British Art Show ready to open in Aberdeen
09 July 2021
This weekend, Hayward Gallery Touring’s landmark exhibition, British Art Show, will open its 9th edition at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
Widely acknowledged as the most important and ambitious recurrent exhibition of contemporary art produced in the UK, the British Art Show brings the work of artists defining new directions in contemporary art. Over half of the works will receive their UK premiere.
The exhibition will run until October 10 and then continue its national tour in Wolverhampton, Manchester and Plymouth.
British Art Show 9 (BAS9) is curated by Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar and will showcase the work of 47 artists in total – with 33 presented in Aberdeen, including many significant new commissions and site-specific installations.
BAS9 in Aberdeen is supported by Aberdeen City Council and Creative Scotland
Councillor Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson, said: “Aberdeen Art Gallery has a long history of collecting contemporary art. From its foundation in 1885 to the present day this commitment has brought unique and internationally significant artwork to the city.
“We are thrilled that British Art Show is visiting Aberdeen for the first time, where BAS9 is being presented in the award-winning Aberdeen Art Gallery and at the Central Library.
"We are excited that local people and visitors to the city will be the first to enjoy this landmark exhibition which opens up the work of a new group of extraordinary artists to the widest audience.”
IN THE FRAME: (left to right) Brian Cass, Head of Hayward Gallery Touring, and Councillor Marie Boulton at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
Amanda Catto, Head of Visual Arts, Creative Scotland said: "It’s always a great delight to welcome the British Art Show to Scotland and we’re especially pleased that Aberdeen Art Gallery will be hosting its UK launch this weekend.
"British Arts Show 9 is an ambitious and expansive exhibition that gives the public a great opportunity to experience, in real life, the diversity and vitality of contemporary art across the UK.
“With the generous support of National Lottery funds through Creative Scotland the show will also provide new opportunities for people to develop their own creativity through an ambitious community engagement and outreach programme.”
Focusing on artworks made since 2015, the exhibition marks a time of social and environmental change. The artists presented in the exhibition have responded in critical ways through film, photography, painting, sculpture, and performance, as well as through multimedia projects.
The exhibition is structured around three main themes – Healing, Care and Reparative History; Tactics for Togetherness; and Imagining New Futures. In Aberdeen, this centres on efforts to develop alternative systems for ethical cohabitation in the world.