Klaus Weber

22 Oct – 8 JanFree entrance

If you leave me I’m not coming

Already there!

&

Welcome again to Nottingham Contemporary. This season we are presenting two extraordinary exhibitions, both by Klaus Weber. One is a solo exhibition by the Berlin-based artist. The other is an eccentric exhibition of nearly two hundred fascinating objects, assembled by the artist from the collections of major museums – including Science Museum, Tate and the Ashmolean. It is as personal a statement as his own work – a clutter of strange stuff dating back to a million years BC, like exploring the attic of his mind.

Weber has made several new works for his exhibition in Nottingham. Some can even be seen from outside. Windscreen wipers will struggle with continuous “rain” on our large window on Weekday Cross. You might catch sight of a man running off our roof.

Weber’s sculptures tend to look like they’ve strayed from a scientist’s lab rather than an artist’s studio – many are small technical marvels. We’ve been fortunate to team up with staff and students from the Engineering School at the University of Nottingham who helped Klaus resolve how some of these new pieces could be made to work.

We are two years old on 14 November, and we are proud to have welcomed around half a million visitors in that time. There are a lot of reasons people spend time here besides our exhibitions. One is our extensive programme of talks, film screenings, discussions and performances, made possible by our partnership with the two universities in Nottingham.

Klaus’s work is an example of how art today can give rise to all kinds of fascinating discussions that cross the usual boundaries between subject areas. This season you can learn about the love life of octopi, the squatting movement in Berlin after the fall of the Wall, and watch films made for audiences of apes. Most events are free.

We look forward to exploring ideas with our younger visitors too, through our schools programme and our imaginative drop-in activities for families.

Alex FarquharsonDirector, Nottingham Contemporary

Welcome

Photo by Peter Anderson

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Opening times

GalleryTue - Fri 10am – 7pmSat and Bank Hols 10am – 6pmSun 11am – 5pm

Cafe.Bar.ContemporaryTue & Sun 10am – 7pmWed, Thu, Fri 10am – 9pmSat 10am – 11pm

Shop.ContemporaryTue – Fri 10am – 7pmSat 10am – 6pmSun 11am – 5pm

Christmas Opening TimesSat 24 Dec, Christmas Eve 10am – 4pmSun 25 Dec, Christmas Day closedMon 26 Dec, Boxing Day closed Tue 27 Dec 10am – 6pm Sat 31 Dec, New Year’s Eve 10am – 4pmSun 1 Jan, New Year’s Day closedMon 2 Jan 10am – 6pm

Visit our website www.nottinghamcontemporary.org

Klaus Weber

Klaus Weber’s art works create ruptures with what we would call reality. In so doing they call our deepest belief systems into question. They provide an ironic counterpoint to the shared understanding – social, natural, scientific – that underpins our society. They also expose the maverick forces of nature that disrupt our own ability to control.

The natural world – and our changing view of what is natural – is a strong theme of the exhibition. The “natural” could also be regarded as the given – the underlying assumptions we all share. In the past it was thought society was shaped by just such a “natural” order. Perhaps it is not so different today.

As science progresses those beliefs are constantly destroyed and recreated, as is our view of ourselves within the universe – and society itself. Shape of the ape consists of kitsch copies of a 19th century sculpture of an ape squatting on a stack of books, contemplating a skull. It recalls the profound upheaval that followed Darwin’s theory of evolution, a discovery that placed man among the animals and refuted the divine idea of creation – a scientific advance that, to some religions, still remains contentious.

Sun Press (Against Nature) contains layers of allusion to the natural, and our idea of it. A heliostat on the roof concentrates the sun’s rays to print A Rebours (Against Nature) by JK Huysmans in the gallery below. The ultimate

natural force is harnessed to slowly reveal a book that was explicitly a break with the 19th century Naturalist style of literature. Weber’s exhibition also questions the nature of art itself, as well as its place in an art gallery. Some of his works appear to have erupted from our building and are clearly visible from the streets outside. If you leave me I’m not coming, the work that gives the exhibition its title, turns our Weekday Cross window, our own window on the world, into a giant windscreen. Pouring rain obscures the view, while huge wipers work tirelessly to clear it. Weber’s bee paintings, which resemble abstract canvases, were actually made by bees themselves. Bees choose white surfaces to excrete on during their “cleansing flight” which follows winter hibernation. In this case they have obligingly decorated Weber’s blank canvases.

Up on the roof running man also plays on perception – and perhaps our tendency for preoccupied delusion. The sculpture echoes the classic cartoon caper of the man in a chase who runs blindly off a cliff. He remains insouciantly suspended, legs still pumping, until he realises his own predicament and suddenly plunges earthwards, succumbing to the inevitable forces of gravity.

Other works illustrate how our past beliefs still reverberate in the present. Giant wind chimes are tuned to the tritonic scale, reputedly banned in the Middle Ages as it was believed to summon the devil. Ironically the chords can still be heard in hell-raising heavy metal music today.

