osa/merzen

Press release

osa/MERZEN/

Exhibition Private View:  6-8pm Thursday 17^th February 2011

Exhibition continues: Friday 18^th February – Saturday 16^th April 2011

Late Night Opening: 6-8pm Monday 28^th March 2011

CUBE, Centre for the Urban Built Environment, is delighted to be showcasing an ambitious commission that forms part of a Manchester wide ‘MERZMAN’ festival showcasing exhibitions and happenings that have been inspired by Kurt Schwitters and the artist’s legacy in modern architecture and contemporary art practice.

Based on the reflection of the work of artist Kurt Schwitters, osa is developing an accessible and tangible installation in the space of CUBE gallery in Manchester.

osa’s installation refers to Schwitters’ own collage technique which he called “Merz”, a method of rearranging collected objects such as papers, timber, wire, text snippets and paint.

The installation will transform the gallery space by using materials collected and provided by the city of Manchester, with the aim to blur the border between existing space and installation i.e. frame and content.

As with city development itself, the idea deals with the transformation process of the materials through the application within the installation as well as (the transformation) of the whole (overall system) as a reaction of addition and overwriting. This leads to a deliberate context displacement.

The installation will grow in three stages (17-19 February, 26-28 February, 25-28 March) and visitors are encouraged to become part of the development process by bringing their own collected materials of the built environment into the gallery.

Parts of the gallery space will be turned into a material store which not only acts as a collection point for the different ingredients of the installation, but also links back to the former function of the building (warehouse).

As within the contemporary pluralistic city (CPC), existing relationships will be shifted through continuous surprising and unexpected interrelations of the single elements as well as new ones will be uncovered; without a descriptive manual.

“Merz is sensing without knowing”, Kurt Schwitters, 1920

This exhibition is kindly supported by the Arts Council of England.

An international conference about Kurt Schwitters and his legacy in the North of England will be held at CUBE on Saturday 26 March 2011. The conference will feature artists, academics, arts professionals and the osa/MERZEN architects. For a list of other speakers and more details, please visit www.merzbarn.net.

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