04 Sep 2010

'Ground Level - Hayward Touring Curatorial Open II' at QUAD, Derby

New exhibition in QUAD, Derby, UK from 18th September until 31st October 2010. 'Ground Level' is the Hayward Touring Curatorial Open II, featuring artists; Maria Thereza Alves; The Atlas Group; Ricardo Basbaum; Heath Bunting and Kayle Brandon; Center for Land Use Interpretation; Simon Evans; Yolande Harris; Christian Philipp Müller; Eyal Weizman and Stephen Willats.

Ground Level explores how contemporary art practice, mapping and cartography collide. Traditionally the role of the cartographer has been to provide a geographically precise description of the landscape. However, rarely has it been a wholly objective enterprise. While technology increasingly grants access to the precision of satellite imagery, the cartographer's work has moved further from the ground into more contested areas such as ownership, rights to land, and the flows of people.

Ground Level brings together international artists who perform their own personal forms of cartography. The resulting works suggest maps and surveys, but rather than portraying a singular worldview they put forward idiosyncratic readings of language, peoples and signs, as well as geography.

The exhibition is curated by Kit Hammonds, winner of the 2010 Hayward Curatorial Open, a platform for innovative curatorship in the UK. Ground Level is a Hayward Touring exhibition selected and developed in partnership with John Hansard Gallery; QUAD, Derby; Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno and Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum.

Accompanying 'Ground Level' exhibition, 'No Such Place: A Partial History Of Imaginary Maps' exhibition will be on display in the QUAD Extra Gallery Spaces from 18th September until 14th October 2010. QUAD commissioned Artist Cathy Haynes to curate an exhibition on the theme of imaginary maps.

In 'No Such Place: A Partial History Of Imaginary Maps' she journeyed utopias and fantasy lands with a list of questions such as: Did we really believe the earth was flat before Columbus? How have map-makers filled gaps in known territory? Can a map ever be perfectly true? What counts as an imaginary map? Can a map shape reality? Can it even alter our sense of identity?

'No Such Place: A Partial History Of Imaginary Maps' is the result of Cathy Haynes research combining maps from the Age of Discovery, where new scientific thinking meet with mythical beasts; and ancient official land surveys inscribed with private jokes and secret codes. She complemented this with research of Ocean charts and even a blueprint for straightening the Thames through central London. As a result she has made a collection of extraordinary maps and map-making stories from the history of cartography, engineering, philosophy, literary fiction, interwoven with pop culture, propaganda, contemporary art and feature films.

There will be a special exhibition event to celebrate the opening of 'Ground Level' and 'No Such Place' with performances featuring; 'The London Snorkelling Team's Imaginary Map' and 'Giant Snakes & Ladders'. The exhibition opening event is free and will take place on Friday 17th September from 7:00pm, free refreshments will also be available.

For more details about the current exhibition at QUAD, please call the QUAD Box office on: 00 44 (0) 1332 290606 or visit: www.derbyquad.co.uk/exhibitions