artists from Pakistan, Lithuania and London. What brings them together is a common interest in science-fiction, though each artist approaches this broad field of interest very differently. One approach comes from Mehreen Murtaza, who recreates the office of the experimental scientist Abdus Saleem circa 1970 and works with recordings of his voice. Also in the exhibition, there are time-lapse photographs by Sam Burford, produced by his self-made contraption that merges a record player and camera. There’s also an homage to Tarkovsky from Lithuanian Deimanas Narkevicius, who shot an alternative ending to Solaris with original actor Donatas Banionis. The exhibition will continue until 21 Dec.
Also at Generator, on Thursday from 7-9pm there will be Paint! courtesy of Katy Christopher. There is a simple demand: “Put your paintbrushes down and pick up your digital graffiti can.” While it’s true that expressive wall-painting is up there with the most exciting activities possible, will it be just as fun when mediated by live projection and software? (Less hand washing, to be sure.) Christopher is a Spotlight member of Generator, having graduated earlier this year from Duncan of Jordanstone. An example of Christopher’s animation is our video of the week, taking as its jump-off point the illusion of three-dimensionality and tricks of perception within digital technology:
Coming to Edinburgh on Friday is the opening of Ponte City, an exhibition by Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Focusing on a specific high rise apartment complex in Johannesburg, the structure’s dilapidation and failed renovation efforts correspond to significant moments in South African history. There will be a host of events to accompany the exhibition – including an opening talk this week by Subotzky and Waterhouse. There will also be an interview about this exciting exhibition in January’s print edition of The Skinny.
In Glasgow in the CCA, as well as current exhibition This Might Be a Place for Hummingbirds, this Saturday there is Contemporancient. From 9pm, there will be short performances that are the fruit of the Artist, Academics and Ancient Texts Performance Workshops, followed by audience discussion. This is an open event and will take place in the CCA's clubroom.
Let’s finish this week with some urgency, as there are quite a few exhibitions in Glasgow now into the last week of their run. Since most have had a mention here in past weeks, here’s a lightning speed recap. First off, and closing this Friday (5 Dec), there’s the first group show of the YAKA Collective, So It Is. YAKA has spread this group show across the Briggait, Laurieston Arches, Caledonia Road Church and Laurieston Arena. Next off, in Mono’s Good Press, How to Make PDF Files by Dieter Durinck will end on Saturday. Last, three exhibits close this Sunday. In Street Level Photoworks, there’s the Jill Todd Photography Award. Heading East, there’s also East End Transmissions, a curatorial project by Francesca Zapia. Furthest East, and the last stop of this week’s run of last chances, head to Platform in Easterhouse to see 21 Revolutions, the touring exhibition put together by one of Glasgow’s most important institutions, the Women’s Library.
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