The October Gallery Exhibitions

Exhibitions

2005

8th December 2005 to 28th January 2006

Memory as Landscape

In association with Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne
Australian Aboriginal Art from the Northern Territory

An exhibition featuring works of Utopian artists, Gloria and Kathleen Petyarr, Poly, Kathleen and Angeline Ngal, Greenie Purvis Petyarr.

10th November 2005 to 3rd December 2005

Nancy van Overveldt

Mexican mural paintings, magical realism, and shamanic forms combine to dazzling effect in the oil paintings of Dutch painter Nancy van Overveldt. In her first UK solo exhibition, the October Gallery brings together a significant body of works of this unique and well-respected artist.

22nd September 2005 to 5th November 2005

Romuald Hazoumé

This autumn, Beninese artist Romuald Hazoumè transformed the October Gallery’s space with ARTicle 14, a combination of found-object installation, video, sound and vast panoramic photographs. African constitutions are often supposed to contain a hypothetical ‘fourteenth’ and final article, which is popularly believed to say that ‘given all the rights mentioned above – you better manage by yourself’ – hence débrouilles-toi, toi- même, or “look out for yourself because no one else will.’ Both a critical reference to state corruption, and a popular manifesto for individual resistance against the state. Inspired by a concern to reflect the realities faced daily by the people of Africa, Hazoumè here continues his long-running artistic dialogue about the historical and socio-political issues affecting African societies.

30th June 2005 to 30th July 2005

Fire This Time

Zulu's paints are the harnessed natural effects of fire, water, earth and air. His brushes are both natural, organic materials (pumpkin runners, leaves, roots) and synthetic urban debris (wire, scrap metal, paper). As canvas he uses materials sourced from his local environment, from cotton and leather, to plaster, perspex and drum hide.

28th April 2005 to 25th June 2005

Rachid Koraïchi

The installations of Rachid Koraïchi are intimately informed by the numerology, signs and ethos of Sufi mysticism. In a work specially commissioned for the October Gallery, 49 brass calligraphic finials stand against an immense hand-embroidered textile piece. 49 is a number charged with significance in Sufism as the square of 7, itself important in the Biblical creation story, the Q'ran and esoteric science. The Paris-based Algerian artist draws on Islamic traditions of calligraphy, textile and ceramic production and Sufi philosophy to create works of universal relevance and impact. The exhibition is timed to coincide with the British Museum's installation of the artist's recently acquired Path of Roses in their Sainsbury African Galleries.

9th February 2005 to 2nd April 2005

El Anatsui

One of Africa's most celebrated artists, El Anatsui presents a unique exhibition of works made from recycled materials. Constructed from discarded obituary printing plates, the ten-foot tall 'Wastepaper Bag', stands as a reminder of temporality and decay. In the 'Cloth' series (represented in the British Museum's African Galleries), thousands of discarded liquor-bottle tops are sewn with copper wire into monumental cloth hangings. Anatsui weaves the debris of consumerist excess into a glittering textile in the long tradition of West African textile production, subverting notions of tradition and modernity, and prompting us to re-examine what makes up the very fabric of our lives.

A selection of the works in this show will be drawn from Gawu - an exhibition of El Anatsui's work currently touring the UK originating in the Oriel Mostyn Gallery.

October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3AL
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7242 7367 Fax: + 44 (0)20 7405 1851

Director - Chili Hawes; Artistic Director - Elisabeth Lalouschek; Special Projects - Gerard Houghton;
International Sales - Rosalind King; Registrar and Exhibitions Coordinator - Margaree Cotten;
Press Officer - Alana Pryce Tojcic; Rentals Manager - Jo Walsh; Education Co-ordinators - Ella Philips & Beth Atkinson;

The October Gallery is open from 12:30 to 17:30, Tuesday to Saturday.
The Gallery is closed during official holidays and for the entire month of August.

October Gallery Trust. Registered Charity No. 327032