Under the Northern Sky at Signal Film & Media
Sara Jaspan, Exhibitions Editor
Bringing together new work by 13 artists from across Cumbria and the North West, Under the Northern Sky at Signal Film & Media in Barrow-in-Furness presents an exciting series of pioneering experiments in creative technology and digital media.
Featuring short films, photography, sound art, video projection, textiles and large-scale interactive artworks presented within Signal’s grade II listed Cooke’s Studios, the exhibition will be based around the theme of ‘interconnectivity’ both within and between different communities. Each commission will also explore the coastal town of Barrow’s relationship to the wider world through its history and industry, alongside important universal themes around connection in the digital age.
The launch weekend (1-2 Mar) is not to be missed, with a talk by Leeds-based interactive arts studio Invisible Flock about their highly sensory installations which explore art and technology within unusual landscapes; and a series of free activities including a zine making and DIY pinhole camera workshop, and two creative writing sessions in partnership with Furness Refugee Support.
Under the Northern Sky will feature commissions by Jack Brown, Rachel Capovila, Julia Parks, Philip Green, Keeley Bentley, Amy Story, Samra Mayanja, Jenn Mattison, Sam Pickett, Cat Scott, Joe Beedles, Laura M R Harrison and Jessica Mallard. It marks the culmination of the North West Artist Development Lab, a mentorship programme with input from BAFTA-nominated artist & creative technologist Daniel John Jones, the former director of Liverpool’s The Royal Standard Ellie Barrett, and curator at Grundy Art Gallery Paulette Brien among others.
