Canada Day: Painting School by Bristol Diving School, July 1st

ArtWalk 2013: BDS exhibition at Oxygen Art Centre, July 5th

Four members of the UK-based artist collective Bristol Diving School (BDS) have been undertaking a 4 week residency at Oxygen Art Centre. The collaborative group has been investing research into the local historical context of Nelson and surrounding area, its unique ecosystem and rich network of people and legacies. This line of research has developed through meeting with members of the community; botany experts, astronomers, staff of the local cultural institutes, to name a few. A localised engagement with Nelson’s diverse cultural and natural environments has informed BDS’ consideration of broader social narratives relating to systems of belief and knowledge, activation and speculation of space and territory, and the role of the artist as interpreter, amateur, fabricator.

Bristol Diving School will be participating in two upcoming public events, providing an opportunity for members of the public to speak with the group and get a sense of the research that they have been developing. First up, to celebrate Canada Day in Nelson, BDS will present Painting School at Lakeside Park. Taking inspiration from a long history of empirical botanical studies and modes of classification, BDS will be examining a selection of local plant specimens and studying their attributes through the traditional practice of watercolour painting. BDS invite the public to join in on the activity and create postcard-sized studies that will be used to initiate an exchange economy within the Lakeside Park setting.

Friday 5th July is the 25th celebratory year of ArtWalk in Nelson. For ArtWalk 2013, BDS will activate the Oxygen Art Centre gallery space with an installation of different works that manifest the undertaken tangents of research. This presentation is part of an ongoing body of work developed by BDS, which investigates methods of processing information and associative learning formats.

An online project ‘Proboscis-Extension-Reader’ accompanies the artist practice and research process of the collective. For more information visit: www.p-e-r.net

Upcoming events:

Visit the BDS booth at Canada Day Celebrations at Lakeside Park: July 1st

ArtWalk 2013 Opening: Friday, July 5th from 6 – 9pm

For more information visit the Oxygen Art Centre website at www.oxygenartcentre.org

Oxygen is located at 320 Vernon St (Alley Entrance).

Attached image:

Photo credit: Bristol Diving School

Caption: Soopolallie Harvest