The Museletter June 2020

Edition V June 2020 Editors Damian Rayne Gosia Malawska

Whats on

About...

3-4...........................................................Adam Zoltowski 5.................Alla Samarina, The Muse Residency Program 6............................................................ Scratch Days III 7-9...........................................The Galleries Association 10-11...........................................................Sound Ideas 12....................................................Nicholas Cheeseman 13.....................................................................Alice Hall 14................IMA Studio: May you live in interesting times 15..........................................Piers, what’s on your mind?

16.........................................................Portobello Dance 17...............................................................Local Legend 18....................................................Calendar 2020/2021

In our online version, we focus on partner organisations, guest artists and residents to bring you a preview of ‘what is’, and ‘what’s to be expected’. We also have links to a wealth of online content this month, including: sound art files for music producers, virtual tours and interviews with our partner organisation (The Galleries Association) and a cross section of counter-culture to be found in West London.

The Muse was established in 2003 as an artist-led organisation, supporting both gallery and studio elements. Our gallery is situated in the heart of North Kensington, amongst the Georgian houses of Portobello Market. We host an annual residency programme with subsidised studio space and further show opportunities for recent graduates. Throughout the year we open our doors to artists, curating the space to present a balance of emerging and established professionals.In 2020 we are proud to support three new residents and a diverse list of national and international artists. We hope you enjoy a collection of work in this periodical; hopefully collectable images, whether online or printed — accessible art for our readership.

The MUSE Gallery (UK Charity for the arts No.1162300) 269, Portobello Rd. London W11 1LR Thursday-Sunday 12-6.00pm www.themuseat269.com info@themuseat269.com Twitter: Muse_Gallery Instagram: Muse_at_269

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Front cover: Adam Zoltowski, Pa,Go,Da

Adam Zoltowski Adam Zoltowskidates TBC

No man is an Island, entire of it self;” John Donne’s Devotions (1624) This exhibition is a self-portrait – by definition, a work in progress. The work represents a moment of studio practice, reproduction and replication. The portrait includes not just ideas but the tools and materials of their realisation; the reproduction of objects and what exists within the sphere of their manifestation. In turn those peripheral objects continue to affect the immediate and so on…

‘Each of the works here is an island in a sea of relationships, nothing stands alone, entire of itself’.

The components of the work are divided into three. The first, figurative elements. These are carved from polystyrene with a thin skin of fibreglass, just like a surfboard.

‘I like to think about the way a surfboard is a floatation device, and a vehicle for riding a wave. I also like it that it is not a traditionally precious material commonly associated with art, it is light in weight and also in historicity.’

The Second are the supports such as bases, plinths, blocks, trestles, palettes. Traditionally invisible in art – you’re not supposed to ‘see’ them. Either in the gallery or in the workshop they are subordinate to the art object albeit a supporting role. In these works the relationship between art, object and support is made visible, if not necessarily entirely equal. They may be made as laboriously as the object they support, be made of the same material, or be the focus of the entire work.

‘Lastly come the waste papers, here painstakingly reproduced in aluminium. these are the receipts, lists, scribbled notes and diagrams, templates and floor coverings that we accumulate in the day to day of a studio practice. This material constitutes a tide of documentary history that flows around the art object and anchors it within the silt of the mundane, the everyday. I am particularly attracted to the things that are immediately familiar, such as the back of a list written in ink where the ink has bled through, leaving it visible but unreadable, or the smallprint and safety data sheets that arrive with a delivery of chemicals to the studio, so technical and dry to read that it is rendered abstract. Like parts of the body these are so universally familiar that some kind of transformation in scale, material or context is needed to make them materialize before our eyes in all their glorious strangeness.’

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Adam Zoltowski Born: 05/12/71 lives: London, England Art Education: 2015. M.a fine art, Chelsea school of art.

1995. B.A hons. Loughborough school of art.

1992. Fine art foundation, Camberwell school of art. 1991.

Heatherly school of art.

