Ikon News

The Big Family Portrait Day

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:46:35 GMT

Saturday 4 February, 12-5pm

Visit Ikon for a day of free creative activities exploring family and portraiture. Open to all ages, just drop in.

    * Make your very own portrait badges

    * Contribute to the giant family map

    * Write a family portrait

    * Trace your family's faces

Visitors can also have their photographs taken and nominate themselves to become A Real Birmingham Family.

John Madin

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:18:37 GMT

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of John Madin, especially as our work at Ikon has often been inspired by him, his vision and ambition for Birmingham.

In fact our current exhibition of work by Stuart Whipps, a young Birmingham artist, is in large part an homage to John Madin. It now becomes a memorial, hopefully pointing the way to the major retrospective this important architect deserves.

Jonathan Watkins
Ikon Director

New Exhibitions

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:33:07 GMT

Join us on Tuesday 29 November from 6 - 8pm for the opening of Ikon's new exhibitions by John Myers, Stuart Whipps and Dean Kelland.

John Myers: Middle England
Ikon’s exhibition features Myers’ photographs from series made throughout the early 1970s, including Middle England (1970-1974), a selection of portraits of individuals and families close to Myers, living in and around Stourbridge.
Myers’ approach is documentary in style, but the images speak to us of value, of the self perceptions and aspirations of his subjects and the spaces they occupy, as well as of the artist himself. More info

Stuart Whipps: Why Contribute to the Spread of Ugliness?
Birmingham-based photographer Stuart Whipps is interested in questions of beauty, value and legacy. For his exhibition at Ikon, Whipps presents a number of new video and photographic works. The storage of over 400 archive boxes from the John Madin Design Group in the basement of Birmingham’s Central Library has inspired a multi-screen slide projection whilst Whipps also continues his interest in issues around the formation of Snowdonia National Park. More Info

Dean Kelland: Living Room Series (Episode 2): The Desperate Hours
Dean Kelland's interest lies in the language of popular culture; song lyrics, newspaper and magazine articles, scripts and in particular the British sitcom.
Ikon shows his 2010 film in which Kelland is re-represented in the guise of comedy character Harold Steptoe of the legendary Steptoe and Son. More Info

Moseley Folk present: Singer Songwriters

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:01:33 GMT

Friday 18 November, 7.30pm – 10.30pm
Free entry

We received the sad news earlier this week that Treetop Flyers were unable to perform at Ikon this friday for Autumn Almanac.

Moseley Folk will now present a Singer Songwriter show. We are delighted that at the last minute John & John Joe From Goodnight Lenin, Michael from Boat To Row and James Rea will be playing individual acoustic sets (20 minutes each). We will be announcing the remaining acts on Friday.

www.moseleyfolk.co.uk

Autumn Almanac is a four-day celebration of Birmingham’s creative life
showcasing the city’s artists, filmmakers and musicians. Ikon’s gallery spaces will exclusively exhibit works created in Birmingham, also hosting some of our best-known music festivals and organisations in a programme of live performances.

Autumn Almanac

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:54:09 GMT

Ikon presents Autumn Almanac, a four-day celebration of Birmingham’s creative life showcasing the city’s artists, filmmakers and musicians. Ikon’s gallery spaces will exclusively exhibit works created in Birmingham, also hosting some of our best-known music festivals and organisations in a programme of live performances.

Oliver Beer
The Resonance Project: Pay and Display
17-20 November, 11-6pm. Free
First Floor Galleries
In June 2010 artist Oliver Beer worked with Ikon and singers from Ex Cathedra to create a sound piece at Pershore Street Car Park in Birmingham. Pay and Display continues his series of works entitled The Resonance Project (2007-2011) in which he uses the human voice to stimulate buildings to resound as giant architectural instruments. Tapping into the sonic frequencies of the carpark, Beer composed a 6-part score for the singers to harmonise with its brutalist structure. Ikon now shows a video projection of Pay and Display.

Stephen Earl Rogers
What To Do In An Emergency
17-20 November, 11-6pm. Free
Second Floor Galleries
This series of paintings has its origins in a 1980s Reader’s Digest self-help, family manual. The book, entitled What To Do In An Emergency, contains information and illustrations ranging from first aid to self-defence and survival tips. In response, Rogers invited independent artists and producers from Birmingham to appear in his paintings. Amongst them are artists Juneau Projects translated into the scenario ‘How to cross a river’, and Ian Francis and Pip McKnight of 7 Inch Cinema demonstrating an ‘Abdominal thrust on a conscious adult’.

