Collapse! but hope for rebuilding
SADIE PITCHER
As part of the programme of events occurring across the Coastal Currents weekend in Hastings, an exhibition curated by Rowan Corkill and Sharon Wylde will be on show at the Observer Building.
Hermione Allsopp: Sofulation
Titled Collapse, the large-scale sculptural exhibition brings together works that utilise found materials to explore how the natural world is increasingly deteriorating and under pressure. “I personally feel we are very much in a state of collapse in the world. Environmentally, we are in a state of collapse, socially and politically there is a lot of collapse, economically there is a lot of collapse,” says Rowan. “It’s a very prominent theme we feel in the world around us.”
By utilising rubbish and discarded objects like furniture or old canvases, the exhibition creates a conversation centred on the idea of creation from collapse, and the artistic craftsmanship that goes into creating something from nothing.
Some of the sculptures in the exhibition themselves look on the brink of collapse. “There’s something quite unusual about creating sculptures that look like they’re falling apart,” Rowan explains“Materiality is very interesting to think about. Most of the artists in this show are making works using found everyday things they might have collected, so it’s rubbish! It’s about the idea of consumerism, which is something I’m really passionate about.”
Rowan Corkill and Sharon Wylde have brought together ten artists from the coastal region who offer individual interpretations on the theme of collapse – be it environmental, social, political, or personal.
Collapse is just one in an exciting programme of events happening over the weekend of 5-8 September. The annual Coastal Currents festival celebrates arts and culture across the 1066 region, encouraging creatives to take risks, experiment and connect with each other. “There are so many artists moving to Hastings and it’s so exciting, but we don’t always know they’re there.
Hastings, although it’s not a huge place, has so many hidden studios everywhere. There are so many artists doing things, so I think Coastal Currents in itself, especially the open studio side, is really important in letting everyone know about them, and to give them an opportunity to show their work,” says Rowan.
The exhibition runs from 5-8 September at The Observer Building with a free launch event, with an available pay bar, on Thursday 5 September between 6 pm and 9 pm.
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