If you leave me I’m not coming

Klaus Weber, Rain Tree, 2011.Photo courtesy of the artist, Andrew Kreps Gallery, NY & Herald St Gallery, London

Klaus Weber

200 objects spanning 1,000,000 years, including art works by Enrico Baj, Louise Bourgeois, André Breton, Gilbert & George, Nan Goldin, William Hogarth, Eduardo Paolozzi, Cornelia Parker, Sigmar Polke and Kurt Schwitters.

Already there!, Weber’s accompanying exhibition, has the archaic fascination of abandoned ruins – in this case of obsolete thought systems. Culled from visits to the Science Museum, The Ashmolean Museum, Berlin’s Bode Museum and the Archaeological and Zoological collections of University College London, he has amassed nearly 200 objects, spanning more than a million years. Weber regards these objects as the “foundations” of his art works. In a sense they are the foundations of our own thought processes too.

Weber prizes moments when nature and culture, science and spirituality uncannily converge. All the artefacts suggest their human creators – some directly, as in the weapons and tools. Bronze age figures of animals sculpted by our earliest ancestors look oddly anthropomorphic. A bird cage from a lunatic asylum recalls confined inmates. Regency anatomical models with lift-out organs suggest people as real as we are, yet their clothes and manufacture conjure the unnavigable gulf of time.

A selection of art works, mainly from the Tate collection, echoes Weber’s interests, dating back to Monkey and Dogs Playing by Francis Barlow from 1661. Artists include Sir William Allen, Louis Anquetin, John Armstrong, Clive Barker, Francis Barlow, Reg Butler, César, George Fullard, Philip Guston, Gertrude Hermes, Sir George Howland Beaumont, Henri Michaux, Paul Neagu, David Shrigley, Sir Hamo Thorneycroft, Richard Wentworth.

Already there! represents our tentative understanding of ourselves – belief systems since discredited or abandoned. The exhibition is perhaps a memento mori of our own scientific and social systems – now the apogee of human achievement. In the future our own artefacts will be just as charged and curious Weber seems to suggest – part of another natural process of decay.

Already there!

Images clockwise from top:

Enrico Baj, Fire! Fire! 1963-4Photo © Enrico Baj and Tate, London 2011

Ivory anatomical figure.Photo Science Museum/SSPL

Set of ten Rorschach inkblot test cards. 1921-1950.Photo Science Museum/SSPL

William Hogarth,Four Prints of an Election, plate 4: Chairing the Members, 1758. Photo © Tate, London 2011

Louise Bourgeois, Topiary,the art of improving nature, (Plate 3), 1998.Photo © Tate, London 2011

The Small Collections RoomRuth ClaxtonPostcards

Ruth Claxton takes souvenir postcards of figurative paintings from art history and intricately reworks them by cutting into the surface and tearing away sections. Religious icons, peasants and mythological figures take on an otherworldly presence as their eyes sprout laser-like beams, revealing the focus of their gaze. Figures appear blinded by structures of torn paper, while faces are masked or obscured. Each mass reproduced postcard of an original artwork is carefully turned back into an original artwork again.

Andrew WilsonCirca 1970

Circa 1970 brings together a small group of documents that demonstrate the diversity of Britain’s countercultural protest movements between 1968 and 1978. By pulling out the drawers in two of our cabinets you reveal the interconnected facets of protest during that ten year period. All of the movements helped to bring about political, social and cultural change.

The contents of the cabinets illustrate the start of the women’s liberation movement, the first manifesto of the Gay Liberation Front, the occupation of Hornsey Art College in May 1968, the organisation of London’s famous anti-Vietnam demonstration in October 1968, the arrest of the Angry Brigade, the rise of punk rock, the escapades of King Mob – and the first stirrings of conceptual art itself.

Our Small Collections Room is off The Study, through the glass doors in Gallery 4. Designed by the artist Pablo Bronstein, working with Nottingham Contemporary’s architects Caruso St John, the room has four exquisite antique cabinets which contain the exhibitions. Pull out the drawers to see them.

Ruth Claxton - Postcard (Two Peasants Binding Faggots) 2008.Photo Whipps & Langdon

Talks, Discussions, EventsAll our Talks, Discussions and Events are free, unless otherwise stated. Please book early to avoid disappointment. Visit our website or phone us on 0115 948 9750. If we are fully booked we will do our very best to find you a place if you turn up on the night.

Wednesday Walk Throughs

1pm – 1.45pm

Free

The Galleries

No need to book, just join us.

Our walk throughs are a chance to hear some fascinating stories about our exhibitions, told from different perspectives. In this exhibition they will include the history of medicine and engineering, as well as a sign-language tour for the hard of hearing. The editor of Tate’s prestigious magazine will be leading a tour too. The walk throughs are a friendly opportunity to meet us and ask questions. We don’t stand on ceremony, so please feel free to drop in and join us when you can, and leave when you must.

