Laboratory

Jerwood Visual Arts was intrigued to know how the exhibition programme at Jerwood Space could be developed to help emerging artists in a relevant and exciting way at a crucial stage in their careers. We asked three emerging artists the question:

The three selected artists, Steven Eastwood, Jock Mooney and Mia Taylor, each proposed to use the galleries as a site for experimentation. The resulting exhibition will attempt to explore the process and discourse surrounding art and exhibition production. The gallery will be a testing ground for new works and a chance to work on larger-scale pieces as the artists temporarily relocate their studios to the gallery space.

Visitors to Jerwood Space will not only be able to see the artists at work, but also examine how the decisions of curation, design and promotion for 'Laboratory' were made - vital parts of the exhibition process that are normally hidden from view. At the opening party visitors can expect to see the gallery ready for artists to begin their month of working, and by the closing party a development of work charting the one month period.

The exhibition catalogue will document the decision-making of curators, writers and designers in the lead-up to the exhibition and how the resulting decisions change in response to what the artists choose to create. Kathleen Soriano, Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts, will conduct conversations with the curator and artists during the exhibition. Each day, text by Pryle Behrman will be added to the catalogue, while also documenting the development of a piece of critical writing for an exhibition catalogue. Like the artists' work in the 'laboratory', this text will not only show the final work but also the false starts, dead ends and changes of mind which mark the creative process. The exhibition catalogue will be made on site, with new pages added each day, and will also be viewable online. A limited edition of the catalogue will be available to purchase at the end of the exhibition.