hand-grab, hand-slab, slab-flab, flab-grab, by Josh Vaughan
Nereids Left Figure’ 2013 50.8 X 40.6 cm (Framed) Rachelle Allen-Sherwood
Paul Doeman, ‘detail’
Zoe Catherine Kendall – Doll Face, 18cm x 19cm x 9cm plus strap
What happens when instead of seeing colour, you hear it? What if, instead of feeling the warmth of the sun as it tickled your face, you tasted it as a wave of flavour?
This sensory crossover is called synaesthesia. This week, Fabelist – an international platform of contemporary art – has taken over the UNIT3 Project space with an exhibition in which the artists used these notions of synaesthesia and their senses to create art.
Turning our senses on their head is a wonderful way to challenge perceptions of the world. To me, this theme speaks of landscapes painted with scent, movements being portrayed through melody or discord, and songs splashed out in colorful ink. Fabelist invites us to visit their exhibition opening on Thursday, and catch a glimpse of a different world. I caught up with the Fabelist’s founder and director, Francesca Goodwin, to find out more about their exciting ways of creating, evolving, and presenting artwork.
Nicola Anthony: Welcome Francesca! So, what can our readers expect to experience at Synaesthesia and the senses? Francesca Goodwin: Fabelist has transformed Unit 3 project space into an immersive labyrinth of painting, text, music and sculpture, guiding the viewer through different sensory states.
Visitors can therefore expect a diverse amuse bouche of work, which, addresses how we engage physically and psychologically with the world around us.
NA: How did the artists respond to Synaesthesia for the show? Were there different methods or collaborations?
FG: The idea of sensual experience encouraged some of the exhibitors to fully embrace the collaborative ethos of Fabelist and to make work simultaneously. In the case of EC and Rachelle Allen Sherwood for instance, they inhabited the same creative space and crossed over on the same page. The process was both mentally and physically exhaustive and, the energy inherent in both the act of mark making and the tension between the two artists, is evident in their large installation piece.
Collaborations have not been limited to single disciplines, however. In a truly inter-sensory manner Euseong Lee has composed an exclusive piece of piano music in response to Zoe Catherine Kendall’s erotically charged triptych . The result will be played throughout the exhibition so that sound resonates amidst the works and teases the viewer to engage with the display on multiple-levels.
NA: Fabelist is soon to celebrate it’s second birthday, could you tell us a bit more for us what the Fabelist is all about?
FG: When I founded Fabelist back in 2011 it was with humble ambitions of a cross disciplinary online journal for which I tentatively started sourcing writers, artists and musicians whose work I admired. The premise of the project was to expose the process behind the finished work on an online blog, so that contributors could gather feedback from their Fabelist peers before the final product was published.
It has since grown into an international platform of contemporary visual art, writing, performance, journalism and debate. Through a unique vision of creative peer support it facilitates the discussions and collaborations that enable practitioners to continue challenging the parameters of their work post university.
This is achieved through both the original online forum and, now, a strong offline presence of focussed group projects, shared studio spaces and regular crit groups. This multi-faceted existence means that connections can be made between creative individuals no matter their discipline or location.
Fabelist exhibitions and curated events have been featured at venues across London and abroad including The Serpentine Gallery’s project space, Rivington Place gallery, The Other Art Fair and The Box Park.
NA: It’s fantastic that these shows have made quite a splash in the art world and demonstrated creatives working together collectively and collaboratively. We also hear much about Fabelist bringing art into the lives of others.
FG: There has also been a huge focus on community outreach work. As part of a year long residency established artists from Fabelist have run free art classes for children in the North London area alongside a charity called ‘Healthy Planet’.
We are always looking for new collaborative opportunities and, it’s exciting to have become something of a beacon for both emerging and established artists looking for the inspiration that working as a collective can engender.
NA: What can we expect to see next from the Fabelist?
FG: In November Fabelist will be collaborating with A side B side gallery in Hackney on a group show called ‘Connect’. Exploring how we can connect to lived experience in an increasingly digital age, the core of the show will be work created through an exchange with a prolific group of female artists from the tART collective in New York.
By Hijacking the capability of internet to connect us, the resultant projects proved that art was an arena that interactions could still be on a very sensual level- despite the geographical distance and electronic nature of initial communication. There’s plenty surprises in store- including a specially commissioned piece of choral music for 30 voices but I won’t divulge too many details here….
Visitor info: Synaesthesia and the Senses, FREE, no ticket required 22nd August- 1st September
Unit 3 Projects, ASC Studios, Empson Street, London E3 3LT Private View: Thursday 22nd August 6-9pm
www.thefabelist.com
