Join us and artist Barry Sykes for the twelfth Studio Social event where artists share on recent work.
Barry Sykes will discuss his ongoing research project Sauna as Studio. After a number of residencies in Scandinavia, he became interested in the traditional sauna ritual as a space to explore his interests in awkward interaction, authenticity and play through events and workshops and, more recently, as an artist studio.
Expect discussion that touches on our relationships to pleasure and participation; how we interact and understand ourselves; and experiments with stillness, laughter and relaxation.
Free, all welcome, booking required.
Barry Sykes (born 1976, Essex, lives and works in Walthamstow, London) makes drawings, sculptures and events that unpick our relationships to pleasure, value and participation. Using instinctive, imprecise, often absurd methods, he devises games, processes and lesson plans that ask us to reflect on how we interact and understand ourselves. Often working at the edges of value, skill and acceptable behaviour, recent activity has looked at how we channel these concerns through our bodies, in experiments with laughter, stillness, exercise and relaxation.
Often acting as a host, guide or teacher, recent projects in 2024/5 have been developed for various organisations including Roger Ascham Primary School, London; Focal Point Gallery, Southend; Goldsmith's College, London and The Together Space disability charity.
Studio Social: a series of online artist talks. In each session, an artist will share one recent work or project with time for Q&A. This series profiles artists for whom both people and place are at the centre of their practice.
Artists who have contributed to this series;
Adam Bridgland, Chris Alton, Emma Smith, Ellie Harrison, Ian Nesbitt, Ania Bas, Owen Griffiths, Dana Olarescu. Amy Pennington. Harun Morrison and Maria Proshkowska.
Studio Socials are generously supported by Arts Council England.
Image courtesy of the artist.