Visual art exhibitions and events with a platform for critical writing
S1 Artspace, Sheffield
18 June
Reviewed by: S Mark Gubb
From the moment the personal invite from Stanley Handson dropped through my letterbox, looking somewhat like a certificate you would have been awarded at school, the construct was underway. All that I, and fifty others, knew was that we had been invited to the awards ceremony for Burgundy Leisure, somewhere in Sheffield.
After being herded onto a bus by a very efficient burgundy jacket-wearing employee of Burgundy Leisure, a short bus ride from S1 Artspace pitched us up at the grandly named Oakhill Suite, the function room of The Brincliffe Oaks. After a brief welcome on the steps from Lesley Eager, we all headed upstairs for a Babycham reception.
Considered naff was the order of the night, right down to the courtesy bowls of Wotsits on each table. We sat and clapped our way through a selection of performances and videoed acceptance speeches from the likes of 'Best Dance Act', Miracle Buckle; though my money was on the rather darkly named, Dance for Daddy. Unfortunately, the 'Best Locksmith' category had been dropped at the last minute and hastily scribbled from each of the printed programmes detailing the running order of the night.
The event was immaculately crafted at every level, by artist Susannah Hewlett, to give the feel of a depressingly bad corporate leisure awards ceremony. My only reservation is that with the genius of Phoenix Nights parodying this world so completely, an event such as this maybe needs to dip even further in to the reality of this world to appear anything more than just another parody.
Highlight of the night for me was Peter and his downtrodden female employee, dragged along, out-of-office hours, to yet another corporate function. Her dissatisfaction, along with his disinterest, was played out for the benefit of us art watchers, building to an argument and a storming out mid-awards. There were tears, there was laughter, there was Babycham'
Writer detail:
S Mark Gubb is an artist based in Nottingham.
smarkgubb@hotmail.com |
www.smarkgubb.com
Venue detail:
S1 Artspace
Units 4A-6B Trafalgar Court, Milton Street, Sheffield S1 4JU
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