The exhibition called Home is not a place, but we are Home – is a group project that addresses home and home ideas in an astonishing, unconventional way, “seeing home as a site of exploration and identity.”
An installation by performance artist George Storm Fletcher took over the gallery windows to create a new piece of art seen from the streets.
George's exhibition, known as the Gaff, was commissioned by the South Square Centre as site-specific work related to the history of the building, originally a cottage for textile workers in the 19th century.
The exhibition, which includes photographs, textile pieces and film, features works by artists Savannah Aqua, Tigan Handley and Karisha Piper Chedy, along with more works by George Storm Fletcher.
By responding to items and textures relating to home-related or found at home, the artist created works that corresponded to the “meaning, appearance, and feel of the house.”
Curator Alice Parson said: “It was great to showcase the work of these incredible artists. We don't just ask what a home is, but how it forms, which influences, challenges and reflects our identity. I wanted to ask how.
“Each artist approaches ideas about self-self through their work, but each through different mediums, in a completely different way that visitors to the exhibition get something from this different perspective. I hope.”
The house is not a place, but it runs until March 30th, running alongside two other exhibitions at the centre. Nancy Steadman's work is on display in the gallery on the second floor, while Lizzie Randall's art is on display at South Square Café. square.
Renovated in 1982 as the Community Art and Heritage Centre, the South Square Centre features 10 studio spaces for artists, art galleries, community spaces, archives, fine art framer A-bar and cafes.
The gallery plays an important role in Thornton's cultural life, hosting community exhibitions, events and workshops along with contemporary art programs and platforms for new artists and curators.
In 2020, the South Square Centre received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to renovate capital and implement a three-year heritage program, and has brought South Square to grassroots as the birthplace of local industrial heritage, Brontes. It emphasizes it as an arts center.
