The Pigeon Wing

The first exhibition of the Art/ Value/ Currency collection: part of a transatlantic project by Isobel Shirley.

Accompanied by:

An Experiment In Low Altitude Aeronautics by John Hill

Art/ Value/ Currency

Selected from an open call for submissions, the Art/ Value/ Currency collection consists of 27 emerging UK based artists, with all work fitting the dimensions of 4” x 6”, resulting in a diverse selection of art from throughout the country.

Part One: The 31 works are exhibited at The Pigeon Wing, together with an open discussion of the project and the works involved.

Part Two: The collection will be taken to New York where Shirley will visit local artists, galleries, curators and collectors to showcase this collection of British art. During these meetings the works will be offered in exchange for another artwork of the same uniform size to take its place. These meetings and exchanges will be documented through the Art/ Value/ Currency’s online space hosted by TheBunkerGallery.

Part Three: Once all the artworks have been exchanged for new work, the collection will return to London and be re-exhibited at The Pigeon Wing. These new works will then be given to the original set of artists to complete the swap.

Art/ Value/ Currencyexplores the intertwining roles of trade, value systems and networking within the art world, highlighting the importance of creating exposure for artists and their working practice.

Documentation of the process and its outcomes will be released through This Is Publishing.

Sunday November 1st 2009

4pm – 9pm

5pm An Experiment In Low Altitude Aeronautics by John Hill

“The war machine springs to life

Opens up one eager eye

Focusing it on the sky

Where 99 red balloons go by”

This participatory performance is a low-tech attempt at personal intervention in a global system. The Pigeon Wing will form the gondola of a small, hot air blimp that aims to rise low into the sky, with little to no impact on the many international flight paths overhead.

Followed by drinks, refreshments, further performances and discussion of the Art/ Value/ Currency collection.