3 June 2009

The Venetian job - Once in a lifetime professional development opportunities for up & coming Scottish artists

Scotland+Venice 2009 - a partnership between the Scottish Arts Council, National Galleries of Scotland and the British Council - is delighted to announce that a group of up and coming Scottish artists have been given the opportunity to develop their professional skills during the world’s most prestigious arts festival.

Nine students have been selected to act as gallery assistants during the 53rd International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia after receiving professional development bursaries.

These opportunities will take place alongside Scotland’s 2009 presentation at the Biennale where acclaimed visual artist Martin Boyce will represent Scotland with a solo exhibition of new work, No Reflections. The exhibition, which is curated by Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), will be presented at the Palazzo Pisani (S.Marina) from 7 June - 22 November 2009.

The professional development bursaries are a result of close partnership working between DCA and Duncan and Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD), University of Dundee.

The nine up and coming artists, who are all studying at DJCAD, will respond to visitor enquiries, help to promote the exhibition, and ensure the artwork on display is secure.

The students, who will be working in teams of three, and spending up to nine weeks each in Venice, will also be mentored by a senior member of staff at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA).

20 year-old, Hannah Champion, who is from East Lothian near Edinburgh and studying Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practices is one of the lucky students.

'I am so pleased and excited to be included as a gallery assistant for such an invigorating artist in such an inspiring city. I know that this opportunity is the gateway to the future I want as an artist/curator, via the experience I will undertake, the challenges I will face and the mentoring I will receive from the DCA: the cultural core of Dundee'

Lottie Gerrard knows what a great opportunity the students have - she worked as an Invigilator for the Scottish presentation in Venice in 2007.

'It was fantastic being in Venice for the opening weeks and working in a Venetian palazzo with the six artists that represented Scotland that year. I especially enjoyed working with the team organizing the exhibition, getting to know the people involved, getting to know a city as amazing as Venice, and having access to all the international contemporary art exhibitions across the city.'

'The experiences I gained in Venice proved invaluable as I developed my own career and helped lead me into my current position, as Visual Arts Administrator at the Scottish Arts Council - where I am now assisting Katie Nicoll, Producer of Scotland and Venice in the delivery of Scotland's presentation at the 2009 Biennale.'

Professor Tracy Mackenna, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, adds:

'We are delighted to be able to work with Dundee Contemporary Arts to create this unique professional development opportunity. DJCAD recognises the high value of work placements with external partners for our students.We believe that this opportunity will be significant for each student, developing their understanding of contemporary art, their work skills and giving them a once in a lifetime opportunity that will continue to inform their development as artists in years to come.'

The other beneficiaries of the professional development bursaries are Bonnie Lee Huarneck, 23, from Glasgow, studying Fine Art; Rachael Rebus, 21, from Edinburgh, studying Fine Art; Amy Jones, 23, from Dundee, studying Fine Art; Kezia Merrick, 21, from Glasgow, studying Fine Art; Jessica Ramm, 22, from Dundee, studying Fine Art; Joanna Helfer, 22, from Edinburgh, studying Time Based Art; Emma McIntyre, 22, from Greenock, studying Fine Art; and Rachel Walker, 24, from Dundee, studying Fine Art.

Joining the gallery assistants in Venice will be three artists selected to participate in a new international residency programme that seeks to encourage exchange of ideas and the development of new work.

The New Seekers residency progamme is the inaugural project from Newfoundland, a programme for contemporary visual artists developed and delivered through a partnership between Scottish Sculpture Workshop and Hospitalfield

The artists selected as part of the New Seekers programme are Stuart David Fallon, from Edinburgh, Steven Anderson, from Glasgow and Mairi Lafferty, from Dundee all of who graduated from DJCAD in the last five years.

While there, the artists will meet with other international artists who are invigilating in different pavilions and spaces, to invite them to join a residency programme in Scotland.

Six artists will then take part in a month long residency at visual arts centre, Hospitalfield in Arbroath in November 2009 and the work they produce will shown at a special exhibition at DJCAD in December 2009.

This will co-incide with No Reflections returning to Scotland to be presented at a special exhibition opening on 12 December 2009 at DCA, marking the culmination of the venue’s 10th anniversary year.

Stuart Fallon is one of the emerging artists.

'New Seekers is an excellent opportunity to create a new collaborative partnership with an international artist in Venice before inviting them back to spend a month working together in the unique setting of Hospitalfield House. It provides a great opportunity to take my own practice in new, unchartered directions, whilst also creating lasting ties with artists, and potentially an art community, from abroad. The fact that the potential for such a creative link-up at the Venice Biennale has been recognised is extremely pleasing and I am delighted to have been chosen to be part of the project.'

Judith Winter, Deputy Director & Head of Arts Programme at DCA and one of the curatorial team for Scotland+Venice 2009 concludes:

'Scotland is a centre of excellence for the development and promotion of contemporary visual arts practice. Initiatives such as the professional development bursaries and the residency programme play a vital role in supporting opportunities for emerging artists. I have no doubt that being part of the Venice Biennale at such a formative time will be a life changing experience for those involved.'

For further information about Scotland+Venice 2009 please contact:
Brian Maycock, Press Officer, brian@scotlandandvenice.com or
Wendy Grannon, Press Manager, T: +44 (0) 7916 137 632 /
e: press@scotlandandvenice.com
www.scotlandandvenice.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Martin Boyce No Reflections takes place as part of the 53rd International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia at Palazzo Pisani, Calle delle Erbe, Cannaregio (off Campo Santa Marina), 6103 from 7 June - 22 November 2009. Opening hours: 10am-6pm (closed Mondays). Vaporetto stop: Rialto. Free Entry. www.scotlandandvenice.com
2. Scotland+Venice 2009 is a partnership between the Scottish Arts Council, National Galleries of Scotland and the British Council Scotland with additional support from Dundee Contemporary Arts, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, The Henry Moore Foundation, Jet 2, Scottish Government, the Leng Trust and in-kind support from Hendrick’s Gin, Fentimans and American Apparel. Martin Boyce is represented by Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York, Johnen Galerie, Berlin, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich and The Modern Institute / Toby Webster Ltd, Glasgow
3. The 53rd International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia is recognised as one of the world’s largest and most prestigious international showcases of contemporary visual art, enabling country representatives to present an exhibition or pavilion dedicated solely to the work of their chosen artist(s). 76 countries participated in this five month event in 2007. Between 10 June and 17 October 2007 the Biennale received over 230,000 visitors. www.labiennale.org

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