Michelle Dee writes about a new addition to Hull’s artistic quarter …
In recent years Hull’s historic Fruitmarket has come alive with public arts and culture events happening almost every week. The versatile warehouse venue Fruit, on Humber Street, has played host to touring bands, acclaimed theatre-works and stand-up comedy. New record label Fruit Trade Music set up recording studios a few doors down. And the galleries on the other side of the modish street – Eleven and the Museum of Club Culture – have presented a full programme of film, illustration, fine art and photography. Now with the local council touting the marina and surrounding areas as being vital to Hull’s future, and the number of festivals that will be based in the area including the Humber Street Sesh and the Freedom Festival, the possibility of having a Shoreditch style cultural renaissance could be achievable.
Projection Rooms will be the latest addition to the artist-led cultural regeneration in this modish part of the city. On the first floor of Nos.10 Humber Street Projection Rooms is a new multi-room, multiscreen gallery space opening above The Museum of Club Culture in August 2013. The gallery is owned and run by artist and filmmaker Kerry Baldry who has curated 7 years of the internationally known and highly acclaimed One Minute Series with work from artists including Turner Prize nominee Laure Provost.
Projection Rooms will screen solo-exhibitions by moving image artists including Tina Keane, Guy Sherwin, Steven Ball, Riccardo Iacono, Kayla Parker and Stuart Moore, Martin Pickles, Katherine Meynell to name but a few, with guest curators invited to contribute to the varied programme of traditional film making, animatio, digital work and installation. The specialist moving image gallery is an innovative area of practise which has reached new audiences and gained recognition at high profile museums and film show cases including Cannes and the Venice Bienniale.
Experimental artists’ moving image is an emerging art form and the Projection Rooms will engage under-served audiences making a valuable contribution to the local and wider cultural, social environment. It fills an important gap in provision in the North of England and will be of UK wide and international significance.
Kerry Baldry says:
Projection Rooms will feature new initiatives including artists curated programmes, symposia for film makers and artists, and will help develop local UK film talent through education initiatives. The focus on moving image makes the gallery unique in Yorkshire. The work shown will be experimental in form or content and the audiences will be offered an opportunity to experience and learn about a type of film they would not otherwise have access to.
The first exhibition in August will be the World Premiere of One Minute Volume 7 and will feature well known film and video artists such as Tony Hill (2011 Glimmer Retrospective Artist) and Guy Sherwin.
Kerry’s first commission was for BBC2 ‘s One Minute Television which was broadcast on The Late Show – a joint collaboration between BBC2 and Arts Council England. Since studying at Central St. Martins her work has been screened at galleries and film festivals worldwide.