The Grand Tour

No, not the Amazon Prime version of TopGear with Jeremy ‘Marmite’ Clarkson and his gang. This Grand Tour is a cultural journey across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire at four of the UK’s most distinguished arts institutions.

Running March to June 2018, this series of landmark exhibitions includes major shows by photomontage artist, Linder Sterling, at Nottingham Contemporary and Chatsworth, a delicate range of lithophanes by Clare Twomey at The Harley Gallery, and a compelling show celebrating ‘The Art of Industry’ at Derby Museums.

The theme across the four exhibitions is the celebration of both the artistic process and the the impact of industrial creation.

The House of Fame at Nottingham Contemporary (24 March – 24 June 2018) is an ambitious exhibition convened by Linder, informed by her time at Chatsworth. At the heart of the presentation will be a retrospective of Linder’s work, spanning more than 40 years of photomontage, graphics, costume and performance.

Stretching from the early 17th century to today, The House of Fame will host 150 works – drawings, sculptures, furniture, jewellery, photographs, banners – by dozens of artists selected by Linder and will run across all 800 square metres of gallery at Nottingham Contemporary.

In Harley Gallery’s exhibition, Half in Shadow: Half in Light (24 March 2018 – 30 June 2018), British artist Clare Twomey explores life on the historic Welbeck Estate through a series of lithophanes.

Twomey reinvents the traditional technique of the lithophane through a series of portraits of people who live and work on the Welbeck Estate, representing the contemporary life on the grounds. The artist will shed light on the repurposed buildings on the estate such as the Poultry House, the Dairy and the Brewery, depicting people in their working environment and allowing new stories to be told.

Lisa Gee, Director of The Harley Gallery and Foundation says: “It’s incredibly exciting to be working with such an acclaimed artist as Clare Twomey, just months after her exhibition as lead artist at the Tate’s Exchange space opened.

This Grand Tour, British artist Linder Sterling – best known for her photomontages and influential role in punk/post-punk aesthetics – has become the first-ever artist resident at Chatsworth. Linder draws inspiration from the house itself and its exceptional surroundings, using Chatsworth as a kind of ‘sensorium’.

Linder has immersed herself in the life of the stately home and its 500-year history, producing a series of works to be experienced through a variety of senses; creating incense from the aromatic plants on the estate, recording oral stories, and using the everyday sounds of the house for new musical compositions alongside new photomontages. A series of interventions created from her residency will be displayed at Chatsworth between 24 March – 21 October, as part of The Grand Tour programme.

Derby Museum and Art Gallery’s exhibition The Art of Industry: From Joseph Wright to the 21st Century (24 March – 17 June 2018) will look back at the region’s industrial history and manufacturing landscape through both historic artefacts and contemporary artistic interpretation.

The Art of Industry will show the evolving relationship that artists have had with the manufacturing heritage that helps define the Midlands as a hub of industry in the UK.

For more information visit:
www.thegrandtour.uk.com
www.chatsworth.org
www.nottinghamcontemporary.org
www.harleygallery.co.uk
www.derbymuseums.org

Top Featured image: Linder, The Goddess Who Makes All Principles Work, 2017