In Return

Sheffield Institute of the Arts Gallery, Sheffield. February 2nd – 21st 2016. 'In Return' presents the latest work of Returns, a group of artist researchers from Sheffield Hallam University and Nottingham Trent University who have been exploring the legacy of post-industrial landscapes and production. Returns developed from Topographies of the Obsolete, an international cross-disciplinary project initiated by Bergen Academy of Art and Design, Norway which used the former Spode ceramics factory in Stoke-on-Trent as a place from which to consider urban ruins, and the artefacts to be found there. Since then, the researchers have focused their attention on other locations including brownfield sites in Sheffield, the brick works of Staffordshire, and the streets of Detroit, and they have repurposed objects and patterns derived from historical ceramics and the domestic contexts in which they would normally be used. The work in this exhibition included large scale wall drawings, sculpture, video, sound, photography and practices of walking; whilst the artists work independently to pursue their own inquiry, they return to bring their diverse findings into proximity, creating a critical conversation about making and re-making in the post industrial age. During the exhibition there were three events in the gallery: Wednesday 3rd February 2016 – 1-2pm C3RI Lunchtime Research Seminar Chloë Brown and Joanne Lee spoke about the Returns research project. Wednesday 10th February 2016- 1-2pm Using each of the artworks in the exhibition as points of departure, Andrew Brown created a sound walk that guided participants through the SIA Gallery. Pre–loaded onto iPods the soundtrack lasted for around 30 minutes. This event followed the sound walk as a group with the artist. Wednesday 17th February 2016 – 7-8pm Joanne Lee was in conversation about her ongoing work on the terrain vague, in an event in collaboration with Practising Place: a programme of conversations about art practice and place, curated by Elaine Speight and Prof Charles Quick of In Certain Places, University of Central Lancashire https://practisingplace.wordpress.com Chloë Brown exhibited two films made in response to this research: 'Dancing in the Boardroom (Turnin’ my Heartbeat Up)' 2013 and 'Dancing in the Street', 2016. Joanne Lee presented a photographic projection: "Neepsend Sequence" 2016. Other artist/researchers:, Andrew Brown, Danica Maier, Debra Swann and Christine Stevens. Keyword : In Return, post-indusrty, artist, art.