26 October – Jim Waters,Head of Exhibitions2 November – Vicky Godfrey,Marketing Officer9 November – Selina Hurley, Assistant Curator of Medicine, Science Museum16 November – Abi Spinks,Assistant Curator23 November – Gérald Busca, Project Officer, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham30 November – Alex Farquharson,Director7 December – Simon Grant,Editor of Tate Etc.14 December – BSL Interpreted tour

Caroline Locke Sound Fountains, 2011

A platform for Nottingham and Midlands based artists. Jeffrey Baker and Katy Woods will both screen new work that is in development. Artist and co-founder of Annexinema, Emily Wilczek will chair the discussion. This event is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Legacy Trust UK.

Wed 12 October7pm

Free

The Space

OctoberIn Production

Dr. Celeste-Marie BernierWar Brought All The Art Out of Me: Black Artists Bear Witness to World War I’s Hidden HistoriesTo coincide with Black History Month, Bernier will discuss the art produced by black US artists who were soldiers in World War I. This is an attempt to retrieve a hidden history of black heroism. Bernier is an Associate Professor in Slavery Studies, African American Studies and Visual Culture at The University of Nottingham.

Wed 19 October7pm

Free

The Space

Film Selector:The Fantastic Voyage (1966), 100 mins, (Cert. A)

Wed 26 October7pm

Free

The Space

This film reminded Klaus Weber of curating Already there! Wandering through archives “it felt like moving ghost-like through the architecture of human culture, going deep down into a basement of unconsciousness. It was a truly fantastic, but also disturbing voyage.” Enjoy this vintage sci-fi gem.

An evening of Jean Rouch filmsIntroduced by Elizabeth CowieTwo influential films by the director and anthropologist Jean Rouch, Petit à Petit (1971) and Les Maîtres Fous (1955), touch on ideas in Already there! and relate to our previous exhibition – Jean Genet’s play The Blacks was inspired by Les Maîtres Fous. Elizabeth Cowie, Professor of Film Studies at The University of Kent will introduce this pioneering figure of Nouvelle Vague cinema.

Wed 2 November6pm – 9pm

Free

The Space

An evening of Kenneth Anger filmsIntroduced by Gregory Woods

Tue 8 November7pm

Free

The Space

To complement the inclusion of Kenneth Anger’s Eaux D’Artifice in our exhibition Already there!, Prof. Gregory Woods, of Gay and Lesbian Studies at Nottingham Trent University, will introduce a selection of films from Anger’s Magick Lantern Cycle, a landmark in underground cinema.

The Free University of LiverpoolWeber helped form Freie Klasse – or free class – while he was at art school. Disillusioned with the way that they were being taught the students decided they could do better themselves. The Free University of Liverpool is run by a collective of artists and activists devoted to give a free education for anyone who wants it. They will discuss how they were established and what they aim to achieve.

Wed 9 November 7pm

Free

The Space

Inventors’ ClinicSat 29 October1pm – 4pm

Free

The Space

Klaus Weber’s exhibition is full of inventions from all ages. We invite Nottingham’s contemporary inventors to bring in their brainchildren. Experts from The University of Nottingham will be waiting to nurture them.

November

Maya Deren: Short FilmsSelected and introduced by Elinor Cleghorn

Fri 11 November7pm

Free

The Space

To complement the inclusion of Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon (1943-59) in Klaus Weber’s Already there!, Deren expert Elinor Cleghorn will introduce a selection of her short Surrealist films. Cleghorn has programmed the BFI’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Deren’s death.

Klaus Weber with Ian WhiteSun 23 October5pm – 6.30pm

Free

The Space

An opportunity to hear Klaus Weber in conversation about his exhibition, his art practice and his interests in general with Ian White, artist and Adjunct Film Curator for the Whitechapel Gallery. Followed by a Q&A session.

Jonathan RéeMe and my body

Wed 16 November7pm

Free

The Space

Jonathan Rée’s lecture will examine the challenge that modern science and medicine bring to traditional ideas of the meaning of bodily existence. Rée is a writer, historian and philosopher whose books include Descartes, Philosophy and its Past and The Concise Encyclopaedia of Western Philosophy. He has written and presented on radio, television and for many newspapers, including The Independent.

An evening of Jean Painlevé films Introduced by Brigitte Berg

Thu 17 November 7pm

Free

The Space

Jean Painlevé’s experimental nature films The Seahorse (1934) and The Love Life of the Octopus (1965) are included in Already there!. Berg, Director of Les documents cinématographiques, introduces her own selection from this visionary filmmaker’s astonishing oeuvre.

Paul Camic, Phil Loring and Victoria TischlerObjects and the Psyche

Tue 22 November7pm – 9.30pm

Free

The Space

From childhood attachment to soft toys, to adult fixation with inanimate items – psychological experts explore our relationship to objects.

