WAR II is an exhibition that responds to the use of MOSTYN’s building during World War II, as well as to the town of Llandudno and the wider local area at this time. The exhibition is part of a sequence of shows titled History Series*, which has been designed, in part, to explore the rich history and heritage of MOSTYN.
As a sequel to WAR I (MOSTYN, 2014) that focused upon the building’s function as a drill hall during World War I, this new exhibition moves on to World War II and takes as its starting point the building’s use as a ‘Donut Dugout’– a space for food and recreation for American troops located in the town.
The exhibition will provide a guided yet open viewing narrative for the viewer, where each wall within the space will concentrate on a single theme broken into subsections. Some of the subjects addressed are the history of doughnuts, the Ministry of Food presence in Colwyn Bay, the Inland Revenue evacuees in Llandudno, local theatres, the Home Guard, espionage links and Snowdonia military aircraft crash sites.
Among the historical subject areas – containing artefacts, documents and images – artworks by contemporary artists will be presented. Both components, the historical and the contemporary, will be placed together in close dialogue in such a way to create unexpected links between the two. The selection of artworks deliberately eschews a grouping of works exclusively tied to World War II, or even to ideas of war and conflict. The intention is to create a framework through which to not only consider World War II and the local context in a new light, but also history and the backdrop of our present.
Exhibition Dates: 14th November 2015 – 6th March 2016
Preview Evening: Friday 13th November 2015 6.30pm
With: Pierino Algieri, Ulla von Brandenburg, Vanessa Billy, Peter Coffin, Thomas Demand, Mario Garcia Torres, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Claire Fontaine, Simon Dybbroe Møller, Diango Hernandez, Jon Kessler, Catrin Menai, Lydia Ourahmane, Christodoulos Panayiotou, Wilfredo Prieto, Mandla Reuter, Ron Terada, Sung Tieu, Gwyn Williams.
This exhibition is curated by Adam Carr (Visual Arts Programme Curator, MOSTYN), and co-curated by Jane Matthews (Engagement Manager/Research MOSTYN) with Richard Cynan Jones (Operations and Facilities/Research, MOSTYN), and produced by MOSTYN.
With special thanks to Adrian Hughes of The Home Front Experience Museum, New Street, Llandudno*
*About the HISTORY SERIES:
The series has been conceived by Adam Carr (Visual Arts Programme Curator) for MOSTYN. Through a combination of historical texts, objects and images, and works by contemporary artists, each exhibition observes a specific period in the building’s history. The intention is to offer the opportunity for the public to engage with MOSTYN’s past, and for local people to explore their own history, while MOSTYN’s history is presented on a national and international stage. The building’s former uses are taken as starting points from which to explore new avenues for the making and presentation of exhibitions, and for the engagement of audiences. The History Series of exhibitions is funded by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Wales, and Heritage Lottery Fund.
*About The Home Front Experience museum:
Opened in 2000 the Home Front Experience presents 6 years of war on the home front through displays and tableaux. For opening times see: www.homefrontmuseum.co.uk
Previous History Series exhibitions include:
Women’s Art Society I: October 2013 – January 2014
We’ve Got Mail I: April 2014 – July 2014
WAR I: July 2014 – November 2014
We’ve Got Mail II: March 2015 extended until November 2015
Women’s Art Society II: July 2015 – November 2015
MOSTYN
12 Vaughan Street
Llandudno LL30 1AB
Wales UK
+44 (0)1492 879 201
post@mostyn.org
photos: Dewi Lloyd
10/11/2015
[…] Notes:Diango Hernández also participates in WAR II, a new group show at MOSTYN, UK, which takes as its starting point, the gallery building’s former […]