Portmanteau

30 April - 1 May 2011

Offsite project at Halle 14, Leipzig, Germany

Dawn Woolley, Foolish Passion (detail from performance), 2011

g39 has been invited to present a special group exhibition within Halle 14 in Leipzig, Germany, an expansive centre for the arts housed in a disused Cotton Spinning Mill.

Since 2003, more than 15 art galleries and exhibition rooms have opened and over 80 artists work at the Leipzig Cotton Spinning Mill. One to three international group exhibitions per year take place and this year g39 have been invited to present a curated insight of contemporary art from Wales and other UK based artists.
The word portmanteau traces back to the mid 16th century in English in which it was used in its arcane form, portemantew, to describe a bag or carrying case for clothing. At the end of the 16th century, it was first used in France, as 'porte-manteau,' to label the human carrier of clothing. By the 17th century, its original meaning was extended to any case or container of a mix of items. In the 21st century this was further extended to include any portable memory device. For the exhibition, g39 will transport a ‘digital suitcase’ for presentation. Think of this as a last minute decision to go on a weekend trip and having to pack an overnight bag with the essentials. With that in mind g39 are taking a hard drive to project digital works in the space at Halle 14, alongside several physical recent works.
With a practice rooted in utilitarian sculpture, Aldridge responds to both the site itself and the wider principals of the exhibition to continue his production of flat-packed objects from everyday materials such as cardboard. And Dawn Woolley and David Cushway each present a live performance installation. Woolley uses the language of symbolism in Dutch Bordeeltjes painting to create a ‘still-life’ performance referencing Halle 14’s former function as a cotton spinning mill using props and gestures carefully chosen to symbolise domesticity, commerce and desire. Conversely, Cushway performs a frantic plate-spinning act, beautiful in its austerity and resignation to the plates’ demise.