Skipton Big Ideas:
Where Waste Meets Design
A 2022 exhibition sponsored by Skipton International
At ArtHouse Jersey at Capital House, 8 Church Street, St Helier, JE2 3NN, Jersey
Featured image created by Polish Visual Artist Dorota Buczkowska
ArtHouse Jersey’s Skipton Big Ideas exhibition for 2022 Where Waste Meets Design was an innovative, design-led exhibition, which used creative processes to challenge how we think about waste. A pile of Jersey waste took centre stage at the Capital House exhibition space and throughout the first five weeks, from 11 June until 17July, and saw work from makers: Bianca Padidar, Kerry-Jane Warner, Margarida Lorenco Olivier, Anna Shipley, Andrew Scott, Micaella Pedros, Alice Burnhope, Oliver Le Gresley, Isabel Fletcher, Alicia Rowbotham, Rafael El Baz & Liz Elton. The artists worked live in situ exploring the hidden potential of our rubbish pile and transformed broken or discarded things into objects, new materials, works of art and experiences. The project and exhibition was generously sponsored by our long term partners Skipton International
FINAL EXHIBITION OPENS THIS WEEK
We are all living in an age of waste. ArtHouse Jersey’s 2022 Skipton Big Ideas: Where Waste Meets Design project explored what role design can play in leaving our throwaway culture behind.
UK artists and designers were invited to the Island to work alongside our talented local creatives to deliver this stunning show. A number of members of the public visiting Capital House also participated in, and contributed to, the creation of this final exhibition through workshops and collaborative demonstrations.
As well as showcasing work made in the space, there is a display of projects from inspiring designers whose work address issue of consumption, finite resources and waste including Harry Peck (Wave Cycle), PriestmanGoode (Get Onboard), Anna Shipley (Climate Emergency Poncho), Gavin Keightley (Terraform), Luisa Kahlfeldt (Sumo Diaper), Basse Stittgen (How do you like your eggs?), Liz Elton (100 Harvests), and Helen Kirkum (Legacy Run) as well as a materials library of cutting edge samples of new materials created from waste.
THE WORK
Textile designers have shared their processes of weaving, stitching, dyeing and constructing garments. Furniture has been created from offcuts and broken items using innovative joinery. Paper made from office waste and packing has been imprinted with detrus found in the waste pile. Musical instruments have been fashioned from the most unlikely materials while broken tools were thoughtfully repaired and fishing ropes transformed into an entirely new artwork.
Participating artist & maker Micaella Pedros.
Skipton Big Ideas: Where Waste Meets Design is an evolving exhibition where visitors are invited to take part in this voyage of discovery where waste is transformed through an engaging range of processes including; print & papermaking, carpentry, quilting, stitching, weaving, music making, performance, knitting, dyeing, knotting, mending, spinning, repairing and tailoring. As the exhibition evolves visitors have the opportunity to get creative and take part in; drop-in maker sessions, scheduled workshops, talks & demonstrations by artists, makers, designers, skilled crafters & those with know-how to share. (Click the button above for the schedule of workshops, talks, demonstrations and drop-ins coming soon).
Alongside the evolving exhibition there is a permanent display of projects from inspiring designers whose work address issue of consumption, finite resources and waste; including Harry Peck (Wave Cycle), PriestmanGoode (Get Onboard), Anna Shipley (Climate Emergency Poncho), Gavin Keightley (Terraform), Luisa Kahlfeldt (Sumo Diaper), Basse Stittgen (How do you like your eggs?), Liz Elton (100 Harvests), and Helen Kirkum (Legacy Run) as well as a materials library of cutting edge samples of new materials created from waste.
In addition to the permanent and evolving exhibition ArtHouse Jersey has commissioned a number of artists to produce specific work for the show. Rachel Ara will be working with a scribbit robot to draw a map of Jersey in an experimental approach to exhibition signage which allows visitors to add their own local champions of sustainability to the map while Natalie Mayer has been commissioned to document the artists as they work which will result in a dynamic record of the making processes in photographic form. Karen Le Roy Harris has been commissioned to develop a performance piece responding to the waste pile and processes of recycling in Jersey and Oliver Le Gresley has been commissioned to investigate and reknit a traditional jersey from the image archives of Société Jersiaise. Design consultancy PriestmanGoode have designed Knot Waste; a furniture instruction manual that can be downloaded from www.arthousejersey.je and is designed to be used by anyone keen to make their own furniture using basic tools with minimal waste.
For this exhibition we have also drawn together a small reference library stocked with a selection of books nominated by the activists, artists and designers connected with this project which will be available for visitors to read. Central to the ethos of the show is the maker table. Sitting around a table is not only symbolic of sharing, a meal or a discussion, it is a highly practical way for us to share materials, ideas and skills with each other. In addition to the materials provided, visitors are invited to bring their own crafting projects, whether it be knitting, sewing, mending, whatever can be done at the table, and gather around to make and chat.
Skipton Big Ideas: Where Waste Meets Design sets out to celebrate Jersey’s ongoing commitment to recycling, repurposing and reusing materials that would otherwise be wasted. Islanders have a long tradition of making the most of scarce resources and repurposing them. Globally, too many of us have lost connection with how things are made and the provenance of the products we use in our daily lives. This exhibition is a timely opportunity for us all to rethink what constitutes a waste material. By engaging in some of the processes employed by the designers and makers to rework, repair, reform, and redesign we can reconsider what we might consider waste in future.
Where Waste Meets Design is generously supported by Skipton International and is ArtHouse Jersey’s Big Ideas show for 2022. Stay tunes to discover all the latest exhibition workshops, demonstrations & talks of offer.
