BEYOND // British Art Show 9
1-10 October 2021

As we enter the final weeks of British Art Show 9 in Aberdeen, we are pleased to introduce Beyond BAS9, a collaborative programme of exhibitions, talks and events which brings together contemporary art organisations, collectives, artists and curators from across Aberdeen and the national network of British Art Show 9 partners.

The programme speaks powerfully of the complexity, vitality and connectivity of creative practitioners working in the north-east of Scotland, prompting us to think about what’s next for contemporary art in the city-region, and what that might look like, beyond the British Art Show.

#BeyondBAS9

PROGRAMME:

British Art Show 9

Aberdeen Art Gallery // Schoolhill // Aberdeen AB10 1FQ

Monday – Saturday 10-5pm
Sunday 11-4pm
* Until Sunday 10 October *

FREE

Hayward Gallery Touring’s landmark exhibition, British Art Show 9, continues at Aberdeen Art Gallery. This display marks the launch of the national tour for this ambitious exhibition of contemporary art, which takes place across the UK every five years. Widely acknowledged as the most important recurrent exhibition of contemporary art produced in this country, the show will then tour to several venues in the cities of Wolverhampton, Manchester and Plymouth.

BAS9 is curated by Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar who have made their artist selection for each city after travelling to more than 23 locations across the UK and meeting with over 230 practising artists.

British Art Show 9 was developed at a precarious moment in Britain’s history, which has brought politics of identity and nation, concerns of social, racial and environmental justice, and questions of agency to the centre of public consciousness. The artists presented in the exhibition respond in critical ways to this complex context. Through their works, they imagine new futures, propose alternative economies, explore new modes of resistance and find ways of living together. They do so through film, photography, painting, sculpture, and performance, as well as through multimedia projects that don’t sit easily in any one category.

BAS9 Guest @ Gray's  // Joey Holder
online lecture 

Friday 1 October
1pm

FREE / No booking required 

In association with British Art Show 9 in Aberdeen, a special Guest @ Gray's online lecture from artist Joey Holder will offer an insight to the practice, themes and motivation of this exciting contemporary artist whose work is part of BAS9 at Aberdeen Art Gallery.

Meeting ID: 971 3328 2532 
Passcode: 547043 

BAS9 Legacy  Social 

The Anatomy Rooms // Queen St // Aberdeen AB10 1AP 

Friday 1 October
5/6pm
BYOB (refreshments) 

Hosted at The Anatomy Rooms by founder and artist Jim Ewen, in the role of BAS9 Ambassador, this event is aimed at art students and early career arts practitioners, whose voices are key to Aberdeen’s cultural future and a cornerstone of The Anatomy Room’s practice. This event is an informal critical discussion and social get together exploring what BAS9 may offer in terms of legacy for the arts community in the city. 

Sustainability in the Creative and Cultural Industries
// Online Symposium //

Monday 4 October - Friday 8 October

FREE

Robert Gordon University is committed to delivering the knowledge and skills required to ensure a sustainable future for all. This symposium is free to access and explores sustainability across creative industry disciplines.

As part of RGU’s Creative Conversations for COP26, the Sustainability in the Creative and Cultural Industries symposium addresses issues of sustainability across architecture, art, communications, computing, data, design, events, fashion, hospitality, journalism, marketing, media, product development, and tourism.

A daily programme of live-streamed and pre-recorded content will be available from 4-8 October 2021, exploring both subject-specific and collaborative perspectives.

Guest @ Gray’s:
Online presentation followed by an informal discussion.

An Introduction to LUX Scotland and a New Professional Development Programme for Aberdeen-based Early Career Artists and Curators.

Wednesday 6 October
1–2pm

Please join Kitty Anderson (Director, LUX Scotland) and Eve Smith (Learning Programme Manager, LUX Scotland) for this online event.

This informal session will provide a short introduction to LUX Scotland, our forthcoming Aberdeen-based programme and all of the resources that we offer to artists and filmmakers, curators, writers and researchers, including access to the LUX Collection, the largest distribution collection of artists’ film and video in Europe.

Over the coming months LUX Scotland will be running a free professional development programme for Aberdeen-based artists and curators. This programme of workshops, screening events and discussions will support early-career artists and recent graduates in the city to strengthen their professional networks and knowledge of contemporary moving image practices.

Supported by Aberdeen City Council Creative Funding Awards.

LUX Scotland is a non-profit agency dedicated to supporting, developing and promoting artists’ moving image practices in Scotland. Working at the intersection of the contemporary visual arts and film sectors, their core activities include public exhibition and touring projects, learning and professional development for artists and filmmakers, distribution, commissioning and production support, research and sector advocacy.

