OFFSHORE ARTISTS EXPLORE THE SEA
1 April - 28 August 2017
Ferens Art Gallery Queen Victoria Square, Hull HU1 3RA
Hull Maritime Museum Queen Victoria Square, Hull HU1 3DX Introduction
Offshore: artists explore the sea Unlike the surface depictions of the examines the many contrasting sea found in traditional maritime ways that the sea has shaped our painting, contemporary artists in culture, our imaginations and our this exhibition have been given the physical existence through mythical opportunity to look beneath the sea monsters, superstition and waves: the writer China Miéville seaside traditions as well as trade explored the ocean depths of and travel. While inherently without Bermuda in a submersible to write borders, we have mapped the an essay, and artist Phil Coy joined sea for exploitation, geo-political a fishing boat out of Bridlington advantage and for conservation. Harbour to create a new film.
Ten new commissions have been Our treatment of the sea threatens produced specially for Offshore, its health: climate change, coral including works developed in bleaching, toxic waste and flooding conversation with leading marine are some of the issues that artists scientists. Existing works by explore through their work. This contemporary artists have been and a complex web of ownership, selected for their related insights trade and migration provide a wider into the sea. background to the exhibition.
The works are presented across Hull Curated by Invisible Dust Maritime Museum and the Ferens Art Gallery. At the Museum, artworks find new meaning in relationship to historic maritime collections where artists intervene within the museum displays. At the Ferens, Sounding the Sea Symposium maritime paintings from the fine art 15 & 16 June 2017 collection gain a new perspective Ferens Art Gallery and within this contemporary exhibition. University of Hull
Cover image: The expedition submersible that took author China Miéville on a descent into the deep ocean. Footage from this expedition has informed Mariele Neudecker’s commission at the Maritime Museum. Courtesy Nekton Mission and VRTÜL Ferens Art Gallery
EXPLORE ART: GALLERY 1 FAMILY GALLERY ENTRANCE FOYER
STUDIO FOYER
GALLERY 9 CENTRE COURT GALLERY 2 1 2
GALLERY 8 STUDIO 3 GALLERY 6 GALLERY 5 GALLERY 3
GALLERY 7 CAFE / SHOP GALLERY 4 4 d
1 Alexander Duncan 3 John Akomfrah Cove, 2007–2017 Mnemosyne, 2010 Polyurethane and polystyrene Single channel HD colour video, 5.1 sound 2 Bik Van der Pol (45 mins 6 secs) Anatomy of a Scene, 2017 Screened in The Studio Printed carpet and voice Thursdays, Fridays and recorded sound Saturdays only (8 at 10 mins each) Offshore Commission with thanks to the letter writers and the Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017 Ferens Art Gallery
4 Mariele Neudecker 7 Shimabuku One More Time – Octopus Stone, 2013 The Architeuthis Dux Stones and shells with Phenomenon, 2017 vinyl text HD video Courtesy the Artist and Wilkinson (2 mins 35 secs) Gallery, London Offshore Commission with thanks to the Natural History Museum, London. 8 John Loker Courtesy Galerie Barbara Thumm, Vertical Extracts 2, 1979 Berlin Oil and acrylic on canvas
5 China Miéville Ferens Art Gallery Tehom, 2017 Essay printed in quantity of 9 David Malone and 50,000 designed by Jurgis Andrew Thompson Griskevicius The Secret Life of Waves, Audio recording 2009 (4 mins 9 secs) Television broadcast Offshore Commission with support Shot on digibeta (59 mins) from Oliver Steeds, Prof Alex Rogers, Commissioned for BBC Scotland University of Oxford
q Willem van de Velde II 6 Dorothy Cross The Four Days Battle, 1666 Ghost Ship, 1999 Oil on canvas 35 mm film and DVD8 footage transferred to seamless loop Ferens Art Gallery (cycle 12 mins 17 secs) Ferens Art Gallery Ferens Art Gallery
w Scrimshaw t Tacita Dean
