Every year Aldeburgh Festival plays host to a litany of stars from the world of music, but this year there has been the addition of a number of famous names from the world of contemporary art who have taken part in the inaugural SNAP, which closes
Who? Every year Aldeburgh Festival plays host to a litany of stars from the world of music, but this year there has been the addition of a number of famous names from the world of contemporary art who have taken part in the inaugural SNAP, which closes this weekend. An art exhibition disguised as a treasure hunt, SNAP takes visitors on a halcyon meander around the Snape Maltings site, through derelict buildings, via darkened corners, to visit new and existing work by artists such as Johnnie Shand Kydd, Darren Almond and Juergen Teller.
What? Giving viewers the chance to see art in unconventional surroundings, the work has been positioned far beyond the confines of a gallery space, with maps provided to help visitors seek out the pieces. Abigail Lane’s film installation plays out relentlessly in a dusty shed, while Mark Fuller’s Solaris stands proud and alone on the lawn. Sarah Lucas' Lounger pieces hang as if forgotten from the beams of a cavernous, otherwise empty barn, and Cerith Wyn Evans’ neon rose glows nonchalantly, half hidden amid crumbling stone arches. It is a trail of treasures that is great fun to follow, but also a charming surprise for those ignorant of its existence, catching them unawares as they head to their concerts.
Why? Curated by contributing artist Abigail Lane, the exhibit is an effort to rekindle the Arts element of the Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts, which has lain somewhat dormant since Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears founded the festival in 1948; while also serving as a showcase for the rich seam of talent that can be found in the area. It is an ode to the artistic stimulation of East Anglia, which is the link between the artists who all have a connection to the place, whether as their home, where they work or their place of birth. Clearly the work strewn throughout the grounds serves as supreme testament to the inspiration of the location, adding validity to the old saying, ‘there must be something in the water’.
SNAP: Art at the Aldeburgh Festival closes on June 26 2011.
Text by Tish Wrigley