Employment 2000-present day. Partner in Skyhook Design l.t.d . Art direction and production design for film media. 2000-present day.visiting lecturer in film production design. London College of Communication (U.A.L). 1997-1999. Sculptor and set builder in the film industry.

1995-1997. Foundryman and mould maker at Bronze Age sculpture casting foundry.

Exhibitions 2019-20. ‘winteR’. Group show curated by Daria Borisova, Harlsden High st gallery, London.

2019. The london ultra’. Group show. The Bargehouse, Oxo tower wharf, london.(commendation) 2019. ‘The fields beneath’. Three solo shows . ST Augustine’s tower, London.

2019 ‘Three Pillars’. Group show curated by Julian McSweeney.

Chelsea town hall. London.

2019. ‘Enter the vacuum’. Group show curated by Rebecca Molloy. Red lion boys club, london.

2018. ‘Protocol’. Group show curated by Vanja Baloch.Cavendish sq q park, london.

2018. ‘Free painters and sculptors. ‘Group show. The Bargehouse. London.

2017. ‘The Crash’. Group show curated by Vanja Baloch , Cavendish sq q park, london.

2017. “Seasons” chelsea alumni group show, Maxilla studios, Portobello.

2017. “ Contact Katowice, ply gallery london and Ronda gallery, Katowice, Poland.

2017. “Foreign Bodies” solo show, Bethnal Green.

2017. “stealing Time” group show, The Gateyard, Forest Gate.

2016. ‘ Homunculus’. Group show curated by Julian McSweeney.

Caroline gardens chapel. Peckham.

2015. ‘The poetics of space’. Group show. Safehouse1. Peckham.

2015. ‘ Office Sessions 4, Beak st.’ Artist/Co-curator with Caitlin Mavroleon.

2014. ‘Bloomberg new contemporaries’. Group show. I.c.a. London, Liverpool Biennale, Newlyn art gallery.

2014. ‘Species of spaces and other pieces’. Cookhouse gallery, Chelsea school of art. group show with St. Martins and Chelsea M.a students. 2014. ‘ Office Party’. Anchorage House, London Docklands. Artist/Curator , with Caitlin Mavroleon..

2011. ‘Creative Machines, minimalist sculpture.’ curated by Minnie weisz. Birmingham.

2011. Kings cross art for billboards project. Minnie Weisz Gallery, London.

2010. ‘To be or not to be- a false dichotomy’. Shoreditch town hall, London.

2007. ‘Salon 2007’. New British painting and works on paper. ‘ Curated by Flora Fairbairn.319 Portobello rd, London.

2006. ‘Drawings’. Works on paper. 249 Cambridge heath rd, London.

1996.’ Looking/At.’ Posk gallery. London.

1995.’Edinburgh Fringe, yellow poets theatre space.’

Instagram: @adamzoltowski Blog: www.adamzoltowski.tumblr.com Website: www.adamzoltowski.com

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Alla Samarina - Elements of Life

The Muse Gallery Residency Program 2003 - 2020 2003/04 Corinne Charton-Grahn Hannah Plumb Louisa Loakes Anne Windsor 2004/05 Cinnamon Heathcote-Drury Julia Hayes Patricio (Pato) Bosich Rebecca (Becky) Cross 2005/06 Jayson Singh Agata S. Hamilton 2006/07 Masaki Yada Zoe Schoenherr 2007/08 Evy Jakhova Rose O’Gallivan

2008/09 Alice Hall Cecilia Sandrini

2014 Katie McCain Eugene Macki Gosia Ĺ apsa-Malawska

2009/10 Richard Taylor Cecilia Sandrini

2016 Gemma Milligan Nicholas Cheeseman Samantha Y. Huang

2010/11 Charli Clark Caroline Jane Harris

2017 Diego Brambilla Lawrence Calver Yole Quintero

2011/12 Kathryn Maple John Nicol Andreea Mandrescu Ian Robinson

2018 Josephine Cottrell Mahaul Harley Leca Mark Tamer

2012/13 Mathew Vieira Stephanie Smart Coral Churchill Luna Jungeun

2019 Daisy Cowley Yuichiro Kikuma Yambe Tam

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2020 Hugo Lami Cecilia Di Paolo Rory Watson

SCRATCH DAYS Theatre at The Muse

This year we’re hosting our annual theatre productions ‘Scratchdays’ online, using webinar technology. ‘Scratchdays’ was established as a low risk platform for writers and directors to workshop material in front of live audiences. Originally the on-book production ‘Readings’ with The Muse Group Theatre, directed by Penny Bosworth, the platform grew to include other emerging and established talent, including our current writer laureate Mark Norfolk.