Meeting ID: 971 3328 2532 
Passcode: 547043 

Art is not an Island: on Interdependence and Complicity.
Aberdeen Art Gallery + Paul Mellon Centre 
Part of the British Art Show 9 and Paul Mellon Centre for British Art Event Series. Events will take place across the British Art Show 9 tour in Aberdeen, Wolverhampton, Manchester and Plymouth.

Saturday 9 October
2.30 - 3.45pm

Online event // 90 mins

Free

A talk and conversation with BAS9 artist Kathrin Böhm, Sam Trotman, Director of Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Rachel Grant, Curator of ‘Fertile Ground’, and Hammad Nasar, co-curator of BAS9. 
Held on the occasion of British Art Show 9 in Aberdeen, this event forms part of Kathrin Böhm’s work for BAS9, which questions how art and culture both depend on and shape the economy we live in. The panel will discuss diverse economies, local culture, the 
dominance of oil and arts possible contribution to systemic change. 
The panel members will speak about the context of Aberdeen, bringing a wide range of perspectives that connect curatorial, political, activist and organisational knowledge. 

The conversation will cover: 
How do important local economies underpin and shape local culture?Where and how can a new practice of acknowledging complicity take place, whilst also shifting away from extractive and destructive economies? Can the concept of interdependence offer a practical and theoretical approach? How can new approaches create lasting support systems? 
 
In partnership with the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. 

Grace Ndiritu:
PLANT THEATRE FOR PLANT PEOPLE 
// public procession //

Starting at Aberdeen Art Gallery

Sunday 10 October
2-4pm

120 mins // Free

On the occasion of British Art Show 9 in Aberdeen, we ask you to join exhibiting artist Grace Ndiritu, local artists Aymee Charlton and Kinga Elliott and our Community of Plant People in a colourful performance parade through the streets of Aberdeen.  

PLANT THEATRE FOR PLANT PEOPLE has been a four-day workshop with Grace Ndiritu, in which invited community members have experienced enhanced connections with the natural world through meditation, Shamanistic practices and spirituality. With this strengthened connection to plants, trees and each other, the group will lead a procession through Aberdeen. This act is both a celebration of how we can better relate to plants in the 21st century and how art and creativity can be used in climate change activism.  

For more information about Grace Ndiritu visit British Art Show 9 .

Paradigms

Look Again Project Space // 32 St Andrew Street // Aberdeen AB25 1JA

Opening night: Thu 30 Sept 6-8pm // ALL WELCOME

Exhibition open: 1-30 October
Thu 5-8pm // Fri 12-5pm
Sat + Sun 11-4pm

FREE

Paradigms is an exhibition of contemporary works from artists based in Aberdeen and Plymouth, curated by Rachel Grant. Paradigms are systems of ideas, values and practice that constitute a way of viewing reality. As such the artists’ works are wide ranging in character and these ideas are explored through their everyday environments. The work includes multi-media installation, film, sculpture and photography.

Writer Tilly Craig and artists Phoebe McBride, Molly Erin McCarthy, Rhys Morgan, Carly Seller and Abby Beatrice Quick. 

As part of the Paradigms exhibition we have a series of public programs including talks from the artists and Where do we go from here? a series of conversations about the arts ecology in Aberdeen produced by and for those working in the sector. Keep in touch with our social media channels for more information. 

Book tickets for talks and discussions:

WEd 6 oct // 6-8.30pm - A series of conversations by and for those working in Aberdeen's visual arts sector.

sat 9 oct // 4.30-6.30pm - Artist talk with Aberdeen based visual artists Phoebe McBride, Abby Beatrice Quick and Devon based writer Tilly Craig.

tue 26 oct // 6-8pm - Plymouth based artists Molly Erin McCarthy, Rhys Morgan and Carly Seller talk about their work exhibited in Paradigms and broader practice.

Create Networks Sharing Event

Friday 1 October
2-4pm online via Zoom. 

// This event is also available to view live in the learning space at Aberdeen Art Gallery, Ground Floor. // 

British Art Show 9 explores ‘Tactics for Togetherness’ as one of the key themes, which has become more ever more relevant as the impact of Covid restrictions have been felt over recent months. This event looks at how artists and creatives have developed new ways of staying connected and of supporting each other during these challenging times. 

As part of Creative Scotland’s Create Networks programme, Look Again funded 10 groups of artists and creatives to deliver networking events this summer. From a drawing project in Shetland to a group supporting young neuro-diverse musicians, a writers group in Aberdeen, to printmakers skills sharing in Orkney, we’ll hear who they are, what they did, and what they learned, helping us understand how creative support structures can flourish despite challenging times.  

