Artists Open Houses Move From Homes To House
Published 31st Mar 2009 by Ruth

Thought you knew all about the Artists Open Houses - affordable artwork, handmade crafts, tea, cake and a great day out? Well you may indeed find all those things but there is much more to the Artists Open Houses festival than you may imagine. This year the UK’s largest open visual
arts festival is adding some exciting new curated projects under the title; HOUSE.



HOUSE, from Artists Open Houses, is a new mini festival of seven related exhibitions connected by the theme ‘art and domestic space’. World premiers, naked 3-D dancers and a plush cinema in someone’s front-room are all part of the event.

Premiering at Lighthouse will be Billy Cowie’s 3-D installation, Ghosts in the Machine. Aided by 3D glasses, visitors can experience Billy Cowie’s extraordinary new virtual screendance installation, challenging perceptions of space and domestic life. His much acclaimed Reverie will
also be on show at Regency Town House.

At Permanent Gallery (All I Really Want) Ocean Mims’ subversive kinetic sculpture will literally fall apart, like the flat pack furniture we all love to hate, over the life of the exhibition.

David Blandy explores his problematic relationship with popular culture by transforming Grey Area’s subterranean exhibition space into a basement den of martial arts, arcade machines, postered soundsystems, and an artist’s library of comicbooks. It turns the space into a hideout
that simultaneously echoes the feel of a teenage bedroom, amusement arcade, and underground club.

At Wellington House, work by award-winning outsider artists, many of whom have experienced homelessness, will explore ideas around home as a place of refuge and safety. Whilst, Home Cinema, turns the living room of No. 6 Clifton Street into a mini-picture palace complete with
traditional red velvet cinema seats. Short films will explore issues around memory and family. This installation has been designed to re-create what is often missing in home cinemas – the experience of watching film with a community of cinema goers. But, how will it feel
for the home owners to have their personal living room taken over by complete strangers every weekend?

Phoenix Brighton will also host visits to the studios of eight international renowned Phoenix artists, whose work is rarely exhibited locally. For more information and to book tour tickets, contact Phoenix Studios at info@phoenixbrighton.org.

Tying HOUSE and the Artists Open Houses together is the Selector’s Choice exhibition upstairs at Regency Town House. It showcases outstanding work by selected Open House artists in a stunning gallery space. Selected artists include: Sue Milnethorpe, Carolyn Trant, Matt Smith, John Cull, Lizzie Thomas and John Dilnot amongst others. Two awards will be presented to winning artists: The Brighton Festival Award and the Visitors Choice Award (sponsored by VisitBrighton). All visitors are invited to vote for their favourite work and the winner will be
announced at the end of May.

And, if you thought the Artist Open Houses was confined to central Brighton homes you’d be wrong. It has always been a truly inclusive event and this year the festival includes an artists’ trail on the Bristol Estate, two schools, several student houses, the Clock Tower
Sanctuary homelessness project and three venues exhibiting work of artists with learning disabilities.

So, with over 1,000 artists, more than 200 venues and artist trails across Brighton & Hove, Saltdean and Rottingdean, Lewes, Newhaven and Ditchling you should be able to find something that appeals. What are you waiting for visit www.aoh.org.uk or pick
up a brochure to plan your weekends in May.

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