The Nuisance of Landscape: Grizedale - The Sequel

10 October - 20 December 2014

Venue: Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Cumbria

This lively and stimulating show looks back at the recent history of Grizedale Arts and tells the story – sometimes serious, sometimes irreverent – of how an arts agency in a rural corner of England has expanded its reach from working with local Cumbrian communities to a global model for contemporary art practice. Central to its philosophy is an emphasis on the use value of art – from their HQ at Lawson Park, above Coniston Water, Grizedale Arts runs a programme of residencies and events that promote the creation of art as an instrument for social change and improvement both locally and within the wider community.

This expansive show - a retrospective of sorts – presents a challenging view of the rural landscape and the conventional ‘romantic’ perceptions of it, featuring reconstructions, artist films, complex installations, original artworks, performance and a wealth of other material that will provoke, confuse, enlighten and entertain.