Art Across The City 2014 includes temporary and permanent public art by a diverse range of artists. There are 24 artworks to be seen across Swansea. Thirteen have been newly commissioned for 2014 with eleven permanent works.
Three of the new commissions celebrate the Dylan Thomas centenary. Jeremy Deller asks for more poetry; Ultimate Holding Company turn locals into monolithic cardboard heads and Jon Burgerman’s cartoon homage references characters from Dylan’s poetry. As part of this, we have also commissioned three acclaimed writers and poets, Rachel Trezise, Rhian Edwards and Niall Griffiths to produce new works. These new stories and poems will appear across the city and act as inspiration for the Tawe Mega Poem, an interactive, ongoing online poem with participants providing one line each.
Words play a major part in three more commissions. Bob & Roberta Smith declares Art Makes Children Powerful; Ross Sinclair presents The Real Life Top Ten Songs of Wales; Jeremy Millar commemorates two separate visits to Swansea by philosophers by flying a giant flag adorned with Am I Glad to Be Here!
Elsewhere, two artists take over museums. Craig Fisher uses WWI archive material in his installation at the National Waterfront Museum whilst Thomas Goddard uses the story of Lizzie the Elephant at Swansea Museum as the starting point for workshops, events and an ‘elephant’ procession through the city. Nick Jordan elevates hand painted bird houses looking across Swansea Bay and Lisa Scantlebury creates a 3D photographic illusion on the City Centre floor in Castle Square.
Eleven permanent LOCWS International commissions further support the 2014 programme. These include works by artists Matthew Houlding, Juneau Projects, Jacob Dahlgren; Sean Puleston; Rik Bennett, Bedwyr Williams, Bermingham and Robinson, Mark Folds, Niamh McCann, Pete Fowler and Sinta Tantra.
A map and brochure will be available to download from our website. Information Pods will be situated across the city, with directional signs and information at each site.
Our Locws Schools exhibition will be at the Civic Centre, Swansea from 31 March – 28 April. The full programme of commissions, workshops, events and performances will be available shortly.
New Artist Commissions: Jon Burgerman / Jeremy Deller / Craig Fisher / Thomas Goddard / Nick Jordan / Jeremy Millar / Lisa Scantlebury / Ross Sinclair / Bob & Roberta Smith / Ultimate Holding Company / Niall Griffiths / Rhian Edwards / Rachel Trezise
Image: Jon Burgerman, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Doodle, 2014