Paul Camic, Professor of Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University, will discuss the role of material objects in human development. A founding member of the Material Objects Research Group, he has a particular interest in the use of artefacts in healthcare.

Phil Loring, Curator of Psychology at the Science Museum, will give an illustrated tour of 20th century nerve tonics and psychiatric medicines. Some of the most mundane psychological objects are the pills people take for various mental illnesses.

Victoria Tischler of The University of Nottingham’s Division of Psychiatry will discuss the magical powers we imbue objects with, our urge to collect, and objects from the asylum.

Alex VasudevanThe Spatial Politics of Squatting in Berlin

Wed 23 November7pm

Free

The Space

Klaus Weber took part in Berlin’s 90s squatting scene. Dr Vasudevan, of the Cultural and Historical Geography Department, University of Nottingham, will present his research on the history of the city’s famous squatting movement and its relationship to other grassroots urban movements, considering how this is reflected in Weber’s art.

Klaus Weber, Eve (Colour), 2008.Image courtesy the artist, Herald St, London and Andrew Kreps, New York

Caroline LockeSound Fountains

Sat 26 and Sun 27 November11am – 4pm

Sat 26 November7.30pm

Live Performance

Free

The Space

An interactive installation by interdisciplinary artist Caroline Locke. Sound waves moving through water enable the audience to “see” sound and build their own soundscapes. The artist is a principal researcher with The Digital and Material Arts Research Centre at The University of Derby. This project has been made with the assistance of Alex Gibbins from The Creative Technologies Research Group. The Sound Fountains installation is open to all ages.

Patrick McGuinnessAgainst Nature

Wed 30 November7pm

Free

The Space

Referring to Weber’s new “Sun Press”, McGuinness will explore JK Huysmans’ Against Nature (1884) – a key inspiration for Oscar Wilde and other aesthetes of the fin-de-siecle. Exploring Naturalism and Decadence in 19th century French literature McGuinness will discuss artistic reactions to the scientific breakthroughs and moral codes of the day.

McGuinness is Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Oxford University. His most recent novel, The Last Hundred Days (2011) is longlisted for the Man Booker prize.

DecemberAlison Knox and Vivienne BrownBee Works - Apiology and the Hive

Thu 1 December7pm

Free

The Space

Artist and expert urban beekeeper Alison Knox will describe the joys of the apiary, including the “cleansing flights” that created Weber’s bee canvases. Vivienne Browne, Professor Emeritus in Economics at The Open University, will introduce a different view of the “hive” – as a model of productivity described by the early economist Adam Smith.

Artist Rachel Mayeri and comparative psychologist Sarah-Jane Vick created films for primates, in a research project produced by The Arts Catalyst. The Arts Catalyst curator Le Frenais will discuss this challenging experiment on communicating with a group of chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo.

Primate Cinema: Apes as FamilyIntroduced by Rob Le Frenais

Wed 7 December7pm

Free

The Space

Primate Cinema: Apes as Family by Rachel Mayeri,commissioned by The Arts Catalyst, 2011

Klaus Weber, Bee Painting, Large Screen I, 2009.Image courtesy the artist, Herald St, London and Andrew Kreps, New York

David BellWhat Is This That Stands Before Me?The Tritone and Musical MeaningEccentric experimental American composer and instrument-maker Harry Partch was a great influence on Weber’s Large Dark Wind Chime (Arab Tritone). Bell will chart the history of dissonance and outlawed chords as heard in the Tritone, with reference to Partch’s work. Followed by a live performance in the galleries by Surfacing, a musical collective from Nottingham, who will sample the mighty Tritone.

Thu 8 Dec

Talk in The Space 7pm

Performance inThe Galleries 8pm

Free

Conor CunninghamDarwin’s Idea: Dangerous or Pious

Wed 14 December7pm

Free

The Space

Weber’s Shape of the Ape considers Darwin’s theory of evolution and man’s relationship to nature. In his talk Dr Conor Cunningham will trace the history of man’s humiliating relationship to nature from Copernicus to Newton, before discussing the impact of Darwin’s theory of evolution. More recently, Daniel Dennet’s characterisation of Darwin’s theory as a “dangerous idea”, sheds new light on The Origin of Species, likening it to a universal acid that eats through everything, leaving in its wake a post-apocalyptic landscape. Dr Cunningham will ask if Darwin’s idea could be pious rather than dangerous.

Conor Cunningham lectures at Nottingham University. He is the writer and presenter of the award-winning BBC2 documentary – Did Darwin Kill God? and author of the prize winning book – Darwin’s Pious Idea, which is being translated into many languages.

Katy BarrettAlready where? A History of Collections and Classification

Thu 15 December7pm

Free

The Space

Already there! was selected from many museums and collections. Researcher and historian Katy Barrett will consider the works in the exhibition, the type of collections and museums they come from, and what it means to rearrange them. Barrett has worked at the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum.

Nottingham Contemporary’s public programme is jointly funded by Nottingham Trent University and The University of Nottingham.

