Art fest in public toilets? You are pulling my chain!
CITY ONE OF FIVE TO HOST DISPLAYS MAKING WORK MORE
A EUROPE-WIDE art festival has landed in Leicester - but not in a place you would expect.
Seven public toilets across the city will play host to various artworks in a project called Accessible Art For All, which has been organised by ArtReach.
The organisers hope the exhibition will start a new trend of artwork that is accessible to any member of the public, which is sometimes difficult.
Leicester is the first city of five to host this project, with other locations such as Rome, Hamburg and Sofia next in line.
Vishal Joshi, a fine artist from Leicester, known for his wide range of artistic styles, is one of the contributors to this project. His work, Hands of Freedom, draws on the hand symbolism used every day to express freedom, peace and victory.
It consists of seven hand portrait murals at Leicester Museum and Gallery, New Walk, of widely recognised symbols that we use every day.
He said: “When planning the project, I had to be very thoughtful of the venue, and think about what would work on what wall.
“It’s nothing like I’ve ever done before, it was a really new, challenging thing, but I loved that about it.
“I like to be challenged, so working in a tight area with high ceilings when the gallery was still open created a completely different atmosphere, which made it even more fun.”
Art from other contributors can be seen in various locations including Highcross Shopping Centre, Rutland Street, the Exchange and again in Leicester Museum and Art Gallery. Vishal said: “I think this project was super fun and genius, really. The concept of the work is great because it turns what is usually just a blank space, like a hallway or a bathroom, into something people can admire.
“Having a piece of art that is directly on the walls, not framed in an exhibition really does make it accessible to everyone, which is the entire point of the work.” The toilet-based art is part of the wider Liberty UK Festival, which is set to run in Leicester until August 15. Hands of Freedom is now on display in Leicester Museum and Gallery. The museum is operating a booking system for people wishing to visit, with tickets available to book online.
Having a piece of art directly on the walls, not framed, really does make it accessible to everyone
Vishal Joshi