Sardines Exhibition - Coming Soon!
From the success of the "Open Bracket" exhibition, a powerful testament to what can be achieved through teamwork and sheer determination, we found ourselves embarking on an even more ambitious creative endeavor - the "Sardines" Degree Show. This would be the final showcase for our Bachelor's of Fine Art program, and the road ahead looked to be paved with unprecedented challenges. Corralling the unique visions of over 40 artists into one cohesive, captivating exhibition would be no small feat. It was a daunting journey that would stretch our resources, test our stamina, and demand every ounce of our passion and resilience. But the prospect of manifesting something extraordinary through the solidarity of our diverse collective drove us onward with an electrifying sense of purpose. United, we began laying the collaborative groundwork for an arts experience like no other - a culminating tour de force to cap off our undergraduate arts education.
Starting from Scratch: Harnessing Collective Creativity
The first step in planning "Sardines" was to gather the entire group of over 40 artists and decide on the overarching theme and vision for the exhibition – including selecting a name. This process was both exhilarating and daunting, as we navigated a sea of diverse perspectives and artistic styles. Heated debates arose, with each artist passionately advocating for their unique conceptual ideas and aesthetic preferences. Voices rose and fell like crashing waves as the creative tensions mounted.
To streamline the overall decision-making process amidst this storm of ideas, we formed specialized committees: Marketing, Communication, Coordination, Curation, Finances, Fundraising, and Installation. Each faction was tasked with spearheading a specific aspect of the exhibition's planning. I eagerly joined the Marketing committee, excited to channel my creativity into promoting our collective endeavor and helping our artistic visions coalesce.
The quest for the perfect exhibition name kicked off with an anonymous open call, generating over 10 enticing options for consideration. Themes of collectivity, working together in confined spaces, and emerging from the long Covid-19 pandemic shadow resonated strongly. After rounds of intense deliberation weighing every subtle nuance, the name "Sardines" emerged victorious. It cleverly encapsulated the notion of our individual artistic voices being tightly packed yet thriving together in this showcase.
The Marketing Endeavor: A Rollercoaster Ride
As a member of the marketing team, my responsibilities spanned a vast array of tasks crucial to promoting our exhibition. While I didn't personally design the logos, posters or postcards, I had input and witnessed firsthand the intense creative struggles that ensued.
One of the most daunting undertakings was the design of the exhibition's poster and postcard. With so many creative minds contributing their ideas, it quickly became a constant tug-of-war to find designs that resonated with everyone. Debates raged over colour schemes, typography choices, and visual elements, with passions running high. At times, it felt as though we were no closer to consensus than when we had first started.
Our workload was immense – website, posters, logos, postcards, blurbs, social media content, invitations, and other promotional materials all needed to be created. But the true centerpiece, the core identity that would encapsulate the exhibition's essence, proved to be the most difficult. Just when we thought we had a poster design that would be the final iteration, a group of artists vehemently protested against it.
To navigate these choppy waters and understand the issues raised, we called an emergency meeting. New ideas were drafted and debated, all while racing against the relentless tick of the clock. Given our tight deadline, any redesign had to be executed with surgical precision to avoid becoming a time-sink that could capsize our efforts. In the end… we did it! (Poster available down below with official announcement)
Another major challenge was getting all 40+ artists to adhere to deadlines for submitting website images and bios. Despite numerous reminders, it was nearly impossible to get everyone to meet these deadlines, which created gaps in our marketing materials.
Despite the frustrations and creative clashes, we persevered, understanding that compromise was necessary to create something truly remarkable. Late nights became the norm, with caffeine and sheer determination fueling marathon brainstorming sessions as we pushed ourselves to think outside the box and find innovative solutions.
My personal roles were quite spread out. I spearheaded the creation of our social media presence (@sardinesshow) with rebranding the previous Open Bracket Exhibition Instagram, ready for a sub-committee social media team to craft content. I also co-penned the exhibition’s descriptive blurb that would set the contextual tone of the show. Perhaps most crucially, I managed the Herculean task of curating the guest list and procure a potential individual to officially open the show.
It was a tremendous amount of work, as I expected it to be, with long hours and demands coming from all angels, often late into the night. But the effort paid off - and the exhibition is officially announced.
The Manual Labor: A Test of Endurance
While the marketing blitz was in full swing, all hands were called on deck to begin actioning the ambitious curatorial designs for the exhibition space itself. This involved a staggering amount of intense manual labor - tearing down and rebuilding walls, painting, filling holes, sawing materials, and constructing intricate plinths to display the artwork. It was a physically daunting endeavor that would truly test our endurance.
I vividly recall the first time I stepped into the raw exhibition space after all the artists had cleared out their works. Having previously served as the well-loved art studios for the entire year by students of all levels, the rooms were in absolute disarray - a kaleidoscope of creative chaos. Paint splatters, scattered materials, and the echoes of a year's worth of passionate creation lingered. While the dishevelment was a testament to how wholeheartedly the studios had been embraced, it also meant we faced one monolithic task getting it exhibition-ready. The sheer magnitude of the labor ahead was daunting, but the collective determination pulsing through our team was palpable.
Green Studio mid-way through furniture removal.
One of our greatest challenges was rallying the 40+ artists themselves to join the effort. Despite countless requests, only a core group of 10-15 artists would show up consistently to lend their hands, often the same dedicated faces. While frustrating, we couldn't dwell on the lack of additional support. We moved forward with clockwork precision, our camaraderie fortifying with every obstacle we conquered together.
Days and nights blurred into an endless cycle of punishing labor as we toiled away. Our muscles ached, our spirits wavered under the relentless physical strain, but we persevered. Amidst the exhaustion, a remarkable sense of unity emerged. We celebrated every small victory as a team - whether successfully assembling an intricate plinth base or achieving the perfect crisp shade of paint on a freshly erected wall. The shared triumphs buoyed us through the toil.
I meticulously deconstructed the studio's towering false walls, a sweaty, grueling effort that left my hands calloused and blistered. But that exhaustive labor paid dividends - by carefully dismantling rather than demolishing, we saved a staggering £300 from our original materials budget by repurposing the wood and drywall. Once those walls were down, I helped carry out every last remnant until the spaces were raw, blank canvases ready for rebirth.
The next hurdle was prepping those cavernous rooms as pristine install spaces. I spent tedious days going corner-to-corner, meticulously applying PVA sealant over every inch of painted surface to prevent bleed-through of the new colour coats to come. It was painstaking but essential work. Once sealed, we sanded every surface down to perfection before we could finally wield our paint rollers.
Our well-oiled workflow hit a brief snag when a shipment of paint and drywall filler was delayed. But the second those materials arrived, we sprang into action like a well-rehearsed pit crew. We slathered the walls in fresh, vibrant colours with dizzying speed and precision. I vividly recall the electricity in the air as that once-ramshackle space began its metamorphosis into a striking gallery environment before our very eyes.
With just two weeks until opening night, we entered a frenetic state of joyful frenzy. Under a rising tide of hopeful anxiety, we crossed every remaining preparation off the list - patching, touching up, assembling the final structural pieces. Whilst we are yet to see the space in its final iteration - the progress already made is incredible.
Sardines Opening Night!
And so, after many days of manual exertion, letting my aching muscles finally relax, I can finally announce the opening for Sardines!
