ART
The
ARTY EVENTS
Contemporary Cardiff and Artes Mundi might be the
biggest hitters in the Welsh art scene this month, but
there are plenty of other artistic events to get drawn into.
OUTCASTING: FOURTH WALL FESTIVAL
CARDIFF OPEN
It may not be the first thing that springs to mind
when you think of art, but films and moving images
are becoming increasingly recognised as works of
art. Fourth Wall/Pedwaredd Wal was established to
provide a way to appreciate moving images as an
artistic medium of their own. One of Fourth Wall’s
aims is to get people engaged with moving image
artwork. One way they’re doing this is by holding
their own festival, on until Sat 1 Nov. The festival
will take place in public spaces (including moving
images projected onto buildings). Some of the venues
invloved are Art Central, The Memo Arts Centre, The
Hub, St Donats Arts Centre and the Paget Rooms.
An arts event that steers away from elitism, Cardiff
Open gives all artists an opportunity to showcase
their work by having an open call for submissions.
Hosted by Cardiff Arts Collective, the chosen
contemporary artists will show their work alongside
selected artists in residence. This year they will
be ‘camera-less photographer’ Sera Wyn Walker,
participatory artist Tiff Oben and Cardiff Before
Cardiff photographer Jon Pountney. The exhibitions
will be taking place at Cardiff MADE gallery and the
now empty Blockbuster shop on Albany Road from
Tue 7 Oct to Sat 1 Nov.
Info: www.4wfilm.org
Info: www.cardiffartscollective.co.uk
FAMILY ARTS FESTIVAL
EXPERIMENTICA
Get out of the house and away from the screens
this half-term with the Family Arts Festival. This
nationwide event runs from Fri 17 Oct to Sun 2
Nov and there are over 2,000 events throughout
Wales and the UK, many of them free. With Michael
Morpurgo as its patron and Young People’s Laureate
For Wales, Martin Dawes, as the Festival Ambassador
for Wales, there’s some serious backing for this
festival. You can take part in hands-on activities like
The Big Draw or take a more relaxed approach and
watch a concert like the Halloween Spooktacular
Family Concert.
Five days of wonderful, weird and experimental
performance art – Chapter Arts Centre’s annual
Experimentica festival is unlike any other arts festival
about. It’s an event that is mischievous, charming
and witty whilst also retaining a risky, bewildering
and provoking edge. The theme of this year’s festival,
taking place from Wed 5-Sun 9 Nov, is the film District
9. The 2014 festival will look at how we all treat and
truly feel about those we deem ‘outsiders’. You won’t
see any straightforward adaptations, however, as the
artists involved are taking this purely as their starting
point.
Info: www.familyarts.co.uk
Info: www.chapter.org
BUZZ 16
ISSUE
MADE BY HAND
On the last weekend of October, anyone interested
in all forms of craft will be spoilt as Made By Hand
hosts its contemporary craft fair at Cardiff’s City
Hall. There will, over course, be plenty of opportunity
to invest in some personally made craft items as over
135 designers will be showing their wares from Fri
31 Oct until Sun 2 Nov – but there will also be plenty
of workshops, demonstrations, talks and live music
to enjoy. You can learn how to make a garment on a
knitting machine with Llynfi Textiles, make 3D wire
drawings with Louise Dawn Wilson or try your hand
at calligraphy with Andy Moore.
Info: www.madebyhand-wales.co.uk
DEIRDRE FINNERTY
Exhibitions+Marketing Assistant, Mission
Gallery
Recommendations for a toe-dipping
experience into the Wales art scene?
Ruthin Craft Centre, without a doubt, for the
foremost in applied arts. It's a fair trek from
South Wales but it is such an inspirational place
with three galleries, a craft shop and many
artist studios. I recently visited to see Claire
Curneen's To This I Put My Name exhibition and
I cannot wait to go back again. I recommend
also stopping by Oriel Davies on the way up!