Exhibition Review: No Offence Intended
Article published: Thursday, March 31st 2011
Showcasing the work of seven Manchester-based artists, No Offence Intended, the latest external exhibition at BLANKSPACE, explores similarities between religious rituals and artistic practices. Robin Macdonald went along to find out more.
As I ascend the stairs to visit the latest exhibition at BLANKSPACE, Blank Media Collective’s creative hub, the Muslim ‘call to prayer’ (Adham) echoes around the bare, white walls of the exhibition space. This sound piece is the first part of artist Runa Begum’s installation, No Two Men Sound the Same and seems to be inviting me in, urging me to contemplate the artists’ work.
No Offence Intended explores the ways in which spectators are conditioned to experience gallery spaces in much the same way as religious people experience sacred spaces. The exhibiting artists use installation, sculpture, video, and performance in order to examine their own relationships with faith and the ways in which this affects their world view.
The variety of multi-sensory installations stands as testament to the diversity of practice, meaning, and expression in the exhibiting artists’ work. Begum’s No Two Men Sound the Same invites the visitor to engage with religious sounds and their meanings. The second part of this installation takes place in a darkened room where the artists’ voice whispers the fajar prayer (the dawn prayer); and the presence of a compass pointing east towards Mecca impresses upon the viewer the position of prayer and its importance. Indeed, the tranquillity of this darkened space prompts the individual to ponder the meanings of faith and prayer in both the artist’s life and in their own.
Kay Woodley’s video projection, My Morning Routine gives the viewer a highly-personal insight into the daily rituals of the artist. The work couples video sequences of early morning household scenes with sound recordings giving life to the video’s unmoving objects. Although the artist is never seen, visual and aural clues provide insight into her personality. The video ends with a shot of the inside of the artist’s front door. We do not see the artist leave but we hear the door open and then close before the sound of her footsteps retreating into the distance. Yet, once she has gone, the house remains silent. This prompts the spectator to consider the role of individuals in the creation of sacred rituals and spaces.
Leaving the exhibition, I feel slightly puzzled by its provocative title. I am not offended, or even mildly irritated, by the gallery’s content. Yet, I am left with a genuine feeling of insight into the artists’ practices and beliefs. Their subtle evocations of the sacred – in its various forms – demonstrate that art doesn’t need to provoke in order to be emotive. As I reflect upon this, I can’t help but feel that I’ve been duped; perhaps there really was no offence intended.
Robin Macdonald
The exhibition was running at BLANKSPACE throughout March. For more information on Blank Media Collective visit their website by clicking here
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