Projects

Go & See: ROAM (Space) visits Glasgow!

29.3.2023

Forming part of our professional development strand, the Go & See travel bursaries aim to assist professional artists and makers to visit events and exhibitions outwith the region that are relevant to the development of their practice.

This report was written by Sahar El-Hady, Upland Youth & Engagement Coordinator.

View all of this project's blog posts 

Image by Emily Tough
Image by Emily Tough

ROAM(Space) is a burgeoning collective of early-career artists exploring what makes an artist-run space. At the beginning stages of the project, lead artist Kevin Reid deemed a trip to Glasgow was in order for some inspiration.

The group had a great day out in Glasgow on Thursday 16th March, checking out different exhibitions around the city and spending valuable time together. I tagged along to check out what they were up to!

We started out (with a minor detour for Bubble Tea) at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA).

There was a very moving film installation - called ‘The Specter of Ancestors Becoming’ by Tuan Andrew Nguyen, made in collaboration with Raw Material Company in Dakar, Senegal - in the main downstairs exhibition space.

All of us were transfixed by the immersive storytelling, taking us on a journey through several interracial Senegalese-Vietnamese families - families organically sprouting from an imposed conflict and straining to survive across geographical and attitudinal borders.

We then met Annie Hazelwood, Programme Coordinator, who told us all about how she organises open source programming for the CCA and about the artist residencies in Creative Lab upstairs. Annie then took us up to Intermedia Gallery, an independent space that supports emerging artists and currently houses ‘Ongaku Tiffany’, an exhibition by Sgàire Wood.

Image by Emily Tough

Sgàire made the choice to invigilate her own exhibition which meant the group could ask questions about her work and have meaningful interactions in responding to it. Ongaku Tiffany is an incredible, edible and ornate experience, suspended in time in a white room that draws the eye to the detail of Sgàire’s work.

Image: ‘Ongaku Tiffany’ by Sgàire Wood, photographed by Sarah McCusker

After a delicious plant-based lunch in the CCA café, we walked over to the Gallery of Modern Art.

Image by Emily Tough

At GoMA we saw another high-tech film installation, ‘Slow Dans’ by Elizabeth Price, then ran upstairs to see Glasgow-based printmakers Helen de Main and Mandy Macintosh’s ‘Repeat Patterns’ exhibition, before rounding everyone up to quickly catch the train to Pollokshields East.

 Images: ‘Repeat Patterns’ by Helen de Main and Mandy Macintosh, photographed by Sarah McCusker

At TRAMWAY, the exhibition we were hoping to see – ‘Ijem nke Mmanwu m (The Journey of my Masquerade)’ by Ifeoma U. Anyaeji – had been postponed, but Kevin worked his magic. We were able to chat with his ex-colleague the gallery manager and get a sneak peek behind the scenes at the installation process.

A little wander through the lovely Hidden Gardens and we were ready to head home. A day rich in experiences that was over before we knew it!

Thanks for the experience, ROAM(Space). It was a great way to get to know each other a little better, I’m looking forward to seeing what you do next!