Gallery Assistants Walk ThroughOur Gallery Assistants spend more time amongst the art works than any of the rest of us. They are also amazing repositories of overheard comments, interpretations, and conversations with the public. Most of them are artists, writers and curators in their own right. Join our ace interpreters and hear their extraordinary insights.

Thu 5 January6pm – 7pm

Free

The Galleries

January

Klaus Weber, Large Dark Wind Chime (Arab Tritone), 2008.Image courtesy the artist, Herald St, London and Andrew Kreps, New York

Amnesty International MeetingThe first meeting of the new Amnesty International group for Nottingham – all welcome. AI raises awareness of human rights issues in seriously affected parts of the world through educational events and activism. Followed by a chance to chat in Cafe.Bar.Contemporary.

Thu 27 October7pm – 8.15pm

Free

The Space

Festival to raise awareness of homelessness – and funds to support homeless and vulnerable people, organised by the charity Framework.Jazz, world and electronic music from Origamibiro saxonphonist Simon Siegal (a BBC Jazz Award wnner), Corey Mwamba electronic vibraphone experimentalist and many more.

Raise the Roof! Sat 8 and Sun 9 October1pm – till late

Free, but donations invited

The Space and Cafe.Bar.Contemporary

Other Events Guy Dartnell Inward Out

Sat 5 November2pm – 6pm

Free. Entrance throughout, stay as long as you want. Bring a blanket.

The Space

An experimental participatory event offering two different experiences. Come and sit, lie, relax in the company of others, in stillness and silence. Contemplate your inner world or witness the “spectacle” of others around you. Or do both. Dance 4 Associate Artist Guy Dartnell is an internationally recognised solo and collaborative artist working across performance genres.

Zed-UShabaka Hutchings (tenor/clarinet), Neil Charles (electric bass), Tom Skinner (drums/electronics) create an intriguing mix of jazz, dub and minimalist art-rock. Drawing heavily on a number of other genres, from improvised and electronic music to dub reggae, the saxophone of BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Shabaka Hutchings builds solid rhythmic grooves, culminating in roaring climaxes. A thoroughly contemporary unit, Zed-U can transform themselves into a jazz-thrash or dub band, complete with echoing drums and hypnotic basslines. This event is programmed in collaboration with Jazz Steps.

Thu 10 November8pm

Tickets £12/£10 concs£5 studentskids go free

To book please call0115 956 0733

The SpaceDance4 Two events by leading International and UK artists exploring the role of the individual.

Thu 3 November8pm

Tickets £10 £8 concs

Buy tickets atwww.dance4.co.uk

The Space

Against the background of our culture’s over-emphasis on individualism, HOSPITALITY 3 invites the spectator to reflect on what it means for individuals to work together. The audience are asked provocative questions and the performers seek their own answers through telling stories, playing records and movement, demonstrating the intricate balance that lies at the heart of any true collaboration.

PME-ART (CAN)HOSPITALITY 3: Individualism was a mistake

Hugh Pascall Quintet Commissioned Works inspired by the Klaus Weber ExhibitionComposer and jazz musician Hugh Pascall has been inspired by the work of Klaus Weber to write and premiere a suite of commissioned pieces at Nottingham Contemporary. Weber’s Tritone installation will provide a fundamental basis for the works. For composers and improvisers, the tritone is a cornerstone of harmonic development, opening the door to advanced functional harmony.

Trumpet and flugelhorn player Hugh Pascall will be joined by acclaimed tenor saxophonist James Allsopp, drummer Tim Giles and pianist Arthur Lea. Each have gained international recognition for their work as performers and composers.

Sun 18 December7pm

Tickets £7/£5 concs

To book please call 0115 948 9750

The Space

Sat 10 December10am – 6pm

Sun 11 December11am – 5pm

Free

The Space

Stock up for Christmas presents from individually crafted – and affordable – jewellery, gifts and home wares. More details in Shop.Contemporary.

Craft.Contemporary

The Boots No7 ArchiveTue 6 December3pm – 7pm

Free

The Space

Boots No7 was launched in 1935 as a range of Deluxe Beauty Preparations offering “The Modern Way To Loveliness.” This fascinating archive, held at Boots in Nottingham, is a history of graphics and marketing, as well as science and technology. The archive reflects the changing role of women in society through the last 76 years – a period of profound changes in the way women see themselves. Drop in to see an extraordinary vintage range of products, packaging and publications, and to informally explore them with the Boots archive team – if you have any retro No7 bring it along for their opinion. Have a special No.7 afternoon tea - or cocktail - in Cafe.Bar.Contemporary. And look out for some special surprizes.

Fri 2 December7.30pm

Tickets £15

The Space

Award-winning Italian guitar virtuoso Antonio Forcione joins forces with the dynamic Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale for an evening of passionate world music.