Roaring Forties: Seven Item 1: Engraved Sperm whale tooth, 19th century Boards in Seven Days, 1997 Probably British Chalk on blackboard Tate: Presented by the Patrons of Item 2: Engraved Sperm whale New Art through the Tate Gallery tooth, 1833/35 Foundation 2000. With thanks to Unusually signed ‘Waite’ Frith Street Gallery London Probably North American y Henry Redmore Item 3: Probably North American, 20th century Boats off Whitby, North Yorkshire, 1875 Item 4: From North America, Oil on canvas 19th century Ferens Art Gallery Hull Maritime Museum Collection u Adam Chodzko e John Keith Vaughan Rising, 2013 Coast Defences (Seaford, Audio installation East Sussex), c.1959–1962 (20 mins) Oil on canvas Commissioned by Invisible Dust and Ferens Art Gallery Great North Run Culture in 2013 i r Saskia Olde Wolbers John Amhurst Selby-Bigge Pfui – Pish, Pshaw / Prr, Composition, 1936 Oil on obeche panel 2017 Two channel HD video Ferens Art Gallery (20 mins) Co-commissioned by Nadja Argyropoulou for Polyeco Contemporary Art Initiative and Invisible Dust with support from Wellcome Trust, The Elephant Trust, Goldsmiths University, Breathing Space Award Space Studios London Ferens Art Gallery
o Kasia Molga with World a John Smith Wilder Lab and Horizon (Five Pounds a Electronudes Belgian), 2012 The Coral Love Story: HD video, colour, sound Chapter #1 | Getting Seamless loop (cycle 18 mins) Acquainted, 2017 Wearable: mixed media, bespoke Commissioned by Turner technology and software, data Contemporary in partnership with from NOAA website Stour Valley Arts and South East HD video (3 mins) Dance, as part of Turning Point South East – RELAY Offshore Commission with thanks to Sebastian Prajsnar, Aquarist, The Deep s Barbara Hepworth p Icon II, 1960 Martin Parr Marble North Bay, Scarborough, Ferens Art Gallery North Yorkshire, England, UK, 2016 d Bridget Riley Pigment print Arround, 1963 South Bay, Scarborough, Emulsion on board North Yorkshire, England, UK, Ferens Art Gallery 2016 Pigment print North Bay, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK, 2016 Pigment print North Bay, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK, 2016 Pigment print Offshore Commission © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos Hull Maritime Museum
g Ground Floor
WHALING z GALLERY FISHING NATURAL HISTORY GALLERY 5 GALLERY f h k j
FISHING GALLERY 3
FISHING GALLERY 4
ENTRANCE HALL SHOP
FISHING GALLERY 2 FISHING l GALLERY 1 ;
ENTRANCE f Emily Richardson g Mariele Neudecker Petrolia, 2005 The Improbable Always 16mm transferred to HD video Happens Sometimes (21 mins) [No 2/2], 2017 Sound composer: Multichannel GoPro HD video Benedict Drew on 6 monitors (45 mins 49 secs) Commissioned by the Lighthouse Offshore Commission with support Museum, Glasgow for the exhibition from Bath Spa University and with 6000 miles thanks to Nekton and Prof Alex Distributed by LUX Rogers, University of Oxford. Courtesy Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin Hull Maritime Museum
h John Wedgwood Clarke and l Mariele Neudecker Rob Mackay The Improbable Always Above 8, 2017 Happens Sometimes [No 3], Text and recorded ambisonic 2017 speech and soundscapes Mixed media installation, (18 mins continuous loop) including ink, paint, paper, giclée Offshore Commission with thanks prints, digital screens and two to Dr Jörg D. Hardege and Prof Mike display boxes Elliott, University of Hull Offshore Commission with support from Bath Spa University and with j Badgers of Bohemia thanks to Nekton, and Prof Alex Rogers, University of Oxford. Courtesy Oceanus Harmonica, 2016–17 Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin Digital print on paper from a series of oil paintings, hand- painted wooden, gilded frame ; Phil Coy Avoiding Green, 2017 Offshore Commission with thanks to HD Video (11 mins) Scarborough Sealife Sanctuary Offshore Commission. Supported by k Shimabuku Yorkshire Film Archives Then, I decided to give a tour of Tokyo to the Octopus z China Miéville from Akashi, 2000 Tehom, 2017 Single channel video, sound Essay printed in quantity of (6 mins 50 secs) 50,000 designed by Jurgis Griskevicius Courtesy the Artist. Audio recording (4 mins 9 secs) Collaboration with Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo Offshore Commission with support from Oliver Steeds and Prof Alex Rogers, University of Oxford Hull Maritime Museum
x First Floor
COURT WILSON ROOM LINE ROOM c MERCHANT SHIPPING GALLERY 6 b n
