Taking art out of the museum and firmly into the public realm, Forever in the Now, from March 23rd – May 22nd 2022, brings together the work of 12 sculptors (from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales) in a pop-up public art space in Victoria Place, a new multi-million pound residential and retail development in the heart of Woking Town Centre (25 minutes from London Waterloo by train).
Conceived during the pandemic by British sculptors Sean Henry and David Worthington, in collaboration with The Lightbox Gallery, Forever in the Now showcases a selected group of artists whose work they admired and wanted to bring to a wider audience. The show is a unique opportunity to see sculptures that span the formal divide of figuration and abstraction and yet stand in close visual dialogue with each other and with the viewer.
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Forever in the Now features work from some of Britain’s most exciting sculptors including Nigel Hall RA; Nicola Hicks MBE; David Mach RA and Lucy Glendinning, as well as work by Laura Ford, Simon Hitchens, Kenny Hunter, Eilis O’Connell, James Capper and Richard Perry.
The Lightbox Gallery will also open a second pop-up space, The Lightbox at Victoria Place, featuring new work by four contemporary female artists.
See also: Henry Moore Exhibition Displays Rare Works of the 1960s
Distinctive
Sean Henry grew up in Woking and over the years, his distinctive sculptures have been installed across the town centre as part of the council’s cultural renaissance to bring art out of galleries and museums and into the public realm. Permanent new sculptures by Henry and Worthington have been installed in Henry Plaza; Worthington has created a five-tiered structure made from different types of marble and Henry has created two figures standing apart from each other. The new artworks will be installed in the atrium space within Victoria Place.
David Worthington says “All the artists in this exhibition have pursued an individual and personal vision regardless of prevailing tastes and fashions. They continue to find inspiration from the body and from abstract form, and from this starting point they have evolved their own identities, bearing witness to the myriad routes and experiences that representation and abstraction still have to offer.”
Sean Henry says “This show brings together artists that David Worthington and I have admired for many years – such as Nicola Hicks, David Mach, Nigel Hall and Laura Ford. Materials used by the sculptors range from wool to found objects, plaster, paint, clay, steel and feathers and yet similarities can be glimpsed amongst their radically different methods – Richard Perry’s and Kenny Hunter’s works being a prime example of this. I hope people find the show stimulating and thought-provoking and that they discover that our increasingly homogenised UK retail spaces still have the potential to surprise us.”
Insight
Sarah Brown, Director of The Lightbox gallery and museum says “It is always fascinating to see exhibitions curated by artists and both Sean and David’s selection of artists offers an insight into their practise both figurative and abstract. As we celebrate the opening of Victoria Place, we must recognise that culture is a vital part of city centres as we return to shop, eat and share experiences together.”
The Lightbox presents an exhibition of four contemporary female artists based in Woking and the surrounding area, celebrating the diversity and range of professional artists working today. The show will demonstrate the breadth of contemporary art making and features work by Sarah Evans, Nagihan Seymour, Hannah Bruce and Emily Faludy. With distinct styles, the artists explore diverse themes of landscape art, seascapes, architecture and sacred geometry. Two of the artists featured – Hannah Bruce and Sarah Evans – will have work permanently on display in the Hilton Hotel and Marches apartments, selected from the Victoria Place Open Call competition by The Lightbox in 2020.
Forever in the Now at Victoria Place
23rd March – 22nd May 2022
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm (excluding Tuesdays)
Address: Unit 6, Victoria Place, Woking, Surrey
Admission FREE
The Lightbox at Victoria Place
23rd March – 22nd May 2022
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 10.30am – 5pm (excluding Tuesdays)
Address: Unit 1B, Victoria Place, Woking, Surrey
Admission FREE
See also: Exploring Glass in Contemporary Sculpture at the Henry Moore Institute
