ARTPANDEMIC – Virtual Summer Exhibition 2020.

In addition to all of my current duties, I have spent the last three months working hard to organise an amazing and challenging venture called artpandemic.co.uk

Due to the many limitations of the current crisis, our summer show has been moved online. Despite these compromising conditions, which you might think, would prevent me from organising a major celebration of learning and achievement, I have put together something very special and much bigger than the usual final assessment exhibition.

As a leader of Art & Design at my institution, I have invited Hi-Tec and Digital to join with me for a unique online international exhibition. Additionally, I have approached a range of former students, staff and artists from all-over-the-world to celebrate creativity and resistance to the damaging impact of the current pandemic. I am also delighted that Richard Wilson – one of the most renowned British sculptors agreed to exhibit a range of his artefacts with us, including his famous architectural interventions.

The Virtual Summer Exhibition 2020 took place on Friday, June 19th at 6 pm UK time. A scheduled link was distributed to those invited and activated on the night. The celebrations were possible thanks to Zoom – a multi-screen videoconferencing and interaction platform.

During the Private View, I was joined by artists from 18 countries, who were supporting my innovative response to the crisis, by producing their own work to enrich the exhibition.

I was asked to make a statement for a press release in Devon Live:

“It’s really exciting in these difficult times to be able to construct an exciting and revolutionary platform for students to present their work. The prospect of disappointing everyone by not having a summer exhibition and denying our learners an opportunity to show their talent was unacceptable. The idea of organising this ambitious online venture came about from my involvement in the prestigious Dubai Ideathon 2020. I was selected out of over 300 applicants to play an active role together with 100 fellow international artists and designers. I realised then the potential in connecting hundreds of people simultaneously could be achieved, and immediately knew, this would be the perfect solution for our students”.

The notion of an online art magazine seemed the natural way to go to prolong and elevate the artwork long after the event and give the work longevity. I have worked with three Foundation Art students on the design and format of the brand new Art Foundry Magazine. The first edition includes interviews and work produced by Richard Wilson, alumni, current students and a selection of collaborating artists. This publication will be updated on a quarterly basis.

Further details are below:

VIRTUAL SUMMER SHOW 2020 ART PANDEMIC

Link to the online exhibition:

Home

Static poster:

Link to our full invitation video:

Art Pandemic in numbers:

139 artists, 1935 artefacts and 18 countries are represented, including: UK, USA, Switzerland, Canada, Nigeria, Serbia, Italy, The Philippines, Russia, China, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Poland, Argentina, Bahrain, UAE & Greece.