‘Right' by Mark Handforth (left) and ‘Real Life Painting Show’ by Ross Sinclair (right)
oes Glasgow International work'.’ As the
contemporary art festival enters its
second year. it is surely too early to ask whether the project is a success. But with the solid critical acclaim of last year to build on. and a more modest but no less impressive 2006 programme. it is becoming difficult not to answer in the affirmative.
Until recently. things looked decidedly inauspicious. For starters. just a year into its life. it was announced that this will be the final annual incarnation of the Glasgow International. with the festival mutating into a biennial event
together a
from 2008. so that more time can be spent
organising the programme. gathering resources and rallying artists from around the globe.
This could be construed as a sign of weakness. but in practice it's not a bad move: I‘rancis McKee. the organiser of this year‘s festival (and
established and up-
also of the inaugural event). can barely have
caught his breath since last year‘s saturnalia. This is especially true because. since last year.
he has taken over at the helm of the struggling
CCA. and is charged with the tricky task of
turning around its flagging fortunes and who emerge from the city and partly because of life. while also sorting out its vertigo-inducing
relocating it at the heart of Glasgow's artistic
budget deficit.
The second inauspicious sign was that. alongside the festival‘s change of frequency. McKee has been talking about the possibility of
also take place in Edinburgh and Dundee. and even allowing for the possibility that the event might change its name. However. rather than being another sign of weakness. this move looks like it could represent an act of considerable chutzpah — and McKee is one of only a handful of people working in Scotland who has the
FRANCIS MCKEE Curator of Glasgow International 2006
For last year's Glasgow International McKee brought
programme that included Barbara Kruger, Santiago Sierra and a host of
and-coming local
talent. This year his selection consists of drawings. paintings and photographs by Patti Smith, new paintings by Ross Sinclair and the Beck's Futures show, with the CCA expanding into an offsite project in Trongate in order to accommodate everything.
ls Glasgow’s art scene international?
McKee: I think Glasgow has a lot of respect internationally. partly because of the number of artists
organisations like the Modern Institute. Sorcha Dallas
and now Mary Mary.
Glasgow International does have a role in
showcasing local artists. It‘s as much about facing outwards as about bringing work into the city. Artists expanding the festival from 2008 so that it might
and organisations here have also identified that role for the festival. It‘s difficult to say whether Glasgow's contemporary art scene is “international — much of the work done here stands up in an international context with art from other countries and is recognised abroad. But it's always a case of
Glasgow being a very local scene that seems to go
ability (if perhaps not the working hours
available) to carry it off.
But back to the present: against a backdrop of I exhausting negotiations. strategising and the rebuilding of bridges at the CCA. McKee has
managed to pull together over I40 artists and luminaries to take part in this year's events. exhibitions. performances and seminars. In the I3 days between l9 April and I May. he will bring some eminent international art world players to Glasgow to show their stuff. with the best of our local artists taking this opportunity to
public or international later. At its best. 'international' might mean local work that can travel.
How will changing GI to a biennial event change the festival?
McKee: There has been no attempt to link the festival through a broader theme as the lead in time for the first two has been shert (I'm also wary of
j themes and believe they would be simplistic if there
is not enough time to develop them). In becoming a
biennial event I think the festival's profile will rise if the
reciprocate. All in all. it's an exhilarating
prospect. Most of the city‘s arts venues (over 30) will be taking part. including private and
public galleries. and artist-run spaces. ls
Glasgow ready? ls Glasgow really intemational‘.’ The List spoke to four of the main players and strongest participants involved in this year‘s festival to see what they‘re up to.
quality remains strong. The important thing is to give GI a sense of its own identity and to build on that to create something individual. The biennial status will increase funding and give us quality research time but the success will depend on the festival founding itself in the regular activities of the Glasgow art scene.
I Patti Smith, The Mitchell Library. Thu 20 Apr— Tue 9
May; Ross Sinclair, CCA, Wed 19 Apr—Sat 3 Jun;
Beck '3 Futures 2006, CCA Offsite, 73 Trongate, Fri 7
Apr—Say 73 May.
Gallery director,
Dallas has her finger firmly on the pulse of contemporary art in
GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL
i, ._ A, RGd 4:, w "’7 lReal
y ‘ ' '). " . u i.
SORCHA DALLAS
Sorcha Dallas Gallery
Glasgow. After studying painting and drawing at Glasgow School of Art and working as part of Swrtchspace (a curatorial team With Marianna Greated, shoWing site specific work in spaces around Glasgow from 1990 to 2004). she established herself as a gallerist With a keen eye for artistic talent in the city. This year she shows the work of Glasgow-born artist Gary Rough. How international is your Gallery? Dallas: As the gallery is a commercral space and the market locally is generally very traditional as key for me to create a profile for the artists I represent on an international level. The gallery has always been committed to a new generation of artists working within the city. offering an alternative to what has previously been supported.
The gallery is almost two years old now, and many of the artists I work With are gaining an international profile and exhibiting overseas. This has enabled me
to invite artists in from abroad With the express aim of them enhancing the gallery programme.
How central is Gl 2006 to the development of Glasgow artists’ international profile?
Dallas: I think what has been positive about
Glasgow International is its support for local
organisations. in allowrng them the freedom to dictate their own protects. Hopefully the festival Will work better as a biennial event ~ the lead in time for Glasgow International so far has been pretty fast. lt'll also be interesting to see how the curatorial side of it develops as the commiSSioned proiects so far have
succeeded due to having FranCis McKee on board.
'Gary Rough [who Will be exhibiting in the gallery
during GI] has a multi-faceted approach to his
practice and his exhibition for Glasgow International will be in three parts, which Will really highlight this. For me being able to invite him over sums up the combination of presenting a local and international profile. Gary is one of the few artists I work wrth who is actually from Glasgow but has been liVing overseas for some time, so we felt Gl 2006 was the ideal time for him to exhibit back in Glasgow.
I Gary Rough, Sorcha Dal/as Gallery, Sat 7 Apr—Sat 6 May; Gary Rough, Sorcha Dal/as Gallery Offsite (details available from Sorcha Dallas).
30 Mar—l3 Apr 2006 THE LIST 23