For the inaugural Hastings Contemporary Biennial, artists with connections to Sussex were invited to submit works that engage with ideas of marine ecology, climate change, migration, mythology and the fragile beauty of coastal life. More than 2,600 artists responded to a brief with their explorations of the sea’s enduring influence on human experience by mapping journeys shaped by tides, time and transformation.
The result is a carefully curated exhibition with works by more than 150 artists, expertly selected by a panel led by Kathleen Soriano, Director of Hastings Contemporary, whose previous roles include high-profile stints at the Royal Academy, National Portrait Gallery and Sky Art’s “Artist of the Year’.
The show opens with a colourful display in the main ground-floor gallery that is worth a visit in its own right. The first work you encounter past reception is a large-scale hanging by Alan Patch. Combining a repeating pattern of red marks reminiscent of swimming lane dividers with the sort of plastic detritus found washed up at beaches, it sets the tone for The Open: Odyssey.
This room’s overriding theme is the relationship of humans with the sea, with two large installations dominating the space. Kevin J J Warren created what appears like a sea creature rising from the ocean towards the sky, overgrowing a manmade structure on its way. His Pattern of Transformation is a three-dimensional drawing using salvaged fishing nets and ropes at varying levels of disintegration.
Kate Howe’s The Moving Edge covers almost the entire floor space and evokes a shifting dune that has somehow been swept into the gallery from the beach – you can sense the nearby sea as well as the artist’s presence under deep layers of waxed paper. Her monumental installation is surrounded by people, those visiting and those on the paintings on the walls. The latter range from portraits of significant individuals to mythical figures, all coming together to tell stories of personal experiences and imaginary journeys.
The first room sets a curatorial anchor for narrative strands of migration and belonging, maritime history and folklore, seaside souvenirs and ecological warnings that spread their tentacles throughout the show. Figurative paintings and abstract drawings share a space with abstract and conceptual works, materials and techniques range from traditional crafts to digital trickery.
The shape of Mandeep Dillon’s deflated weather balloon is echoed in Sally Cox’s pot woman made from locally sourced clay, whose pattern is then repeated on the wall outside. The former collapsed structure’s sinister undertones also easily transfer to the tiny Yellow Boat lost in Michael Bishop’s painting nearby. Just one example of the thoughtful planning that makes this exhibition stand apart from other large group shows that often feel like being thrown together at random.
Hermione Allsopp’s Holes are a highlight on the upper floor; the impossible swim rings, intertwined and embellished with tiles and found objects, raise a smile. The sculpture ties in with more lighthearted works in reference to a day out at the beach, from actual swimmers to fish’n’chips – Beth Fraser’s And some mushy peas please… an example of several textile works in the show.
A room with focus on photography is a personal favourite, in particular Roger Clarke’s more abstract take on tracing migration with his life sized photographs of plastic trays used at airport security; and Roger Hopgood’s digital collage of what appears to be a historical artefact but on closer inspection turns out to be an AI-generated image of a Black beggar presented in the style of an 18th century figurine of a nobleman.
An exhibition at and about the sea wouldn’t be complete without depictions of ships and landscapes, and there are some great examples. Jenny Pockley’s diptych, painted in oil on copper in particular stood out, and I was tempted to take Linda Felcey’s tiny drypoint print home with me. I may yet return and place a red dot next to it. The exhibition is open until the end of May and all works are for sale, ranging from the a few hundreds to £140,000 for an original Gary Hume, with most of the proceeds going straight to the artist and a fair commission towards supporting the gallery.
Hastings Contemporary is housed in a purpose-built gallery space, which was initially opened as part of the Jerwood Foundation when it was met with strong local resistance. It is now an independent arts charity.
Showing the best of homegrown talent, The Open: Odyssey successfully straddles the interests of local community groups with those of seaside tourists, while cementing the gallery’s place in the contemporary art canon. The main exhibition is complemented by Pearls of the Sea: Our Future World. The result of a year-long collaboration with nine primary schools, the vibrant installations along corridors and staircases physically connect the main displays to remind visitors to look towards the future, with hope and joy luckily outweighing the children’s more dystopian takes.
For The Open, Hastings Contemporary partnered with Sussex Contemporary, an organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting the region’s artists, makers and craftspeople.
The Open: Odyssey, – 31st May 2026, Hastings Contemporary
