Sheffield Hallam University: Cortex

5 December 2022 - 8 December 2022

FREE & OPEN TO ALL

A group of second year fine art degree students from Sheffield Hallam University are hosting their first ever live exhibition this December, challenging guests to use their ‘cortex’ and step into the minds of the creators. Between the 5th and 8th December, the group will showcase their exhibits at two inspiring Sheffield locations – BLOC Projects on Eyre Lane and Bloc’s ‘Here Today’ Meanwhile Space on Matilda Street. Each gallery will present the skilled works of over 50 fine art students, with pieces in various mediums, including digital, sculptural, installation, performance, painting and more.

Unlike a traditional gallery exhibit, which might feature works about a specific theme, the common thread between artists at this exhibition is the fact that they have been challenged to explore and uncover new facets of their practice. This has required them to tap into their minds to come up with something totally new – hence the name of the show; ‘Cortex’. The latter being the part of the brain associated with higher level thought processes. All exhibits will be unique to the individual artist, showcasing a mix of approaches, mediums and concepts. The visitor will also be challenged to dig deep to interpret the meaning of the works.

It will be the first time that this group of students have been able to present their works to a live audience, after the Covid-19 pandemic meant student exhibitions could not take place. Alongside creating work for the show, the students have taken on full management of the event from curation and marketing to on-site invigilation.

Ceris Burns, Fine Art Degree student, said: “After making art behind closed doors due to COVID, we are extremely excited to be finally showcasing it to the public. Public reaction and feedback are such valuable tools for emerging artists. It can inspire new works, and also make us look at our own creations in a different light. We are really grateful for the opportunity and are very much looking forward to challenging our visitors to step into our world and find out more about the thought process behind our creations.”

The exhibition is free to attend and is on from 5th to 8th December from 10am to 5pm with a later private viewing on day two between 6-8pm.