Update from Asylum Art Gallery

David Checkley at Asylum Art Gallery

Several months ago Asylum embarked on their residency programme inviting five West Midlands-based artists to produce a solo show in response to community engagement and research of ‘Heterotopia’s’.

Each artist has been undertaking a one-month residency in the gallery and studio spaces, where the research is informing an artistic outcome in the form of a solo exhibition at the end of the month.

“Each artist will engage with a local space and its frequent inhabitants or lack thereof. These heterotopias or non-spaces will inform the research and the output of the final works. This can take shape in any form the artist wishes, through artistic interpretation in any medium, discussion groups, interviews, workshops or documentation."

In the current health crisis, Asylum Art Gallery is committed to paying its contracted freelance artists and creative team members so the project will be continuing to include online essays, photo and video documentation, virtual tours of the installed works and the potential for individual viewings in immersive installations. 

“As the project is about the memories of space and its community, we feel it is important to continue documenting these ever-changing communal and public spaces in these times. “

There will also be a printed and online publication available the 3rd July with an online party. (More details to follow).

For regular online content following the development of the artists work you can follow on instagram and view the artist residencies so far online.

Here is the last residency outcome by David Checkley.

The process, research and outcomes will be presented as an academic publication – in collaboration with writer in residence Nathaniel Grant - that encapsulates all five artist’s journey investigating the spaces and engaging in community discourse regarding the historical, cultural and political context of the spaces in the city.

The group show at Wolverhampton Art Gallery is postponed until the public program can reopen.