Students in Fine Art and Design have once again risen to the challenge of creating final year degree shows amid the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Following the success of last year’s innovative online show, students in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies have independently curated a show in their beautiful campus building that the public can attend.
Opening to the public on Friday 11 June, Fickle Spaces welcomes the return of the in-person degree show with work that reflects the difficulties of the past year.
Art works will be presented in the studios of the School, and digital and performance works will be presented outside to explore new modes of presentation, while adhering to Covid-19 regulations.
Over 300 tickets were taken up within the first hour of being released. To book a visit to the exhibition, which runs to 26 June, visit the Fickle Spaces website.
The website showcases a range of student interviews, statements, art work and blog posts, and introduces each of the 84 artists taking part. As time progresses, online content and documentation of the physical show will be added to open it up to those who can’t visit in person.
Embracing work by final year BA students from across five courses - Art & Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic and Communication Design, and Textile Design - the School of Design’s online degree show begins with a launch event tonight (Thursday) – open to the public - featuring guest speakers from the creative industries.
Work can be viewed online on a dedicated website.
“We would like to sincerely congratulate all our wonderful students”
Dr Catherine Stones, Deputy Head of the School of Design said: “The student work this year brilliantly represents the School of Design’s ethos – to be courageous and innovative. Our graduates are known for their ability to experiment, articulate and execute creative responses to a wide variety of challenging briefs. Despite enormous difficulties their talent shines very brightly this year.
“We would like to sincerely congratulate all our wonderful students. We have every confidence that they will go on to contribute enormously to the creative industries and improve the quality of people’s lives through the power of art and design.”
Final year BA Fine Art student Kate Burke coordinated the Fickle Spaces fundraising team. She said: “Helping to organise this exhibition has been a great experience. I’ve loved seeing everybody’s work coming together after a pretty disrupted academic year.
“Despite Covid and the complications it brings, there has been a great sense of community. I’m very glad to be working with such a driven and talented group of artists.”
“It is about courage and resilience and overcoming that which once seemed impossible.”
Dr Joanne Crawford, Head of the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, said: “These young people have demonstrated an amazing capacity to learn and develop under intense pressure, whilst at the same time taking the time to feel and understand the boundaries and limitations of the multiple spaces in which they now create.
“Although it is inevitable that their work will be seen as a response to the pandemic, to the frustrations of lockdown, it is about more than this. It is about courage and resilience and overcoming that which once seemed impossible.
“We are so proud of them in the School, and we are very much looking forward to becoming part of the expansion of the Fickle Spaces they have created.”
Register for the School of Design’s launch event.
You can attend Fickle Spaces in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies by booking through the website. Further information can be found here.
Images:
Still from 'Free Fall', a film by Elika Norowzian
Still from Untitled, a film by Katie Youdale