The book’s original purpose, to inform the reader of what to do in difficult circumstances, is appropriated by Rogers as a reflection on his local cultural landscape.

Ikon Posters
17-20 November, 11-6pm. Free
Second Floor Galleries
Specially selected by Ikon’s Director, Jonathan Watkins, these posters assert the breadth of artistic talent featured at Ikon during the last eleven years. Souvenirs of the exhibition programme, they exemplify Ikon’s engagement with both the local artistic community and wider cultural worlds.

Music and More
Second Floor Galleries

7 Inch Cinema
17.11.11
Thursday 17 November, 7-10pm
£3 on the door (Or free if it’s your birthday. Proof required)
An evening of short films and music, taking place on and inspired by the seventeenth of November. Birmingham’s cinematic adventurers 7 Inch Cinema will be delving through dusty archives, old microfilms and a fair bit of Wikipedia in order to bring you superlative entertainment devoted to one apparently insignificant day. To give some idea of the lineup, 17 November saw the birth of Martin Scorsese, Peter Cook and Belgian ping pong legend Jean-Paul Saive, and it was also the day Russia landed the first remote-controlled lunar module on the moon.

Moseley Folk
Treetop Flyers
Friday 18 November, 7.30pm – 10.30pm
£4 plus booking fee from www.moseleyfolk.co.uk or £6 on the door
Five-piece Treetop Flyers recently earned themselves a slot at Glastonbury’s prestigious Other Stage after winning the Emerging Talent Competition earlier this year. They bring their rock-revved, sepia-toned soul’n’roll sound to Autumn Almanac, courtesy of Moseley Folk Festival.

Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham
Crossroad Collision
Saturday 19 November, 2-3pm
Free. Donations welcome
Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham harnesses the arts to raise awareness of the contributions that refugees make to the UK, and in particular to the city of Birmingham. For Autumn Almanac, Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham present musicians from Crossroad Collision: Steve Yimga, Sid Peacock (Surge, Peacock & Angell), Pete Lewis; and guest performers Dan Wilkins (the Destroyers), Ben Pathy (Afro Mio) and ‘Fidele’ Ndombasi Bisengo (Afro Mio, Son de la Vie).

Slow Boat Sessions
Saturday 19 November, 7.30-10pm
£5 on the door
In September, Ikon Youth Programme’s (IYP) Slow Boat hosted a series of performances by local musicians, embarking on a journey of sound along Birmingham’s canals. Poppy Tibbetts, E.L. Heath, Tom Peel and Boat to Row convene at Ikon for an evening of songs inspired by their Slow Boat sessions. The evening will also feature projections and field recordings of the journey. Entry includes a CD featuring songs from the sessions, with packaging designed by IYP.

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Sunday 20 November, 2-4pm
Free
Internationally acclaimed and a proud ambassador for its home city, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group is passionately committed to engaging audiences and participants with the most exciting classical music of our time through pioneering concerts, learning programmes, tours and media projects. BCMG gives a rare performance of all 34 of Luciano Berio’s Duetti for two violins, with a sprinkling of solo pieces by composers including Howard Skempton and Oliver Knussen.

Capsule present Andrew Moscardo-Parker and the ensemble Ore
Sunday 20 November, 8-11pm
£6 (available via www.theticketsellers.co.uk and on the door)
Andrew Moscardo-Parker performs as Lash Frenzy, exploring the action of playing, turning performances into immersive, participatory events. Central to his sound work is a rejection of narrative and a focus upon the present, the 'now'. Ore are a drone doom tuba group, forging the power and depth of brass with the care of craftsmen. It is the sound of Birmingham: its industrial heritage, metal-working origins and creative innovation www.capsule.org.uk/

Click here for more info.

Ikon Youth Programme is recruiting new members

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:30:18 GMT

Ikon Youth Programme is recruiting new members to join SLOW BOAT, a free project working with Ikon Gallery and artists on-board a converted canal boat.

Are you aged 15 - 19 years? Interested in finding out more about SLOW BOAT?

Come and meet the project team on Wednesday 12 October, 5-7pm or Saturday 15 October, 2-6pm at Ikon Gallery.

For more information visit www.ikonslowboat.com or call Ikon on 0121 248 0708

Slow Boat Sessions

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:14:27 GMT

Over four evenings in September, a number of specially invited musicians performed in the intimate setting of SLOW BOAT, a converted canal boat project undertaken by Ikon Youth Programme (IYP).