In 2020, we are hosting one play per month starting in May with ‘Resurrection of a post rape zombie’ and in June with ‘Cornucopia Soup’, both written by Mark Norfolk and directed by Jeffery Kissoon.

June 6th show starts at 7:00pm www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scratch-days-ii-tickets-106801040788 ‘Cornucopia Soup’ - An ambitious police captain comes face to face with the rebel leader he’s been chasing for twenty years June 27th, show starts at 7:00pm Later this month, on the 27th June, we are proud to present Stewart Permutt’s – News from the Rialto Virginia Morris a former rank starlet has been retired for over sixteen years. She makes a valedictory speech at a friend`s funeral and then is way-laid by Riccardo Spallone a passionate Italian stage director. He has a mission, he wants to direct The Merchant Of Venice in a pub in Stoke Newington. But he has an entirely new slant on it. He wants Shylock to be played as a Jewish housewife called Miriam Shylock and he persuades Virginia to take the role.

Stewart John Permutt is an actor and a playwright who was born in 1950 in Stoke Newington, London. Permutt has written numerous plays for radio, film, and theatre. His works for the theatre include Singular Women (1991), Unsuspecting Susan, starring wellknown actress Celia Imrie (2003), which toured to New York in 2005 and Stuttgart, Germany in 2008, Real Babies Don’t Cry, which was Winner of a Fringe First Award in Edinburgh in 2010, Love and Lust in Lewisham (2013), and most recently A Dark Night in

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THE GALLERIES ASSOCIATION www.thegalleriesassociation.co.uk

Galleries on the Tour After Nyne Gallery 10 Portland Road Holland Park London W11 4LA afternynegallery.com Daniel Benjamin Gallery 120 Kensington Park Road London W11 2PW db-gallery.com David Hill Gallery 345 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 6HA davidhillgallery.net Design Museum 224-238 Kensington High St London W8 6AG designmuseum.org Elephant West 62 Wood Lane London W12 7RH elephant.art/west Frestonian Gallery 2 Olaf Street W11 4BE London frestoniangallery.com Graffik Gallery 284 Portobello Road W10 5TE London graffikgallery.co.uk Japan House 101-111 Kensington High St London W8 5SA japanhouselondon.uk The Muse Gallery 269 Portobello Road W11 1LR London themuseat269.com Serena Morton Gallery 343 Ladbroke Grove London W10 6HA serenamorton.com Unit One Gallery|Workshop 1 Bard Rd, London W10 6TP unit1gallery-workshop.com Westbank Arts 3-5 Thorpe Close London, W10 5Xl londonwestbank.com Whitewall Galleries Central 100 Westbourne Grove London W2 5RU whitewallgalleries.com

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In 2020 we’re developing our group meditation ‘The Healing Chamber’ in partnership with London’s finest sound artists and musicians.

Sessions have generated a sound library of extraordinary assets, content we would like to make available to all producers through this edition (link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/arz9hvuywzopmip/ AAAUsx4-EkInz0wSquddsg18a?dl=0 ). We hope you will use these sketches as your own, download them, mix them, transform them and enjoy.

The Healing Chamber was developed as a synaesthesia of light and sound, to provide solace from the darker months and combat light deprivation and winter depression. We’ve hosted three of these events; a group meditation of frequencies for a limited audience at The Muse gallery. The project has since evolved to include other artists with focus on therapizing for sleep (Thleep), working to a similar brief of rhythm and light inducing a calm state and ultimately a deeper REM sleep.

