A free, new exhibition at Hull Central Library explores how shared creative processes, skills and values contribute to thriving commons neighbourhoods.
We are Commoners launches on Wednesday 3 August and runs until Saturday 17 September 2022.
It’s a thought-provoking national touring exhibition by Craftspace which highlights ‘acts of commoning’.
These actions shape the way communities work together to share and manage commonly-owned assets and resources. Through sixteen loans and new commissions, these artists provide a powerful commentary on what society stands to gain from acting to protect and reclaim the places and culture we share.
Featuring both UK based and international artists, the exhibition will reflect how creativity, making and materials can highlight how acts of commoning are creating thriving communities.
Exhibition themes range from work influenced by the land, fashion, food production, mobility, public spaces, the internet and the streets we live.
Deirdre Figueiredo MBE the Director of Craftspace said: “In a time of extreme disruption from COVID-19, this exhibition provides a mutual resource to find and process meaning out of trauma and loss, to aid recovery. Lockdown has seen a surge in purchase of craft equipment and materials. People have turned to age-old craft skills and making to get by, boost their resilience and engage in acts of collective creativity.”
Artist Shane Waltener has made scaffold structures from locally sourced willow, bramble and handmade nettle and flax twine.
Shane said: “I am creating a performance installation as ‘a symbolic act of repair’, one that prompts us to rethink our connections between land and materials, making a connection between the urban and the rural, learning from nature and the landscape.”
Councillor Alison Collinson, Chair of Hull Culture and Leisure Ltd said: “This exhibition will shine a light on how collective creativity can bring together a community, something that rings very true for Hull.”
The exhibition is free to visit. Find more details at commoners.craftspace.co.uk.
