Here’s a nice little exhibition in 18 The Colonnades, Albert Dock with a view of the dock where a family of swans were looking a bit lost when I visited.
In some respects this is a great place to exhibit but as its a Grade 1 listed building there are a lot of rules, regulations and overheads and how do you get clearance from the Fire Authority when they’re on strike for two weeks? The Independents cone sign has never looked more out of place and you can’t damage the walls with screws, nails etc.
Despite these difficulties Amanda Oliphant and Susan Sharples put on a show entitled ‘Transmute’ which I think really suits the space, some of it is site-specific and the exhibition as a whole is in response to the city being in transition.
Amanda Oliphant’s ‘State of Change’ three dimensional sculptural forms are created from the brightly coloured cables found in redundant technological hardware, they look quite organic as the emerge from the black frames.
Susan Sharples’ ‘Wrotan’ (Old English – root) creations are a bit heavier, using thicker cables and copper pipes but still look playful and appear to be growing or evolving into something else.
‘Transmute’ at 18 The Colonnades, Albert Dock until October 14 2006. Open Tues-Sun 12.00 – 16.00