The collaboration between Dylan Thomas, Amit Sharma and Damian Rayne will feature in the physical performance, once the restrictions of lockdown have eased and public gatherings are once again possible. We hope you explore the linked material as a Muse Bouche

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Amit Rai Sharma Amit Rai Sharma is a London-based sound artist interested in the relationship between sound and ‘time’. Time acts as a ‘ruler’ for sound; a piece always exists for a certain length of time. Amit’s current research is concerned with how we might unbind sound from that ruler.

As a musician & composer, he is working on a series of recordings: - A collection of compositions from previously exhibited sound works - Experimental chance-influenced electronica music (with ŁoŁ) - His first collection of songs as a solo performer

Dylan Price Composer and sound designer living and working in London, UK whose work combines music, sculpture and immersive technologies.

Instagram @dylanhenryprice www.dylanhenryprice.com

Damian Rayne Damian Rayne is a music producer working in London and the West Country, working with experimental frequencies and soundscapes combined with orchestral compositions. He is one half of The Motherlands alongside Theresa Douthwright, produced by Greg Walsh (www.themotherlands.co.uk). He has featured in all three of The Healing Chamber events; more recently alongside Elta Wave, Jezney Hollis and Amit Sharma in The Healing Chamber III in 2019

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Nicholas Cheeseman

Artist in Residence at the Muse 2016

Dorchester Abbey, Wallingford B, 29x21cm, Inkjet print, paint pen, gel pen, pen

www.nicholascheeseman.co.uk

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Amsterdam chaired, 29x21cm, Inkjet print, paint pen, gel pen, pen

Alice Hall

Artist in Residence at the Muse 2008/2009

The dog walk, oil on canvas

www.alicehall.co.uk

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Hyde Park Corner by night, oil on canvas, 65x90cm

May you live in interesting times “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

Maya Angelou

It’s certainly an interesting time, and yet, also a strangely empty one. Lots of time to think and consider where we are, both as a culture and as an individual. On a personal level, we may be wondering if our life will go back to normal post-Covid-19 or if indeed that is what we even want. From momentous events there comes a chance of change, or perhaps even revolution. Can our life as artists survive in this new landscape? There are plenty of questions to consider: - How has the art sector been affected?

- When will the galleries open?

- Will people still go to see art?

- Does art sell during recession?

- Will the value of art drop?

- After all this funding support (furlough, universal credit, etc.) will there be funding available for the arts?

- Will art material costs go up?

- When will it be safe to show our work?

- Do we need to change how we show our work?

- Will brick and mortar galleries survive?

- Will artists still be able to pay for studio space?

- When will it be safe to participate in art fairs?

- Will it become harder to be a full time artist?

These are all extremely important issues to consider and as yet the answers truly remain unknown. Fear of the unknown and things beyond our control can bring about anxiety. If we give in to uncertainty then we give it permission to control us instead. It makes more sense to concentrate on those things that we can control: - Who we are as a creative person - Our love of what we do (and will continue to do) - How important our practice is to us - How much time and effort we put into a task - How we communicate with and support one another - Wellness and how we look after ourselves both mentally and physically - How we treat others (be nice!)

- What we stand for, what our values are “Effective decision-making means being clear not just about what we do know, but what we don’t.”

Anne Marthe van der Bles

This thought is relevant beyond 2020 and can indeed help us throughout our lives as artists. If we take a look at everything that is within our control and everything that is not, we can start to direct our focus and attention towards the things that can be changed, the things that we can actually make a difference to.

This is where our energy should be applied. Everything else we can start to let go of, because either it is someone else’s responsibility or it is something that we can not affect or change or control in any way. This will free up our time, and more importantly, our thinking mind for the important tasks relevant to our work.

This isn’t aways easy of course. In an era of post-truth and fake-news it can be difficult to know what is within our influence and what is not. There’s plenty of visual and verbal noise out there. But if we stick to those things within our sphere of influence we have a chance to gain some control. “… there is only one path to happiness, and that is giving up all outside of your sphere of choice, regarding nothing else as your possession, surrendering all else to God and Fortune” Epictetus, Discourses, 4.4.39

Art by: Vinni Kiniki Instagram: @vinnikiniki

www.vinnikiniki.com/project/coronavirus-art-series/

We have a unique opportunity in this moment to create, not only new ways of working but new ways of communicating our work and our ideas. The internet has come into its own in 2020, keeping us connected in both our personal and our professional lives.

