Where There's Space to Grow: Hero Guide

HERO A GUIDE TO OUR HERO PIECES

WHERE THERE’S SPACE TO GROW Sunderland Museum & Gardens 15 January – 12 March 2022

CELEBRATE DIFFERENT COLLECTIVE

In the North East, the seams of coal that run below the ground brought working communities together through mining. Threats of closure of the coal mines in the 1980s brought large scale industrial action, and the subsequent privatisation and eventual closures of coal mines has resulted in poverty and social upheaval, the results of which can be seen across Sunderland communities today.

It’s through the lens of this contemporary understanding that Celebrate Different Collective present these works, many of which refer to unemployment, disillusionment and displacement.

First, you are in the darkness. In the thick gloom of grey there are points of light, telling a story that comes from underground. Encased in concrete, buried underfoot, you are taken on a journey back in time. In this first half of the exhibition, Celebrate Different Collective explore the relationship between people and the earth they inhabit, reflecting on the closures of the coal mines and shipyards in Sunderland in the 1980s and the devastating, rippling social effects of poverty and unemployment that are still felt today.

When I look at Richard Billingham’s photographs, I feel like I recognise something in them. I think anyone would be able to relate to them in some way.

That connection is there because I know these photographs are from the artist’s real life – they aren’t posed or faked in any way. It’s as if you’re in it with them.

These photos tell a story of a life - how the lives of the people in the pictures matter to the person taking the picture. I hope that by showing these pictures in this exhibition, people might feel more understanding, more empathy, about the way that alcoholism effects families.

Izzy I have always loved the magic and mystery of this artwork. On first look, the photograms appear to be images of deep space, galaxies and stars. But when you look closer and find out more, you can see that the artist has used dirt and minerals taken from the ground to create the image. This double meaning reminds me that artwork, like people, can offer more than you might expect, and that you can make interesting discoveries if you spend time looking.

Anya

Moving into the light and a world of vibrant colour and pattern, Celebrate Different Collective want you to share their vision for a progressive future where there are no barriers and everyone feels safe, welcome and included. This is an optimistic space where people can live harmoniously with their environment and each other, celebrating the differences that make us unique and human.

I know this work is huge, but I’ve only ever seen it on my computer screen or on a print out. I know when I see it in person in the gallery I will be overwhelmed by the textures, colours, scale and beauty of this painting. This piece is obviously beautiful, but I believe that all art is beautiful.

There is always meaning and mystery to an artwork. When I look at this work, I am reminded of being a child, of reading books about magical creatures and worlds. I think that the Sunderland of the future will have lots more green space.

Millie This tiny work is immensely important.

The issue of constantly gendering everything and the hostile world it creates isn’t often discussed. It’s shoved into a metaphorical corner, which is why we have placed this piece in a literal corner.

Being forced into perfect boxes is stressful and harmful, especially for those who don’t fit those boxes. As a group, we all wanted to include this work to begin conversations and to support the LGBTQIA+ community.

Celebrate Different Collective For me, this work is about people feeling joyful in natural spaces. I feel worried about the way our environment is being disregarded and abandoned, and I know that lots of young people feel the same. In this work though, I feel a sense of celebration and happiness that reminds me of being a child on my school playing field after the grass had been mown, and I would sit and make birds’ nests from the cuttings on a warm afternoon. Those are the moments you’ll remember for a long time.

If we can hold governments and industries accountable, and get people in power to listen, we can create a better future where we can all feel that joy, and not let it disappear.

Emily

The Muses are the Greek Goddesses of poetic and artistic inspiration – but when the muse is a life model, they are silent. Typically, the artist doesn’t get under their skin to learn their ins and outs. In this painting, Forrester has used the translucent plastic to imply there is more to this model than the surface if the audience just takes a deeper look. Miranda Forrester untangles the black female body from its historic fetishization by white western audiences through the materials she uses in this painting. The activist stance of the artist reminds me of my own beliefs and desire for equality in society.

Charlotte Co-curated with Sunderland Culture staff, the young people of Celebrate Different Collective have explored new and thought-provoking ways to present their exhibition and encourage conversations.

From the outset, the young people decided that they didn’t want their exhibition to be “boring”. Izzy said, “usually, when I visit a gallery, I think it’s very structured. It’s pictures hanging on a wall with a lot of white space around them. I want people to see an artwork and be able to feel something. Art should make you feel something, it should allow lots of interpretations. There should be space for your interpretation, whatever that is.”

Celebrate Different Collective hope that through their exhibition you have felt something, had conversations, and maybe even see things a little differently.

Celebrate Different Collective are a group of young people aged 13-25 from across Sunderland who meet weekly to plan projects, co-produce and run their own cultural events, work with artists and learn new practical skills and support Sunderland Culture’s programme. To find out more or to get involved please contact Rachel Hamer, Young People and Communities Producer, rachel.hamer@ sunderlandcultureorg.uk.

Richard Billingham, Untitled (RAL13) Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London ©Richard Billingham.

All Rights Reserved, DACS/Artimage Libita Sibungu, Quantum Ghost (8), (9), (10) Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London ©the artist Karl Maughan, Aro Valley Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London ©the artist.

Hadrian Pigott, Boy, ?, Girl Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London ©the artist Hayley Newman, Daisy Chain Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London ©the artist Miranda Forrester, The Muses (After Tamara de Lempicka) Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London ©the artist.

Image courtesy of the artist Where There’s Space to Grow is the fifth in Sunderland Culture’s series of Arts Council Collection National Partners Programme exhibitions and is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.