Musicians included Poppy Tibbetts, Timothy Parkes, E.L. Heath and band, Tom Peel and Boat To Row. Sessions were recorded and can be listened to here:

Slow Boat September Sessions by Ikon Slow Boat Sessions

To see images please visit the Ikon Slow Boat website:
ikonslowboat.com

The Slow Boat Session musicians will return to Ikon on Saturday 19 November to perform at Ikon's Autumn Almanac.

Birmingham Book Festival

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:53:03 GMT

Celebrating Independence: Ikon shows its support of the city’s literature

scene at the Birmingham Book Festival

Ikon is a key venue at this year’s Birmingham Book Festival: 6–16 October
2011.

Now in its 13th year, the Birmingham Book Festival returns in October with its
trademark mix of literature events, talks and workshops.

Ikon Gallery is a key venue for the 2011 Festival, continuing a recent trend of hosting literature events in the galleries and promoting Birmingham authors in Ikon Shop.

Events taking place at Ikon include the launch of Too Asian, Not Asian Enough an anthology of new Asian writing from Tindal Street Press, an evening with Cuban poet Víctor Rodríguez Núñez and a reading with Man Booker Prize winning author Alan ,Hollinghurst.

For further details please click here

Ikon Shop joins in the celebrations with a special offer of 3 for 2 on all fiction
paperbacks in our Made In Birmingham section during October. Ikon Shop also takes part in States of Independence (West), a book fair at Eastside Projects, Digbeth, celebrating regional independent publishers of poetry, fiction and art.

Ikon Shop is one of the last independent book shops in the city centre, stocking a carefully chosen range of books, artists’ catalogues and magazines.

The Birmingham Book Festival is an annual festival of literature events, workshops, seminars, discussion and debates that takes place in October but also features stand-alone events at other points throughout the year, including the annual Spring Thing.

For more information about the Festival or to book tickets visit www.birminghambookfestival.org or call mac Birmingham on 0121 446 3232.

Exhibition Opening: Nedko Solakov

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:49:07 GMT

Tuesday 20 September, 6-8pm
Nedko Solakov, All in Order, with Exceptions

Join us on Tuesday 20 September from 6pm until 8pm for the opening of Ikon's new exhibition by Bulgarian artist Nedko Solakov.

This is the first major exhibition in the UK of Solakov's work; a chronological survey comprising one work per year since he emerged as an artist c. 1980.
The exhibition includes his most famous work Top Secret (1990, pictured above) as well as My Conscience Tormenting Me and a recreation of his 2006 work Toilets, humourous inscriptions on and around fittings in Ikon's ladies and gents toilets.

The exhibition continues to 13 November 2011. Please click here for more information .

Ikon at Birmingham Carnival

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:45:23 GMT

Ikon and Birmingham-born artist Gillian Wearing are on a quest to find, and immortalise in bronze, the ‘real’ Birmingham family. Over the next few months Ikon is touring A Real Birmingham Family around the city in Birmingham City Council’s mobile arts unit.

This Sunday, 7 August, we will be at the Birmingham Carnival. Come and find us in Handsworth Park, 11.30am - 8.30pm (Holly Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, B20 2BY), where you can learn about this unique project, nominate your family and have your photograph taken.

Families can nominate themselves to represent how the twenty-first century family might be symbolised in the city. After short-listing, a panel of judges including prominent Birmingham figures will select a single family. In 2013 a bronze life-size sculpture of the selected family will be placed in Centenary Square, near the new Library of Birmingham, becoming a lasting celebration of local residents.

Its free to enter, anyone can be involved and a family can be whoever you think it is - traditional families, foster families, a group of friends or a single person.

For more information on the project please click here or visit www.arealbirminghamfamily.com to see who has nominated themselves so far.

These are a few of my favourite things

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:53:18 GMT

Our Wednesday night talks These are a few of my favourite things continue with speakers including artist Paul Harrison (27 July), Rita McLean, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (pictured, 3 August), Stephen Snoddy, Director, The New Art Gallery Walsall (10 August), Professor Mario Minichiello, Birmingham Insitute of Art and Design (17 August), Gerv Havill, Director of Moseley Folk and Mostly Jazz Festivals (24 August) and artists Karin and Reuben Henry (31 August).

Talks start at 6.30pm. Places are free but should be reserved by calling Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

For further information, please click here

Atsuko Tanaka Exhibition Opening

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:39:39 GMT

Exhibition opening
Tuesday 26 July, 6-8pm
Atsuko Tanaka, The Art of Connecting

Join us for the opening of Ikon's new exhibition The Art of Connecting by Japanese artist Atsuko Tanaka (1932-2005).

