Somerset Reacquainted – Exhibition at Somerset Rural Life Museum

A collective reflection by 63 Somerset artists during lockdown

Location: Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury,

‘Somerset Reacquainted’ is a project which captures the essence of a rural county in lockdown from the perspective of more than 60 artists. It seeks to reflect and communicate the experience of isolation we all shared. The artists’ responses are at once deeply personal but also more widely applicable.

Held at the Somerset Rural Life Museum from 19 September 2020, the exhibition included a display of images, text, digital work, objects, sketches and original artworks produced through the project. It was an opportunity to gain an insight into an artistic exploration that is rarely seen by the public.

Set within the boundaries of Somerset, the project presents a collaborative document of a rural county in isolation – capturing our relationship with the local environment and redefining the role of artists within their communities. It also reflects each artist’s world during this unique time.  

Somerset Art Works aimed to engage and support artists across the county in response to the unprecedented challenges they faced during lockdown. ‘Somerset Reacquainted’ arose from conversations between the artist Sara Dudman and Zoe Li, Artist Development Manager at  Somerset Art Works. It encouraged artists to refocus their practice by refreshing their engagements with nature, locality and community, using the idea of reacquaintance as a starting point for rediscovering the excitement and purpose of making art. Artists were invited to explore the rhythms of their daily life and surroundings, responding in ways which suggested new engagement with familiar places and activities. More than 60 artists took part in the project through a process of cascaded invitation issued by artists to artists. 

In times of crisis, artists have always sought to use their unique methods and visual language to articulate, document and interpret experience. The artworks resulting from this project can be viewed as a time-capsule in which feelings and experiences are captured and preserved, but also as a way to allow anyone to share the same events. You can see the artists’ sharing on Somerset Art Works website somersetartworks.org.uk/somersetreacquainted
and Instagram @somerset_art_works #somersetreacquainted

[Podcast events]

Explore the project with participating artists and project curators, through a series of podcasts that took place during Somerset Open Studios 2020
somersetartworks.org.uk/somersetreacquainted/live

[Family activities]

A series of video, audio and resources to invite families of all ages to take part. From making your own paintbrushes with natural materials, collages to create your own photographic print use plant ink.
somersetartworks.org.uk/somersetreacquainted/takepart

Published on August 13, 2020 // Zoe Li