Hetain Patel’s Programme 1 kick starts Visions 2020 with a poignant showcase of works exploring themes pertinent to Patel’s work, including identity, migration, gender, heroes and movement.
Bolton-born and London-based Patel is known for his beautifully shot films and resonating performances, which look to connect marginalised identities with the mainstream in an effort to destabilise notions of authenticity and promote personal freedom. Patel will premiere a new animation for the programme, projecting outlines of himself moving across the gallery’s walls through colours, revealing different skin tones through his own body’s lines. Made over the summer, the work follows animations the artist shared on Instagram during the covid lockdown.
26 other artists’ work join will join Patel’s, selected from the worldwide open call, with works made in Canada, Iran, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and the US. The programme is a pertinent exploration of how artists all over the world are grappling with their cultural identities and homelands, using popular iconography and movement to express this in different and provocative ways.
Presenting Said Adrus, Richard Ashrowan, Sarah Bliss, Izaak Brandt, Lee Campbell, Drew Dodge, Diamond Frances, Rosie Gibbens, Ellie Kyungran Heo, Rowland Hill, Florrie James, Laura Kelly, Bryan P Konefsky, Kamila Kuc, Gal Leshem, Amanda Lorens, Kym McDaniel, Holly McLean, Maybelle Peters, Aron Rossman-Kiss, Carlos Saavedra, Niyaz Saghari, Christopher Samuel, Simon Robertshaw, Maxima Smith, Sam Williams.
Please note, you are welcome to bring your own headphones to the exhibition. Shared gallery headphones are available at each screen and cleaned by a member of staff after use.
View the List of Works here
Visions is Bow Arts’ renowned biennial exhibition of moving image, digital and performance art, and this year presents work from 15 countries selected from a worldwide open call. Lead artists Hetain Patel, Nye Thompson and Benedict Drew will all show new films, the themes of which guide the curation of the show’s three programmes.
An online event programme will run throughout the exhibition and all exhibition works will also be available online. Visions 2020 was selected by Tessa Garland, Sophie Hill and Kamila Kuc, together with the lead artists.
More on Programme 2 Nye Thompson
20 Oct – 15 Nov
More on Programme 3 Benedict Drew
17 Nov – 13 Dec