LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY at Site Gallery
Creative TouristSite Gallery – Sheffield’s leading international contemporary art venue – relaunches this week following a three-year-long £1.7 million redesign and expansion project. And, like the moments before a magician whips away his veil, we’re very excited to see what the newly-transformed space is like inside. Perhaps playing upon this sense of magic, wonder and allure, Site Gallery’s inaugural exhibition Liquid Crystal Display centres upon the glittering world of crystals.
Though treasured throughout history for their beauty, mystical healing properties and alchemical importance, today crystalline components form a ubiquitous (if often unnoticed) part of our world; imbedded in digital images, computers, mobile phones, optical cables and state-of-the-art medical equipment.
Inviting visitors to become more acquainted with these beautiful, naturally occurring structures, Liquid Crystal Display presents the work of 17 artists. The contributions span a dazzling spectrum of themes; focusing on the liquid crystal phenomena itself through to the links between crystals, capital and contemporary culture.
The exhibition is shaped around Crystal Fabric Fields – an ambitious new sculptural commission by artist Anna Barham, which takes the fundamental geometric form of naturally growing crystals and operates as a cabinet of curiosities, housing the rest of the artworks contained within the show.
Whilst visiting Site Gallery, you’ll also find two new site-specific commissions by artists Tim Etchells and Paul Morrison. Explore our guide to other galleries in Sheffield here.