MERCHANT SHIPPING GALLERY 5
DOCKING GALLERY LANDING AREA
TEMPORARY MERCHANT EXHIBITION TEMPORARY TEMPORARY SHIPPING SPACE EXHIBITION EXHIBITION GALLERY 1 SPACE SPACE v
x Mariele Neudecker c Jonathan Baldock and The Improbable Always Ian J Brown Happens Sometimes Toilers of the Sea, 2017 [No 1/2], 2017 Mixed media Multichannel GoPro HD video on Offshore Commission 6 monitors (12 mins) Exhibited in The Court Room Offshore Commission with support until 2 July 2017 from Bath Spa University and with thanks to Nekton, and Prof Alex Rogers, University of Oxford. Courtesy Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin Hull Maritime Museum Invisible Dust Team
v Tania Kovats This exhibition guide has been Where Seas Meet, 2013–14 produced to accompany Offshore: North : Baltic artists explore the sea at Ferens Art Gallery and Hull Maritime Museum Tasman : Pacific from 1 April to 28 August 2017 Bengal : Indian : Arabian Seawater, glass Edition 1 of 3 Curated by Invisible Dust Sponsored by Louis Vuitton. Tania www.invisibledust.com Kovats is represented by Pippy Houldsworth Gallery Director: b Zineb Sedira Alice Sharp Sugar Routes II, 2013 Curators: Two objects in cane sugar Lara Goodband, Gemma Lloyd & Alice Sharp Commissioned by Marseille Provence Programme Producer: 2013, European Capital of Culture and Victoria Burns the Port of Marseille, France Exhibition Designer: Sam Collins n Lawrence Lek Press Manager: QE3, 2016 Simon Steven Full HD Video Simulation Symposium Coordinator: (20 minutes 16 seconds) Fiona Fraser-Smith Programme Assistant: Commissioned by Glasgow International 2016, Director’s Olivia Gray Programme at Tramway, curated by Interim Managing Director: Sarah McCrory Anna Schroeder
Join the conversation: #Offshore17
Offshore: artists explore the sea is part of Hull UK City of Culture 2017 Scientific & Marine Advisors Thanks
Professor in Conservation Biology, The board of Hull Culture & Alex Rogers, Department of Leisure Ltd Zoology, University of Oxford Hull UK City of Culture team Dr Magnus Johnson, Lecturer in Environmental Marine Biology Simon Green & University Dive Officer, Centre Hull Culture and Leisure for Environmental and Marine Robin Diaper Sciences, University of Hull Hull Maritime Museum Dr Jörg D. Hardege, Reader Kirsten Simister in Chemical Ecology, School Ferens Art Gallery of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Karen Durham, Denise Fahmy, University of Hull Jane Tarr, Ian Rimington Arts Council England Professor Mike Elliott, Director, Institute of Estuarine and Greer Roberts Coastal Studies and Professor Wellcome Trust of Estuarine & Coastal Sciences, Marianne Lewsley-Stier School of Biological, Biomedical & University of Hull Environmental Sciences, University of Hull Louisa Hooper Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Professor David Starkey, Maritime History, University of Hull The following organisations Sebastian Prajsnar, Aquarist, for their contribution to the The Deep development of the newly Peter Sanderson and the crew of commissioned works: PERSEVERANCE II Natural History Museum, London; Nekton; Scarborough Sealife Sanctuary; Scarborough Museums Trust; Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre; The Deep; Yorkshire Film Archive Take Action
Our seas are at a critical tipping point in terms of health. Many iconic marine species such as the great sharks have been reduced to a fraction of their original population size. Coral reefs are being destroyed as a result of climate change and other direct human impacts. You can take action, reduce your use of plastics, use safe detergents and involve yourself in campaigns such as International State of the Ocean, Nekton and other charities working to change the current trajectory of the oceans from decline to recovery. stateoftheocean.org invisibledust.com
PARA
GON STREE
VILE STREET T SA PARAGON STREET QUEEN MARITIME VICTORIA MUSEUM SQUARE E AN
CARR L CARR LANE
FERENS
Independently funded by: Wellcome Trust, Arts Council England, Hull Culture and Leisure, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and University of Hull