The Gi Festival 2008 – A cultural safari
Like Barcelona, Paris and Vienna, Glasgow is rightly hailed as one of Europe’s great cultural centres, and among the highlights of its 2008 events calendar is the third Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art (Gi).
Celebrating Glasgow’s acclaimed contemporary visual arts, The Gi Festival (April 11 – 27 2008) is a showcase of work from a city that has nurtured Turner Prize and Beck’s Futures winners. It includes new commissions and rare chances to see work by world-renowned artists such as Jim Lambie, Simon Starling and Jonathan Monk as well as new, emerging talent.
Complementing pieces by Glasgow’s own artists are exhibitions and installations by artists from around the globe including Adel Abdessemed, Kalup Linzy and Catherine Yass.
The work on show in The 2008 Gi Festival not only provides an unrivalled opportunity to see exhilarating exhibitions, but also to experience the city in a new and exciting way. From shows in established spaces such as Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, the CCA, Tramway and The Modern Institute to installations in found spaces, public sites and even an artist’s own home, The 2008 Gi Festival is a veritable cultural safari for visitors.
Among the highlights of the gallery-based work commissioned by the Festival is the largest exhibition in Scotland to date by Turner Prize nominated artist, Jim Lambie. Forever Changes will take over the whole of the ground floor gallery in Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art and will include a new version of his celebrated ‘black and white’ vinyl floor.
At Tramway, the festival opens with a major new commission from Jonathan Monk, Something No Less Important Than Nothing….Nothing No Less Important Than Something, which will highlight one of the architectural features of the space.
At the Centre for Contemporary Art, Catherine Yass will show HIGH WIRE, a multi-screen installation focusing on Didier Pasquette’s walk between the city’s high-rise Red Road Flats; Calum Stirling will create a new piece, Rostra Plaza, in The Mitchell Library and at Sorcha Dallas Gallery, Alasdair Gray will show for the first time a series of works created for an uncompleted 1970s BBC TV film.
In an exciting development, the 2008 Gi Festival will include one of a series of exhibitions being staged by the Common Guild in a private house turned “not for profit” gallery. The recently created organisation dedicated to producing a dynamic international programme of contemporary visual art projects, exhibitions, and events, will show work in the Glasgow home of Turner Prize winning artist, Douglas Gordon. The commission for the Gi Festival will see the first UK solo exhibition by Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed.
Meanwhile in an off-site space in the city centre the 2006 Turner Prize winner, Simon Starling, will show a new work inspired by Glasgow’s cityscape. Also showing work off-site are: Simon Yuill – a film piece with live music by Foxface at the Gal Gael Boat Yard and Kalup Linzy – the first UK show by the New York-based artist, whose video vignettes offer satirical and subversive takes on pop culture.
Among the events and gigs, highlights include a sole UK appearance by Rodney Graham, the seminal Vancouver-based artist and a full programme at the Studio Warehouse (SWG3) – a multi-discipline arts space housing a thriving artistic community in the city’s Yorkhill district.
The ground floor of SWG3, which has previously housed the first Comme des Garçons UK guerrilla store, is being transformed into a fully functioning bar and nightclub for the duration of the festival. The former garage will be transformed by artworks created by Toby Paterson and Jim Lambie.
Meanwhile SPIN-off Sundays will lead visitors round many of the sites, venues and exhibition spaces that feature during the festival. Gi tour guides will accompany groups and lead lively discussions and debates about the work exhibited at each venue.
Many of Gi’s events and exhibitions are free. To download a copy of the full 2008 festival programme, or to book a place on a SPIN-off Sundays tour visit Glasgowinternational.org.
“Glasgow’s contemporary art scene is recognised globally as one of the most exciting today,” says Francis McKee, curator of the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art.
“The Gi Festival brings together all the key organisations across the spectrum of the Glasgow’s vibrant art scene, presenting a unique event rooted in the achievements of the local artistic community while drawing on the international networks linked to Glasgow.”
