Identity and self-construction

Freedom vs conformity

Vulnerability and liberation

The fear and beauty of being truly seen

Madness as a metaphor for authenticity

Masks / Personas / Fragmented Identity

Freedom through Exposure / Vulnerability

Being Misunderstood or Outside of Society

Spiritual or Existential Awakening

Freedom from being understood (resisting categorisation)

The Madman as Visionary / Outsider / Liberated Figure

Narrow Rocco-style building now utilised as a Clock museum.

5 floors including a basement and first floor utilised as a functioning bar (great for a private view and atmosphere!)

Selected Artists from list include Cindy Sherman, Yayoi Kusama and Emma Talbot. For their exploration into identity and adoption of characters, narratives and story, the feminine experience, creating art to transform 'madness' into art.

Selected works include Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirorred Room - Filled with the Brilliance of Life 2011/2017. An installation that would take over the top floor, mirrored walls and ceilings, lights that hang down and repeated within the mirrors. Making the audience gaze at themselves repeated in the reflections whilst taking in the immersive experience and 'brilliance of life'

Room 2 (in the middle), would feature photographs from Cindy Sherman's photograph pieces. Untitled #144 Namely, Untitled #103, and lastly a Untitled (Vanity Mirror) 2020. Both photographs blown up large on high quality giclee print paper on the left and right side of the room with the mirror hung at average eye-line height of women with the centre focus being the mirror which combines the distorted image of the artist on glass with the viewers own reflection

Room 3 1st Floor Emma Talbot works included are from The Age 2022-2023 Exhibition. Draped and hung floor to ceiling to transform the walls with her work for the viewer to absorb

Exhibition title "THE MAD(WO)MAN" and in an ideal world I'd paint that building PINK!

Where do we start? Understanding context. So what is it? It's a black hole located in space from the film Interstellar, however, it was very true to the science so much so a Physicist was consulted on the mathematics needed to bring the black hole to life. blah blah blah

How do you turn outer space into an exhibition? Is it a feeling? It is cold. In space there is an absence of light so do we dim the lights and create an immersive exhibition based on sensory scientific accuracy? Is it PG Family Friendly? Do we commission an artist to make fresh new works inspired by the theme? or do we pick artists with existing works?

EXHIBITION APPROACH My approach to this exhibition is to be an abstracted exploration into 'Gargantua' aka what does a black hole look and feel like? I like the idea of the pieces relating to light, spaghettification (claustrophobia) and sound.

SOUND, LIGHT AND IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION.

SO WHAT? A large space will be needed, and converted to be blacked out. A large building of heritage would be fun to transform! (plus usually not great heating!) Electric access for Audio Visual technology is required.

I chose Jean-Michel Basquiat as the single artist because I love their work and discovered him early on in my artistic practice and felt a connection with his life and with the work he produced.

I selected mostly objects that he had painted on from doors to fridges because I find painting and sculpture when combined to be really interesting. As a sculptor I have a preference for sculptures over paintings and have noticed sculpture isn't curated or made space for in galleries locally so I wanted to spotlight these pieces of his alongside two of his large paintings.

I was inspired by my recent travels across Europe. Out of the three countries I travelled it was Bratislava that stood out to me, particularly the 'old town' area of the city which has preserved its older architecture.

I wasn't sure originally on what space would be best to use, or I'd be able find off the top of my head so I had to do some researching into the buildings in Bratislava, Slovakia. I was largely interested in the post-communist buildings but I felt I was more charmed by 'The Good Shepherd' history, look and feel to the building.

HISTORY - Constructed for a merchant [buyer and seller of goods] , the lower part was used for for commercial purposes and the upper part for living which I saw as a split between selves, business and pleasure, customer service 'voice' vs the person you really are.

NOW? - It is home to the Museum of Clocks that exhibits timepieces made by Bratislava clockmakers. The ground floor as basement serve as a pub. I think the combination of historical clocks and a pub in one building can be tied to the idea of a 'mad man' i.e The Mad Hatter.