Book through www.thedealmakerlabel.com

Antonio Forcione & Adriano AdewaleForced Entertainment, the acclaimed live art group, present Void Story. A rollercoaster ride through the decimated remains of contemporary culture. Navigating one terrible cityscape after another, a pair of protagonists get mugged, shot at and bitten by insects, pursued through subterranean tunnel systems, stowed away in refrigerated transport, shacked up in haunted hotels and lost in wildernesses, backstreets and bewildering funfairs. They travel to the centre of a night so intense that there are no stars to be seen.

Forced Entertainment perform the bleak and comical contemporary fable of Void Story as if it were a radio play, sitting at tables, turning the pages of the script and adding in sound effects. The stage is dominated by projected images, a storyboard for an impossible movie-version of Tim Etchells’ uniquely unsettling text.

Void Story was made for SPILL 09 with support from Tanzquartier, Vienna and Tate Media. Forced Entertainment are funded by Arts Council England. This production is supported by Sheffield City Council.

Book through the Forced Entertainment website www.forcedentertainment.com or call 0114 279 8977

Forced Entertainment presents: Void StorySat 19 November3pm & 7.30pm(Post-show discussion after the 3pm performance.)

Tickets £12£10 (concs)Student special £7 for 3pm performance

The Space

Forced Entertainment, Void Story.Photo Hugo Glendinning

Photo by Paul Carroll

Self-led VisitsProfessional Development Partnership

All planning sessions in the galleryStaff training workshopFree for Nottingham City Schools£50 for out of Nottingham City Schools

We have added extra value to our popular training sessions for teachers organising self-led visits. Come to one of our free planning sessions run by one of our Associate Artists and follow this up with a short workshop training session in school for your colleagues. This is a great way to see the exhibition, and share creative ideas while planning for your own self-led session. Artists will explore the current exhibition with you in the galleries and come in to school to develop ideas on your arts week, creating exhibitions or making installations.

Book early to make sure you secure a place. Contact learn@nottinghamcontemporary.org or telephone 0115 942 9750 for dates.

Resource Box Our free Resource Box and Learning Notes for self-led groups have been designed specifically for a range of Key Stages. They focus on one or two main themes and artworks. Contact learn@nottinghamcontemporary.org, telephone 0115 948 9750 for details, or visit the Learn section of our website.

Schools and CollegesWorkshops with Artists

10am – 12pm or 12.30 – 2.30pm

£60 Nottingham city schools£75 Out of city schools

Our workshops for schools and colleges are designed to support learning in the classroom. They are tailored for primary, secondary, special needs and further education students. In the autumn we will be looking at inventions, recycling and mystery objects – and exploring the amazing installations made by German artist Klaus Weber!

We are delighted to be working in partnership with Boots UK and will have a fascinating selection of workshops available to explore the Boots Collection, spanning over 160 years of health and beauty. Handle extraordinary historical objects and create your own mysterious sculptures.

These half day workshops, run by one of our Associate Artists, in association with the Boots Archive team, will be available during November and December on selected dates.

Contact learn@nottinghamcontemporary.org or telephone 0115 948 9750 for details.

“Knowledge from [Nottingham Contemporary] staff members will enable me to relay to children and enthuse them.” – Teacher from Blessed Robert Widmerpool Primary School

School art work at Nottingham Contemporary

Family Extravaganzas

Sat 22 & Sun 23 October and Sat 7 & Sun 8 January 11am – 3pm

Free

The Space and The Galleries

The extravaganzas are a perfect chance to enjoy exhibition inspired activities in the BIG space and in the galleries. Get ready to make some large scale art, play games, go on art hunts and meet some special guests.

Family Room

Sat and Sun 11am – 3pm

Free. All weekends in between our extravaganzas.

The Studio

This season’s exhibition is overflowing with weird and wonderful inventions and artworks that will leave you completely amazed. The family room will be offering its own blend of activities to make your wildly imaginative ideas come alive. There will always be a friendly play and learn assistant on hand for support and inspiration.

“Wonderful ideas! Children really loved it. Friendly and enthusiastic staff”

Make your mark!

Tues 25 October –Fri 28 October(half term)11am – 3pm

Free

The Galleries

Ditch your pencils and work with us to reinvent the art of drawing. Have some fun trying out new ways of drawing and making your mark. Also expect the appearance of some very unusual objects from the fascinating Boots archive to draw and hold. Try and guess what they were once used for...

Play and Learn Trails

Free. Pick up from reception.

Our new play and learn trails are more hands on than ever before. They offer families objects to touch, games to play, questions to discuss and things to find. We hope you enjoy using them.

Thank you

Over the summer months, our Associate Artists Sian Watson and Gillian Brent worked with Bulwell Community Toy Library to support their initiative of making the local woodland more accessible to local children and their families. This project has culminated in the creation of free community resources that encourage families to explore the woodland in new and imaginative ways. Thank you to all the partners and participants.

