The Royal College of Art presents New Exhibition and Talks Programme: Becoming
Timings: Monday to Friday, 2–7pm and Saturday and Sunday, 12–5pm
Royal College of Art, Dyson Gallery, Battersea, SW11 4AN
For the second year running, the Royal College of Art is partnering with Subject Matter and Sedition to present an exhibition of new photographic and digital art. Work will be by selected artists from the RCA’s schools of Fine Art and Communication. All of the work featured will be available to purchase in limited editions, and all proceeds will be donated to the RCA’s Fine Art Bursary Fund to support current and future students.
Becoming will bring together 17 international artists articulating a shared interest in the theme of ‘becoming’ – both in terms of ‘becoming a sustainable artist’ and ‘becoming a collector’. Highlights will include hypnotic photos taken from one of Isobel Smith’s performances that showcase the artist’s research into the process of documenting or capturing the essence of a performance. Cheng-Hsu Chung explores the connection between human beings and nature in Mountain Quintet No 3. Gabriel Kenny-Ryder also draws from nature and presents crowded compositions of natural forms that give feelings of complete immersion even when printed at a modest scale. Hyun Kim’s découpage and collage-based prints taken from photographs document events in Korea that consider the power of the state vs the individual, based on the artist’s experiences growing up in South Korea.
While the exhibition allows room for the students’ exploratory, research-led practices, visitors are offered the chance to support the emerging artists and learn more about their work and their efforts to become sustainable, both artistically and financially. It is fitting that Subject Matter and Sedition act as alternatives to the traditional art market with artists at their core. They take an open and inclusive approach, building long-term relationships with artists and offering collectors the chance to acquire contemporary art and design in an affordable and sustainable way.
Alongside the opportunity to present their work, students will take part in a series of workshops led by Subject Matter that explore the social and ecological issues facing the art world today – such as the growing online art industry, developing their professional profile, managing exhibitions and pricing work. Subject Matter will also run a series of public talks in parallel to the exhibition that focus on the future of the art-market and inspire the buyers and collectors of the future. They will cover the phases of becoming a collector, sustaining a collection and the future of collecting.
RCA alumnus Idris Khan will give a talk about his work on the night of the Private View (Tuesday 21 February, talk: 6–7pm, private view: 7–9pm).
ENDS
For further information or images please contact Bethany Bull, RCA Press Office on t: +44 (0) 20 7590 4114, e: [email protected], or [email protected]
Notes to Editors
Talk Series event details
Becoming an Art Collector
Thursday 2 February, 6.30–8.00PM
Somerset House Screening Room
Speakers: Liezel Strauss (Director of Subject Matter Art), Stephanie Allen (Head of Business Creative United/Own Art), Patrick Davies (Art Dealer & Contemporary Art Consultant), Jamie Shovlin (Artist)
Creating a Sustainable Collection
Wednesday15 February, 6.30–8.00PM
Somerset House Screening Room
Speakers: Liezel Strauss (Director of Subject Matter Art), Bernardine Brocker (CEO of Vastari), Anne Reimers (Art Historian & Co-Author of The BMW Art Guide)
The Collector of the Future
Monday 27 February, 6.30–8.00PM
RCA Lecture Theatre
Speakers: Rory Blain (Director of Sedition), David Blandy (Artist), Anders Petterson (Founder of Art Tactic), Mel Jordan (Head of Critical Art Practice RCA), Moderator: Juan Cruz (Dean School of Fine Art RCA)
The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading university of art and design, placing at Number One in the 2016 and 2015 QS World University Rankings. Specialising in teaching and research, the RCA offers the degrees of MA, MPhil, MRes and PhD across the disciplines of applied art, fine art, design, communications and humanities. There are over 1,500 Master’s and doctoral students and more than 1,000 professionals interacting with them – including scholars, art and design practitioners, along with specialists, advisers and distinguished visitors.
Subject Matter is a contemporary photographic art gallery which represents and promotes upcoming, established and award-winning artists. Part of the growing movement which unites art with technology, Subject Matter has a beautiful online space which is supported by occasional exhibitions. Founder and Curator Liezel Strauss believes all artists should be paid fairly for their work – not least so that they can fully explore their creativity. Since joining Subject Matter, many artists have had notable successes.
Sedition is the world’s leading online platform for artists to display and sell their art in digital format for connected screens and devices. Sedition offers everyone an easy, enjoyable and social way to experience art collecting at affordable prices. Founded in 2011, the mission of Sedition is to change the art world by introducing a marketplace for collecting and trading art in the digital age. Sedition presents an unparalleled selection of artists and artworks – starting from only £5 – with works by leading contemporary artists including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Aaron Koblin and Yoko Ono.
Isobel Smith (Contemporary Art Practice, Performance 2015-17)
Cheng-Hsu Chung (Animation, 2015–17)
Gabriel Kenny-Ryder (Contemporary Art Practice, Public Sphere, 2015–17)
Hyun Kim’s (Sculpture, 2015–17)