Artists get work aired
A student and lecturer from Forth Valley College currently have their work exhibited online at the annual exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy.
Due to the current pandemic lockdown situation, it is the first time in its 194 year history that the annual event will not be organised live.
But regardless it is a great achievement for two artists – lecturer Ewan John and third year BA Art and Design student Tina Minal from the college’s Creative Industries Department - to be represented.
The exhibition – which runs until May 31 on https://www.rsaannualexhibition.org/ - is the core of the RSA’s exhibition programme, and represents the Academy’s commitment to promoting excellence in visual art in Scotland.
The exhibition is available to view entirely online, with accompanying detailed commentary from exhibiting artists, and is the most extensive exhibition of contemporary art and architecture in Scotland.
Over the years it has provided a platform for Scottish art alongside international artists, often including topical or political elements, to give an uncensored, independent voice to artists.
Tina (41) said:“My artwork looks at human behaviour and how we engage, and this artwork does that by representing how we are influenced by others, be it good or bad and how this has an effect on our emotional, physical and mental health.
“To have my artwork at the RSA Exhibition has been a great achievement and worth all the hard work. I feel very privileged to have this opportunity as an emerging artist and to represent FVC’s creative industries department.”
Ewan John said:“It is an honour to be included in this unique 194th RSA annual exhibition under the current Covid-19 conditions and in addition, I am delighted to be exhibiting alongside one of our third year students, Tina Minal.
“Tina has taken on board our suggestions to get her work out there and establish a name for herself whilst still a student at FVC. Not only will this be a wonderful inclusion on her CV but will give her the real life experience our third year BA Art and Design degree programme prepares them for.”
The Royal Scottish Academy say it’s possible the lockdown state could even see the annual exhibition attract a much wider global audience, with people having time to browse through the many pieces on display.”
The University of Stirling Art Collection has launched a new virtual tour – designed by an award-winning student – allowing members of the public to explore the exhibition during lockdown.
The 360-degree tour features popular works from the permanent collection housed in the Pathfoot Building, including those by John Duncan Fergusson, Eduardo Paolozzi and Barbara Hepworth.
The technology was designed by final-year Stirling student, Pierre Engelhard, as part of a digital publishing project for his Film and Media and Journalism degree. Significantly, Pierre’s work on the art collection tour won a Gold Award in the Electronic Media / Social Media / Interactive Media category at the 2020 Hermes Creative Awards.
Due to the current pandemic, the Pathfoot Building is currently closed – and physical access to the art collection is restricted. However, Deputy Curator Sarah Bromage said Pierre’s efforts – combined with the collection’s existing online presence – meant that it remained accessible to all.
She said: “The new 360-degree tour of the collection provides online access to some of our most popular exhibits and means that they remain available to all, despite the current restrictions.
“We are very appreciative of Pierre’s work on this project – and are delighted to be able to share this technology with art enthusiasts across Stirling, Scotland and even further afield.”
The tour begins outside the Pathfoot Building, allowing the user to enter the building to explore the collection inside. Exhibits are labelled, with some offering the ability to click for more information.
Pierre said: “My course project consists of the creation of a prototype app, which serves as a host to the 360-degree, interactive videos I have created. The app encourages viewers to watch the videos using a virtual reality headset, which enhances the immersive feeling of the experience – and gives the impression of walking through the walls of a virtual museum. However, the Art Collection tour has been specially designed to be viewed on a web browser.
“The technology provides interactive options, enabling the viewer to click on pieces of art and contemplate their digital representations. It intends to enhance accessibility to cultural sites, thanks to emerging technologies and digital media. Moreover, the project explores the educational role of traditional physical museums and how it can be implemented into virtual museums.”
On graduating, Pierre is planning to undertake a Digital Direction MA at the Royal College of Art. He added: “I am pleased to have collaborated with the Art Collection; recreating digital versions of their beautiful art was a lovely way to finish my academic journey at the University of Stirling.”
For more information on the collection, visit the university’s website.