Yes, it is possible to meet virtually and do away with a lot of unnecessary travel time and costs.Better for the environment too. Talks, lectures, workshops have all continued during the lockdown, becoming more accessible to more people.

Making work during lockdown may have been difficult for some, but artists are great at rising to a challenge. We’ll find a way. It’s what we do. This is also a perfect moment to explore our internal world as an artist and as a creative individual and to focus on those certainties of who we are and to understand why we are doing what we do. Let the work be a light to guide us in these uncertain times. We have the chance now to creatn e a new normal, one that works better for all of us.

Stay Safe. Stay Creative.

IMA team www.imastudio.org

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COMMUNITY PIERS, what’s on your mind?

PIERS GREG

Well the end of lockdown is on my mind, seems like it’s happening even as we speak.

How is the end of lockdown manifesting in your life?

Well, I have a teenage daughter… so, its manifesting in slowly breeching the lockdown laws or rules or whatever they’re called.

As more and more people seem to turn up in our garden. I feel like, I don’t know… whoever it was, holding that bridge – Horatio was it? Holding that bridge trying to stop people taking Rome.

Maybe he’d been woken up by the Geese, I can’t remember…

Uhmm which is problematic of course, because of the whole Dominic cummings affair, which may have been forgotten by the time this is published. I quite enjoyed Lockdown though, in a funny sort of way.

Me too, my personal lockdown continues…

The radio went gangbusters in the early days of lockdown. We’re in a funny period now and I think it’s about to break. Everybody is streaming everything to everybody, so it’s a very competitive environment.

But you can’t beat quality Piers and Portobello Radio programming over the last few months has been nothing less than extraordinary, I think.

No, we’re proud as punch of what we’ve done and of course we’ll be there after everyone else has turned back into the real world, if they get to return back to the real world.

Who knows, there was a day last week when there was zero new cases in London. So we must be quite pleased with the way both London and the royal borough have managed social distancing and obeying lockdown rules. Without ruining our lives and without infecting everyone.

So, what do you think is the immediate future for public spaces in the borough?

On one hand I’m a jobbing DJ it’s a nightmare, don’t see when that’s coming back.

On the other, we can hope there’s a burst of creativity that immerges, rather than let’s live stream whatever we’re doing. I am quite excited about the KCAW virtual map, which I think has the potential to marry the virtual with the physical and ease us gently back into experiencing space.

I agree, and I think it’s going to be an important archive as well.

Yup, we’ve got many people in this neighbourhood. Tom Vake obviously, Ed McManus obviously, Isis and Carol obviously, who take people on Psychogeographical social history walks and who knows… there may well be a QR code on every corner and you can indulge through Portobello radio and KCAW in feeling the past come alive as you stand on the street.

Well…here’s hoping. Thank you Piers.

portobelloradio.com 15

Mark Elie, Artistic Director and Founder of the Mark Elie Dance Foundation and Portobello Dance School (PDS) announces the 25th Anniversary of this pioneering dance company that has successfully developed young talent in Notting Hill and across London for a quarter of a century.

Mark is one of the UK’s most successful classically trained professional dancers having enjoyed a stellar career with some of the world’s leading companies; Rambert Ballet, Lisbon’s Ballet Gulbenkian, and legendary Arthur Mitchell of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. During his career Mark has worked alongside an array of award winning dancers and choreographers such as Nathan Geering, Brenda Edwards MBE, Noel Wallace, Mbulelo Ndaen, and Namron OBE. However, Mark has been uniquely inspired by the formidable Matriarch of British classical dance Carol Straker, award winning Choreographer, Dancer, Author and member of the Council of International Dance of UNESCO, and a Fellow of Royal Society Arts (FRSA) and an Assonate Professional Teacher Dancing.

