REITERATIONS
REITERATIONS is a group exhibition of works created by TRS members, Directors, and Trustees, past and present, opening on the 8th August at 6pm.
Current Studio Members and Alumni are to show work together in this intimate retrospective of The Royal Standard’s impact on the development of artistic practice, a demonstration of the resourcefulness of artists, and a reflection on the sustainability of artist-led spaces. Through the exhibition of works and ideas inherited by the studio over the last 19 years, materials and documents from the archives, and newer works from inside and outside the TRS studios that reiterate the necessity of affordable studio space for artists.
The artists exhibiting work are Ellie Towers, Jay Walters, Sufea Mohamad Noor, Margaret O’Brien, Laura Spark, and Georgina Tyson.
REITERATIONS sought to exhibit the growing archive that TRS has accumulated over nearly two decades of operations and bring together a group of artists that may have appeared in or developed shows and events the archive documents. What we noticed when we read through this history was a correlation between past exhibitions and the aims of REITERATIONS. Previous exhibitions and events raised questions and concerns that our work behind the scenes in an artist-led space operating decades later has.
The contents of the show started to develop a cyclical quality as we lay these artefacts out before us and see that the time in which TRS has been operating is not linear but a collection of reoccurring thoughts, ideas, concerns, systems, processes, reflections, interrogations, traditions, changes, focuses, explorations, challenges. In the studio we cycle members, artists, materials, collaboration, tools, space, practices. In the organisation we cycle trustees, directors, artist leads, networks, mentorship, funding.
On flyers and within the pages of accompanying text turned into books we notice TRS is sub-consciously self-referential. This line of thought is fated. Time in the space succumbs to destiny.
In the past and in this present exhibition, it has been seemingly impossible to disconnect TRS the gallery and TRS the artist studios, unable to exhibit in an artist-led space without drawing attention to it. So here, we combine the two by exhibiting the work and archives of both along side one another.
Our aim, for this show, is to highlight work that is too, created cyclically- it’s physical manifestation taking form with the help of materials inherited by the space over the years or abandoned to it with artists repurposing and recycling ideas and materials into archives and work, to discuss space and sustainability. Work created beyond the studio by members that have moved on are echos of TRS, its necessity in early career and community leaves impressions.
The exhibition idea came before the review of the archive but its development into a sort of micro research project has led to this discovery of a repetition of history. An effort to share our archives with our audience and members of TRS past, present, and future has created new questions and necessary avenues of discussion to address gaps in our shared investigations. We have documented questions posed but not the answers, as evidenced in the reoccurrences.
Amidst the growing struggles of sustaining an artistic practice and limited space, we ask, what do you want to reiterate?
