Chelsea Salon (2009-2016)
Chelsea Salon was a series of dynamic exhibitions, tutor-less critiques, site-shifting seminars, film screenings, performance events, and pavilions at international art fairs, which allowed MA Fine Art students at Chelsea College of Arts to work in real-life situations outside the college, such as within galleries and museums. Primarily based in London, Chelsea Salon began in 2009 and ended in 2016.
Auto-Italia Salon I & II
In 2009, I organised my first salon by working with Jenny Gordon and Fiona Whitty (MAFA Chelsea Alumni), Kate Copper and Amanda Dennis (Auto-Italia), MA Fine Art students at Chelsea College (2009-2010), and Chelsea College alumni (2008-2009) to put on a pop-up exhibition at Auto-Italia’s former industrial site located in southeast London.
Host
Auto-Italia South East
Year
Dec 2009 & Feb 2010
Art Droppings Salon
In 2015, I organised the Art Dropping Salon (2015), Laura Carew, Brian Chalkley, and Daniel Devlin at Chelsea College of Art. We based this salon on Devlin’s idea of ‘art droppings’, which generally refers to paraphilia, such as postcards or posters from exhibitions, unfinished drawings, or discarded products of art. For this salon, we focused on facilitating conversations while installing Devlin’s collected art droppings on the walls.
Host
Daniel Devlin at Chelsea College of Arts
Year
Dec 2015
Chisenhale Gallery Salon
The Chisenhale Gallery Salon took place at Chisenhale Gallery in 2011 and included a pop-up exhibition, film screenings and performances happening around the space for an evening.
Host
Chisenhale Gallery
Year
August 2011
Core Arts Salon
The Core Art Salon (2012) started when Chalkley introduced me to the east London charitable social organisation Core Arta non-profit mental health daycare that utilises creative learning to foster positive mental health and well-being for its community (Core Arts, 2018). The salon included a pop-up exhibition and showreel of video works by Chelsea Master of Fine Art students (2012-2013) and members of the Core Art's community of creative makers.
Host
Core Arts
Year
November 2012
Flat Time House Salon I
The Flat Time House (FTHo) Salon took place at Flat Time House in Peckham in collaboration with John Hill, the educational officers at FTHo. We timetabled the salon to include an afternoon of moving image works shown on a showreel and a schedule of performances. I included a participatory drawing installation based on the teaching practices of Roy Ascott.
Host
Flat Time House
Year
May 2010
Flat Time House Salon II
The Flat Time House Salon II (2013) asked artists participants to bring elements of their practice to Flat Time House (FTHo) in Peckham to make a film. The entire salon took place took place over 7 hrs and required the artists to assist one another in setting up, performing, breaking down and clearing FTHo before the close of the day's shooting. A text written by two participating curators captured the unfolding collaboration over the course of the day, which we used to script and edit the film.
Host
Flat Time House
Year
May 2013
Gallery Project
Between 2014-2016, we introduced Chelsea Salon to groups of MA Fine Art students by asking them to visit a list of galleries in a selected area of London, devise a ‘publication’ and give a presentation on their visits.
Host
Chelsea College of Arts & London Galleries
Year
Nov 2014 - 2016
New Gallery Salon
The New Gallery Salon was a pop-up exhibition and group discussion of artworks by MA Fine Art students across CCW held one night in Peckham.
Host
New Gallery (now the Peckham Pelican)
Year
November 2013
Not Knowing Salon
The Not Knowing Salon (2013) was a collaboration between Chelsea Salon (Laura Carew and me), David Cross and Barbara Steveni, which produced a week-long workshop with students, Steveni and her archive.
Host
Chelsea College of Arts
Year
November 2013
Parallax II Exhibition
Curated by Pawel Mendrek (Katowice) and Martin Newth (Chelsea), The Parallax II exhibition displayed art academies and art education processes following a two-year research exchange project between ASP, Academy of Fine Art, Katowice, and Chelsea College of Arts. We included a Chelsea Salon installation for the exhibition.
Host
Chelsea College of Arts
Year
October 2016
Round Chapel Salon
This salon was hosted at the Round Chapel in Hackney in 2012.
Host
Round Chapel, Hackney
Year
April 2015
S.I.T.E. Alumni Exhibition
In 2013, Carew and I created an installation from the Core Arts Salon (2012) showreel for the Alumni Exhibition, S.I.T.E., at Chelsea College of Arts.
Host
Chelsea College of Arts
Year
December 2013
Susak Expo
Chelsea Salon, in partnership with the UAL Postgraduate Community, contributed to the 10th Anniversary of the Susak Expo Biennale. The Susak Expo is a biennale on the Croatian island of Susak dreamt up by UAL alumnus Daniel Devlin of Spiralbound Press and Sluice Magazine as a critique of international biennales and art fairs.
Host
Susak Expo, Croatia
Year
May 2016
The Woodmill Salon
In 2010, we hosted a salon at the Woodmill in Bermondsey in a pop-up exhibition with MA Fine Art students from across CCW.
Host
The Woodmill, Bermondsey
Year
July - August 2010