It was in 1980 when Mark set about his life-long mission to make classical ballet more inclusive. In 1994 he set up his own dance foundation in west London’s vibrant north Kensington and Chelsea. Mark believes that regardless of class or racial background, young dancers should be able to learn and enjoy the language of classical dance and have access to affordable lessons.

A dream he has helped realise for the thousands of young dancers who have trained at the Portobello Dance School. Many of whom have gone on to perform in West End shows, on TV and film including the critically acclaimed “Billy Elliott” stage production.

Former students now enjoying successful careers in leading UK dance companies and institutions include luminaries such as the gifted Kym Alexander, now dancing with the Rambert Company, the talented Salome Pressac-Hewitt, currently with the Rambert 2 Company and stunning dancer Rae Aslam now with Ballet Black’s Youth Company. Now celebrating its 25th Anniversary the School has faced many challenges but has survived for a quarter of a century. From the iconic Tabernacle building Portobello Dance School runs it’s busy Saturday school with classes in ballet, jazz, street dance and tap as well as outreach projects for local schools.

Mark’s award-winning “Dance Showdown” (2012 and 2015) at Cadogan Hall has also nurtured some amazing young dancers and another important project is the popular Summer School during August which this year was funded by John Lyons Trust.

The project engages local children aged 8 – 15 some of whom had never been able to afford professional dance classes with professional tutors who have successful roles in West End productions including Jordan Alexander who plays Michael Jackson in “Thriller Live”.

The students also have the opportunity to visit West End stage performances as part of their Summer school experience. The PDS resumes in September each year with the Saturday school and the calendar culminates with the annual Christmas show at the Tabernacle, Powis Square.

Portobello Dance School, 35 Powis Sq, London W11 2AY. For school enquiries requests email: info@portobellodance.org.uk and for images or interviews call 07947 484021 website www.portobellodance.org.uk

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ISIS AMLAK AN INDEPENDENCE WISH 4 JULY 2019 I wish for you, her and him, they and them that in our world, we would all have the inalienable right to express our humanity, and be received with dignity.

SOVEREIGNTY I wish for each and every child sufficient food to meet their optimal nutritional need, and whilst they nourish the body, they also feed, the soul, and free the mind.

AUTONOMY I wish for a world in which all life is valued, whether it walk, fly, swim or crawl, globally, morality should guarantee protection from annihilation, for every species.

EQUITY I wish we could all walk upon toxin free soil, eat food fit for consumption, drink water without contaminants and breathe unpolluted air, across this planet, everywhere.

LIBERTY I wish for the day when we all live truly free, when independence, liberté et égalité, shifts from the academic to the authentic, and are ingrained and universally systemic.

FREEDOM 7 I-KUs - I Sis London (2018) Antagonistic Sarcastic sadist that’s you Realistic that is me Looking at lizards moving swiftly silently Small eyes watching me Dawn breaks, rooster crows I can hear the radio It’s time to get up She’s mother sister daughter, a real warrior provider to all Small, thin, wrinkled skin Sparse grey hair and hooded eyes And soon he would die Foods’ too expensive Yet their greed is expansive Dire circumstances!

I don’t like cockroaches Mosquitoes irritate me Flys are so nasty!

People want justice But the truth is its just us The system’s unjust

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CALENDAR 2020/2021 Alla Samarina Elements of Life 25-28 June

Yuichiro Kikuma 23 July - 9 August

Artist in Residence 2019

Hanna Ten Doornkaat Essentially Grey

17th September - 4th October

COVID-19 dates TBC

Adam Zoltowski Islands 2-19 July

Portobello Film Festival 1st-13th September 2020

Residency Final Show Hugo Lami Cecilia Di Paolo Rory Watson 8th - 25th October

Marina Junqueira 29th October -

Residency 2021 Competition

12th - 22nd November

8th November

Symrath Patti

26th November 13th December

Claudia Boese Jane Frederick Gosia Lapsa-Malawska Mary Romer 14th - 31st January 2021

Paul Smith

4th February 21st February

to apply for an exhibition info@themuseat269.com