With Jo Gilbert of Aberdeen Writers Workshop, Jack Murray Brown of D2, Lorna McLaren of Neuro Diversity Music Network, Carol Dunbar of Solisquoy Printmakers, Lynne Hocking-Mennie of Applied Arts Scotland and Abby Quick of Miasma artists network.

Mobile Art School

Dates:
Saturday 2 October // The Green
Sunday 3 October // Duthie Park
Saturday 9 October // The Green
Sunday 10 October // Duthie Park

Morning Sessions: 10am-12.30pm
Afternoon Sessions: 1-4pm

Free // Drop-in

Mobile Art School brings art to everyone, hitting the city streets during British Art Show 9. Enjoy free, imaginative, high-impact workshops using state-of-the-art creative tools, themed around the idea of ‘Designing For the Future.’ Activities vary depending on the date/location and include ceramics, drawing, printmaking and using recycled materials – you might even witness some live Raku pottery firing!

Presented in partnership with Robert Gordon University, Gray’s School of Art.

Tactics for Togetherness

123 George Street // Aberdeen

Opening event: Sunday 3 October // 2-5pm
Exhibition dates: 4-31 October
Thursday // 4-7pm
Sat/Sun // 12-5pm

FREE

‘Tactics for Togetherness’ is a project aimed towards building a supportive creative space to hold an exhibition featuring works of practitioners connected to Aberdeen, whose work centres around ideas of being together. Four artists based in the city will use their own practices to create functional structures in the exhibition space to usefully host the practices of three invited contributors and their audiences. 

The title ‘Tactics for Togetherness’ comes from the curators of the British Art Show (BAS 9), Irene Aristizábal from BALTIC, Gateshead, and Hammad Nasar at Decolonising Arts Institute, University of the Arts London. They forged the themes ‘tactics for togetherness’, ‘imagining new futures’ and ‘healing, care and reparative history’ for BAS. 

Supported by Aberdeen City Council Creative Funding Awards and Look Again.

// Artists //
Phoebe Banks (she/her)
Yvette Bathgate (she/her)
Kirsty Russell (she/her)
Jake Shepherd (he/him)

// Invited Contributors //
Mae Diansangu she/they
Natalie Kerr (she/her)
Carmen Wong (she/they)
working in collaboration with Angela Main

Beyond BAS9 // Spotlight Tours

Aberdeen Art Gallery // Schoolhill // Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ

Dates:
Friday 8 October
11am • 1pm • 2pm • 3.30pm

Saturday 9 October
2pm

40 mins // Free
Booking required

Unlock the themes and stories in BAS9 in this spotlight tour in the company of BAS9 Ambassadors. 

Florence Peake CRUDE CARE
Performed by Aberdeen collaborators

Aberdeen Art Gallery // Schoolhill // Aberdeen AB10 1FQ

Saturday 9 October
3pm

15 mins // Free

Florence Peake understands the world through movement, experiment and touch. Peake’s fascination with geology, healing and the environment are played out in her new works – a ceramic sculpture, performance and film each titled CRUDE CARE (2021) – informed by Aberdeen’s landscape, its natural resources granite and oil, and the treatment of precarious workers in the care sector.
CRUDE CARE will be performed by Florence Peake’s Aberdeen collaborators.

The three works titled CRUDE CARE (2021) were commissioned by Hayward Gallery Touring and Aberdeen Art Gallery for British Art Show 9 and made possible with Art Fund support.

Another World is Possible; Aberdeen People’s Press and Radical Media in the 1970’s.

WORM // 11 Castle Street // Aberdeen AB11 5BQ

16 July – 11 December 2021
Thursday-Saturday 12-5pm

FREE

Aberdeen People’s Press operated between 1973 and 1984, publishing a fortnightly alternative local newspaper, pamphlets and books, as well as providing a printing service for a wide range of radical groups, community newspapers, trade unions and campaigning organisations.

Peacock Visual Arts and Aberdeen People’s Press emerged in Aberdeen’s scene within months of each other and shared the hands-on, collaborative ethos of the time which, today, is once again expressed in the exhibition: on one side the display about the life and times of Aberdeen People’s Press, and on the other the possibility for local citizens and activist groups to produce a poster at 'Peacock Poster Workshop'.

GRAMPIAN HOSPITALS ART TRUST has supported the staff, patients and visitors within NHS services throughout the COVID pandemic. Obviously, they can’t invite you to exhibitions on NHS sites at the moment, however their online content promotes the work of professional artists engaged in arts and wellbeing programmes in Aberdeen and the wider region. 

Projects:

Amplify
Shared Collective Heritage
Artroom
Exhibitions / Suttie Art Space