Inspiration

Interesting artist showing at Alonofini Gallery in Bristol. This show finishes on the 18th of Feb so I thought I would share my pictures from the gallery and the commentary that goes with the show. The work uses junked technological materials (wire, circuit boards, keyboards etc.) to set up complex patterns and rich textured surfaces. The swirling patterns are mostly created with old electrical wire tightly curled and held in place with nails.

You can hear the soundcloud commentary here.

Gallery wall text: Eregata presents the work of Elias Sime, one of Ethiopia's leading contemporary artists, in his first major solo exhibition in Europe. Through exploring Sime's relationship to a body of work that spans over 22 years of practice, an artist of extraordinary patience is revealed.

These collections can take Sime years to collate, as he searches out the exact material with which to complete a composition. Yet, the increasing speed in which communications and information technology has developed is often at odds with the time it takes to make the work: "My art is about slowing it down. The work forces me to slow down." The exhibition's title, Eregata - a combination of Amharic and the ancient script Geez - has grown from this approach. Its closest translation in English is the word serene, reflecting Sime's response to the work. It also acts as a counterpoint to the constant churn and movement of the world around us: "We struggle to stop and sleep because our brains are constantly stimulated by technology. We are constantly moving faster, not slower."Eregata creates space to explore the many themes that weave throughout Sime's work, such as communication. From computer keys used to tap out a thousand emails to the megaphones which amplify our voices, the technology we use to communicate with one another is at the forefront of Sime's work. Recognising the many hands through which these materials have often travelled, human stories can also be found within each and every one. A physical containers of stories, lives and love, the works in Eregata embody time past and future, the noise of technological progress and the quietness of human touch, recording traces, emotions and fingerprints Eregata can therefore be seen as an invitation for us to slow down as we each make our own journey through the exhibition: "When we walk slow... we see more, when we talk less, we learn more."