Ikon's show is the first UK retrospective exhibition of Tanaka's work, and includes her famous Electric Dress alongside a selection of very early paper and fabric collages and later paintings.

Click here to find out more.

Paella Night at Cafe Ikon

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:42:53 GMT

Paella and Ping!
Friday 15 July, 5–9pm
Join our Head Chef Wesley Pinnock for a special paella evening – Wesley will be cooking a selection of paella dishes under the umbrellas on Café Ikon’s terrace. Price £4.50 (small plate) or £8.50 (large plate) per person.

To book a table please call Café Ikon on 0121 248 3226.

Ping!
From Monday 11 July, as part of Ping!, a free ping pong festival taking place around the city (8 July - 8 August), we will have a table outside the gallery - come and have a go.

Future Events
Paella and Live Music
Cafe Ikon, Friday 12 August, 5-9pm
More info

Slow Boat Launch

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:26:45 GMT

Saturday 16 July, 12-4pm - FREE
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, Towpath behind Bank Restaurant, Brindleyplace

Join us for this special launch to hear about our Slow Boat project and meet members of the Ikon Youth Programme. Enjoy tea, cake, boat trips, music and badge-making.

Boat trips are scheduled 1-4pm, places are free but should be reserved by calling Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

More Information

Slow Boat PR (PDF 57kb)

These are a few of my favourite things

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:00:41 GMT

Jan Bowman, author and illustrator of children's book This is Birmingham will be talking about her eight favourite and influential works of art next Wednesday 15 June from 6.30pm.

Jan will also be signing copies of her book and selling her limited edition prints after the talk. www.janbow.com/

This talk is part of the Ikon series These are a few of my favourite things. To find out about future speakers please click here. Places are free but please reserve in advance by calling Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Free Ai Weiwei

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:47:48 GMT

Ikon joins international calls for the release of Ai Weiwei

Ikon Gallery has joined the international movement calling for the release of acclaimed Chinese art Ai Weiwei.

A single hand-crafted porcelain sunflower seed, one of tens of millions as featured in Ai Weiwei’s recent installation at Tate Modern, has been placed in a plinth at the entrance of the gallery. Displayed in this context, the single seed reminds us of the plight of the individual.

On April 3, Ai Weiwei was detained at Beijing airport while en route to Hong Kong, and his papers and computers were seized from his studio compound. Ai's whereabouts remain unknown and he has been denied due process under Chinese law.

In response to his arrest, leading museums around the world including the Guggenheim, New York; Tate, London; Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD); Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Musée national d'art modern, Paris have joined an online petition to express concern for Ai’s freedom and call for his release.

We hope that our collective action using Ai Weiwei's favoured medium of social sculpture will hasten Ai’s release and promote the principle of free creative expression.

To view the petition please visit: http://www.change.org/petitions/call-for-the-release-of-ai-weiwei

VIDEO: John Salt installation

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:20:46 GMT

Visit John Salt's Media Gallery to watch behind the scenes footage filmed at his studio and during the installation of his current Ikon show.

John Salt was the first artist to exhibit at Ikon in its original Bullring building in 1965. In this film John talks to film maker Chris Keenan about his work, influences and life in America.

For further information about the exhibition please click here.

Galleries Night & Art Bus

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:19:01 GMT

On Friday 13 May from 5-9pm, Birmingham’s galleries are celebrating Museums at Night 2011 with after-hour tours and a return of the popular free Art Bus.

Travel on the Art Bus and visit Ikon Gallery, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, the RBSA Gallery and mac birmingham in one night. All four galleries are open late, with free tours and refreshments for visitors.

Click here for a timetable.

This event is part of Museums at Night 2011, a nationwide event in which hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites will unlock their doors for special evening events over the weekend of 13-15 May.

VIDEO: Robert Orchardson installation

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:48:28 GMT

Visit Robert Orchardson's Media Gallery to watch behind the scenes footage shot during the installation of his Ikon show.

In this film Robert Orchardson talks about his exhibition at Ikon - Endless
façade and the literature, architecture and films that influence his work.

For more information about the exhibition, click here.

Book launch: The Danger Game

e.luxford@ikon-gallery.co.uk (Emily Luxford) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:19:28 GMT

Author Kalinda Ashton launches her debut novel The Danger Game at Ikon this Thursday 10 March, 6.30pm. This event includes a reading and book signing.

"Vivid, page-turning and passionate - the characters leap off the page": Catherine O'Flynn

Places are free but should be reserved by calling Ikon on 0121 248 0708.

Organised in collaboration with Tindal Street Press.