Families

In the Family Room Photo by Stuart Wood

News

Get Involved 17

On the 27 July Get Involved 17 were invited to Winfield House, the US Ambassador’s residence in London, for a guided tour of their amazing modern art collection. The Embassy is not open to the public and it was a tremendous privilege to see the house and collection.

During the Summer Get Involved 17 also completed their Gold Arts Award. Some members have left now to start art degree’s at universities across the country. We would like to thank the group for taking part and wish them luck for the future. For more information about Get Involved 17 or to be added to the waiting list please contact boseda@nottinghamcontemporary.org or telephone 0115 948 9771.

Get Involved 17 – Birthday Take Over

Sat 12 and Sun 13 November

Free

The Space

To celebrate Nottingham Contemporary’s 2nd Birthday Get Involved 17 are coming up with ideas for activities, events and happenings. This promises to be a fun, creative weekend – you won’t want to miss it! For details please check our website www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/young-contemporary and www.getinvolved17.tumblr.com. Also look out for Get Involved 17’s innovative guerrilla marketing.

ESOL ResourceFree

Nottingham Contemporary’s ESOL resource offers a range of activities to help explore the gallery’s art and architecture. The resource aims to support learners develop their English language skills in an enjoyable and enriching environment. Activities are suitable for beginners through to advanced learners.For more information, please contact Saima Kaur saima@nottinghamcontemporary.org or telephone 0115 948 9750.

Adults and Young People Into art: into work

Fri 13 January – Fri 16 March9.30am – 12.30pm

Fee may be applicable

The Studio

This ten week course aims to provide knowledge, ideas and practical activities for people wanting to learn more about working in the visual arts and associated creative industries. The course is open to anyone with a genuine interest in learning. It’s free for those on low incomes or who are currently unemployed. To find out more contact Saima Kaur saima@nottinghamcontemporary.org or telephone 0115 948 9750.

Access Art for All

Free talks and resources

Are you and your group new to Nottingham Contemporary and would you like an introduction to the galleries and exhibition? Our Learning team can arrange for a gallery talk or resources for self led visits for a broad range of community organisations and those with additional support needs.

For more information and to book please contact Bo, boseda@nottinghamcontemporary.org, or telephone 0115 948 9750

The Big DrawMapping the Subjective,Documenting the Derive

Mon 24 October 10am – 4pm

£30

Come on a journey “travelling hopefully” with artist Chris Lewis-Jones around the exterior of Nottingham Contemporary and the historic Lace Market nearby. Working with contemporary approaches to drawing it includes elements of “psychogeography” focussing on evolving cultural histories as well as the ecology, geography and mythology of the city. Suitable for adults interested in developing their creative skills.

To book a place email learn@nottinghamcontemporary.org or telephone 0115 948 9750.

Arts in Health, Mental Health Awareness Weeks

Fri 14 October11am – 3pm

Free

The Space

As part of Nottingham’s Mental Health Awareness Weeks Nottingham Contemporary is delighted to host a celebration organised by Arts in Health (part of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust). Drop in to the Space and see work by individuals and groups in a variety of media, performance pieces and workshops to get involved in.

Top G17 at the Ambassador’s residenceG17 Take Over Day in The Space

Support UsThe work of Nottingham Contemporary is generously supported by our Benefactors, our Supporters and our Business Benefactors. They play an essential role in helping us to bring world-class exhibitions to Nottingham – and in making our exhibitions available to everyone, for free. They also support our educational activities – for people of all ages, and from all backgrounds, including our work with schools, community groups and Nottingham’s young people.

Our supporters are a vital part of our organisation – and we offer them “backstage access” to Nottingham Contemporary and its activities. To join them, please contact Chloe Chapman on 0115 948 9785, or email chloechapman@nottinghamcontemporary.org

A big thank you to all our existing supporters from all of the team here. Your commitment is highly valued by us all.

BenefactorsCharles AspreyElinor Jansz and Alex SainsburyVictoria MiroValeria and Gregorio NapoleoneMaureen PaleyRob Randall

SupportersBrian BoylanSadie ColesFrancois Chantala and Victoria SiddallAlan DodsonLesley GarrattTommaso Corvi-Mora and Cornelia GrassiDavid Tilly

Business Benefactors Gold: Browne Jacobson LLPSilver: BWB Consulting Ltd Gleeds Innes England Daniel Hanson Partnership Polestar Smith Cooper

Hire our Spaces

Make the most of some of the most extraordinary spaces in the city by holding your event here. We can help you host anything from a breakfast to a banquet, a conference to a club night. Our catering comes from the resident chefs at Cafe.Bar.Contemporary, while our Events Team will always be on hand to help you make the most of any event.

By booking your event here you will be helping a registered charity fulfil its artistic and educational mission in Nottingham. Contact us on 0115 948 9786, or email events@nottinghamcontemporary.org to discuss further.

Café.Bar.ContemporaryEat, drink and relax in our unique cafe-bar, designed by acclaimed New York artist Matthew Brannon to create a chic 50s feel.

