ArtHouse Jersey presents a brand new exhibition, opening on 15th April.
The exhibition is entitled ‘Refugio’ by artist Oliver Le Gresley. The installation is a response to the way life changed for us all over the past year, and hopes to distil some of these changes, placed within the artificial context of the art gallery, to encourage the viewer to reflect upon the ideas of exterior and interior, public and private, confinement and freedom.
The unique installation will be live at ArtHouse Jersey’s HQ at Greve de Lecq Barracks, from Thursday 15th April until 25th April 2021, between 10am and 5pm each day.
Oliver Le Gresley’s ‘Refugio’ is one of five pieces of work given the go ahead as a result of ArtHouse Jersey’s Covid Commissions call-out last September. This was an invitation to artists or collectives of any discipline to create an inspiring piece of work which will reach a diverse audience, within pandemic restrictions, working with a budget of up to five thousands pounds. The work could be of any discipline and artists were invited to work to their own brief to create something that will be of value and interest to both a Jersey audience and those further afield. Oliver was one of four artists whose pitches were successful.
Speaking of the installation, artist Oliver Le Gresley told Channel Eye: “Refugio invites the audience to move around the hut catching a glimpse of the interior space through the main entrance, and several other openings. By peering through the openings the viewer may be confronted by someone viewing through an opening from another side. These interactions speak to the way we might have considered exterior and interior spaces over the past year.”
Oliver Le Gresley is an artist and craft practitioner, who holds a BA in Fine Art and an MA in Textile Design from University College Falmouth. He spent a formative fifteen months living in Japan working with a master silk weaver and a small textile design company. His recent work has explored craft, materiality, and the genius loci, seeking to represent motifs of place and experience.
Director of ArtHouse Jersey, Tom Dingle, said: “Our homes, and our relationships to our immediate indoor spaces will have changed dramatically over the past year as each and every one of us has undoubtedly spent more time at home than ever before. Oliver’s ‘Refugio’ spoke perfectly to that surreal and unexpected shift we all experienced and it’s our hope this piece will help visitors delve into the essence of what it means to have refuge.
“It’s fantastic to see these commissions come to life. They are all great examples of how ArtHouse Jersey continues to create opportunities for local artists to create work of a high calibre while helping to inspire audiences and artists alike.”
Refugio by Oliver Le Gresley runs from Thursday 15 April until Sunday 25 April, between 10am & 5pm at ArtHouse Jersey Studios, Greve de Lecq Barracks.
