(Photo courtesy of Keith Hunter)

That Which Remains

Opening & Press: Friday 12 August 2016
Exhibition: 13 August to 30 October 2016

2016 marks the fifteenth anniversary of Mount Stuart’s contemporary visual arts programme and celebrates with a multi-site retrospective, an explorative trail revisiting the previous fifteen years.

The title refers to both the actual traces and remains of the works situated in the house and grounds, and works which are returning for the late summer and autumn. The works – sculpture, photography, painting, film and video were originally developed in response to the context they inhabit – the architecture of the building, the collections, the archives, the landscape and the community of Bute. This year, the exhibition seeks to continue a comprehensive dialogue with re-grouped works from artists Kate Whiteford, Thomas Joshua Cooper, Christine Borland, Katy Lynton, Victoria Clare Bernie, Mischa Haller, Moyna Flannigan, Sarah Staton, Anya Gallaccio, Nathan Coley, Langlands and Bell, Mark Neville, Lorna Macintyre, Nina Danino, Ian Bourn, Lucy Skaer, Kate Davis and Taiwanese artist Lee Mingwei.

Works at Mount Stuart have been temporal, temporary and occasionally permanent. From an audience perspective revisiting the works reveals much about the process of working within this site-specific context, the common threads that run between the works and an insight into the different responses and processes that inform the artists practice and enrich the experience at Mount Stuart.

From an educational viewpoint we’ll be exploring the wider questions around commissioning new works, what does it mean for the artist and the commissioning organisation and what happens to work after an exhibition is over. The exhibition will take place between the house, the gardens and the Visitor Centre, with an accompanying programme of educational events and screenings.

Programme Director, Sophie Crichton Stuart said, “It is wonderful to bring these works together in the location that originally inspired them, to work with the artists again and to discuss their perceptions of the role Mount Stuart has had in their practice and careers.”

Head of Learning, Morven Gregor added, “In addition to programming a series of talks, workshops and events, we will be investigating what remains in the memories of local and visiting communities of the earlier exhibitions. This might include school students who participated in associated projects and were inspired to see the world differently or visitors, like me, who were first attracted to Mount Stuart because of the visual art programme.”

Adam Ellis-Jones, Operations Director explained, “This retrospective is a time to celebrate what has happened over the last fifteen years and also a time to look forward and ask, what next? There is renewed energy both at Mount Stuart and on the island as a whole and this is an exciting time to visit.”

Notes:

Mount Stuart is a Neo-Gothic country house, it was built from 1880 for the 3rd Marquess of Bute, who is regarded as the greatest architectural patron of the Victorian age. Mount Stuart house is located in extensive grounds on the island of Bute off the west coast of Scotland.

Through the Visual Arts Programme, Mount Stuart Trust aims to promote and facilitate interest in the contemporary visual arts and bring exhibitions of international standard to Bute and Argyll. To create potential for a wider audience and new perspective, the trust utilises the context of Mount Stuart and the Island of Bute as an exciting opportunity for public artwork and provides inclusive educational opportunities.

Opening hours:
Mount Stuart is open through 30 October 2016. Please call +44 (0)1700 503877 for further information or visit http://www.mountstuart.com

Ferry and train information: http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/summer-timetables.htm?id=summer-bute--wemyss-bay-rothesay.png