We are resurrecting the art of afternoon tea this autumn. Three at Three gives you a cup of tea or coffee, and a piece of our irresistible cake – all for just £3.

End your working week here – on Friday evenings we’ll save you a space if you ring us in advance on 0115 948 9754. We’ll also give some very special offers on our wine list, and free nibbles.

There is a free glass of wine for everyone for parties of four or more who reserve a table for Sunday lunch – the traditional roasted sort or a vegetarian option.

On Saturday evenings join the best local bands here, at Cafe.Bar.Live – for free.

Children are most welcome here – borrow our books and colouring kits. When two adults order from the menu, there is a free children’s ice cream. Look out for Half-term, Half-price on children’s meals.

And as autumn approaches, look out for our special seasonal menu.

Artist Wael Shawky installing his exhibition.Photo by Peter Anderson

Harleighblu performing at Nottingham Contemporary.Photo by Peter Anderson

Coming SoonThomas Demand

Thomas Demand is one of leading German artists of his generation. In 2009 he had a solo exhibition at the prestigious Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin and Demand invited Adam Caruso, who designed our building, to create the exhibition’s unusual backdrop. They have collaborated on many projects to date.

Demand, who lives in Berlin and Los Angeles, is presenting a new series of photographs for the first time at Nottingham Contemporary. Found when Demand was researching the archives of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, they show models for buildings by the Californian modern architect, John Lautner. The models are a far cry from the sleek, futurist buildings themselves.

Demand’s beautiful photographs seem organic, as they scrutinize the worn, physical models from different angles and distances. Close-up, the models look almost abstract, recalling the history of Modernist painting and sculpture – Picasso’s metal reliefs from his Cubist period, for example, or abstract painting of the 1950s.

Decolonising Architecture

Decolonising Architecture is an international architectural practice based outside Bethlehem in the Palestinian Territories. They analyse the role of architecture and urban planning in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Rather than proposing new buildings, they offer ingenious new propositions for future Palestinian occupants. An evacuated military compound becomes a park for families, also offering roosting for large numbers of migrating birds. An elaborate interconnecting roof structure is proposed for future Palestinian neighbourhoods in what were illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a life-sized installation of a section of the Palestinian parliament built in East Jerusalem after the Oslo Accord in 1993. It has remained unoccupied, isolated by the new “security” wall that Israel has built within the West Bank, and divided by the “green line” that happens to run right through it. Videos and live presentations by Palestinian politicians will act as a symbolic parliament-in-exile within one of our four galleries.

Images from top:Decolonising Architecture.Palestinian Legislative Council, Abu Dis - Jerusalemphoto by Carina Ottino (DAAR) © Thomas Demand, VG Bild Kunst, Bonn / DACS, London

How to get to us

Nottingham Contemporary

Weekday CrossNottingham NG1 2GB0115 948 9750www.nottinghamcontemporary.orgSign up for our email online

Find us on FacebookNottingham Contemporary

Find us on Twitter@Nottm_Contemp

Lace Market tram stop You can get to us very easily by tram, bus, train, bike or car – or on foot. We have cycle parking outside our front door.

We are fully accessible for our visitors with disabilities. There is disabled parking at Fletchergate Car Park.

For large print or an audio version of this brochure please call 0115 948 9750.

To find out more about the arts and culture in our city visit www.spiritnottingham.com

Shop.ContemporaryCome into our main entrance and you’ll find Shop.Contemporary – for cult jewellery, curious gifts, and a superb selection of books that change with every exhibition. Art, science, history, zoology and the natural world are just some of the subjects inspired by Klaus Weber.

Many of our products are designed by cutting-edge designers. Choose a present from our fascinating and stylish home wares – cushions, cups, tea towels and cutlery. We have truly quirky cards and gift wrap for a really individual present. Or you could choose to keep it all for yourself, of course.

Drop in for the latest arts and cultural magazines, and for some intriguing publications from niche publishers with an alternative world view. There’s lots for children, from beautifully illustrated books, to pocket-money toys – starting at 50 pence.

You can Shop.Contemporary online too – we have more than doubled the size of our range there. Visit us at www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/shop

Opening Times

Tuesdays – Fridays 10am – 7pmSaturday 10am – 6pmSunday 11am – 5pm

Craft.Contemporary

Sat 10 December 10am – 6pm

Sun 11 December 11am – 5pm

Our first Craft.Contemporary in the summer was such a success that we’re doing it again this December. Come and choose truly individual and handmade Christmas presents. Our giant Space will be filled with stalls, all selling covetable craft and design wares including jewellery, cards, textiles, illustrations, glassware and ceramics. Andit’s all at such affordable prices that you might be tempted yourself, too. Mince pies, mulled wine – and carol singers – will instil a seasonal spirit.

Photo by Peter Anderson

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Front cover image:Klaus Weber, Smithflower, 2009.Photo courtesy of the artist, Andrew Kreps Gallery,NY & Herald St Gallery, London