Gdansk Shipyard famously the “Cradle of Solidarity’’ and a key industrial site with in Polish history shall play host to four emerging British artists intending to explore its heritage.


The Artists’ visit marks the final stage of Post Industrial Revolution, an artistic residency exchange developed between the UK and Poland focusing on the former industrial areas of Birmingham and Gdansk, in particular the districts of Digbeth and the Gdansk Shipyard.

The artists from the UK will begin the one month residency from the 6th of May until the 5th of June 2011, using it as a period for research and for the production of new art works directly responding to the Gdansk Shipyard, its historical and social context. These newly create art works will be displayed in an exhibition at Modelarnia, a former industrial space, originally utilized for the building of model ships and part of the Wyspa Progress Foundation. The exhibition will take place from Friday 3rd June until June 17th.

British artists taking part in the residency are Jessica Mautner, Louie O’Grady, Matthew de Kersaint Giraudeau and aliceson carter.

The comparisons between Digbeth and the Gdansk Shipyard as post industrial sites are of significance, each city has at some stage been deeply affected by the demise of industry, its movement abroad, and more recently the development of cultural and leisure industries in these former industrial areas. Co-curator of Post – Industrial Revolution Kate Pennington – Wilson outlined ‘The focus of this residency exchange is for artists to develop work which responds to these environments, reflecting this shift in usage as well as the change in social, political and industrial history of such spaces’.

Both Residencies will be accompanied by a series of events including Artist Talks and Screenings. For more details please visit our website www.postindustrialrevolution.eu or blog www.postindustrialrevolution.blogspot.com.


Notes
1) The Project is conceived by Birmingham based curators Roma Piotrowska and Kate Pennington – Wilson in partnership with Polish Expats Association (PEA). PEA is a not for profit organisation Post-Industrial Revolution is developed in collaboration with the Lombard Method (UK) and Wyspa Institute of Art (Poland).
2) Post – Industrial Revolution is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council.
3) The residency will take place in Gdansk from the 6th of May 2011 till the 5th of June 2011, which will be followed by 2 weeks exhibition period.
4) For more information and images please contact Kate Pennington – Wilson and Roma Piotrowska on postindustrial.revolution@gmail.com or 07988752895.