Sleep Spaghetti (Wishful Thinking), 2023
Cotton fabric, polysterene filling (recycled)
12m x 12m
For their tenth anniversary, Site Gallery’s youth collective Society of Explorers invited me to help them design Wishful Thinking, an exhibition exploring how galleries can be a space for reflection, immersion and rest.
Wishful Thinking comes from the expression of the same name, and how the needs and desires of young people are often dismissed. Through a series of workshops, Society of Explorers explored their hopes for a space that feels like a sanctuary for the mind and spirit in the midst of a chaotic world, as one of the group stated - “to zoom out and slow down the swirling and worries in my brain”.
The group wanted to find ways of making the gallery space feel different while working sustainably by remixing and reusing materials. Site Gallery has gratefully received fabric and cushions from The Design Museum, London, Partly Cloudy Tables by McCloy + Muchemwa and Mitre & Mondays, and traditional wall vinyl has been replaced by paper posters to reduce environmental impact.
The Society of Explores have collaborated with artists Lucie Kordacova and Gregory Herbert over a series of workshops to create new artworks that take inspiration from nature and provide visitors with a space for ‘Soft Fascination’ to reflect and daydream. This constructed environment will also frame a programme of concerts and intergenerational workshops, as well as showcase events from different community groups in Sheffield.
Cotton fabric, polysterene filling (recycled)
12m x 12m
For their tenth anniversary, Site Gallery’s youth collective Society of Explorers invited me to help them design Wishful Thinking, an exhibition exploring how galleries can be a space for reflection, immersion and rest.
Wishful Thinking comes from the expression of the same name, and how the needs and desires of young people are often dismissed. Through a series of workshops, Society of Explorers explored their hopes for a space that feels like a sanctuary for the mind and spirit in the midst of a chaotic world, as one of the group stated - “to zoom out and slow down the swirling and worries in my brain”.
The group wanted to find ways of making the gallery space feel different while working sustainably by remixing and reusing materials. Site Gallery has gratefully received fabric and cushions from The Design Museum, London, Partly Cloudy Tables by McCloy + Muchemwa and Mitre & Mondays, and traditional wall vinyl has been replaced by paper posters to reduce environmental impact.
The Society of Explores have collaborated with artists Lucie Kordacova and Gregory Herbert over a series of workshops to create new artworks that take inspiration from nature and provide visitors with a space for ‘Soft Fascination’ to reflect and daydream. This constructed environment will also frame a programme of concerts and intergenerational workshops, as well as showcase events from different community groups in Sheffield.
The Society of Explorers are a collective of young people aged 14 – 19 who meet weekly at the gallery to collaborate with artists, create their own artwork, and help to develop Site Gallery’s programme. The group has been running since 2013 and alumni from the group also sit on the Board of Trustees of the organisation. The Explorers are a key stakeholder in helping Site Gallery bring the voices and influence of young people into the organisation.
The Society of Explorers are: Amelie, Cecilia, Diyana, Edie, Isabelle, Isobel, Jay, Kolbie, Liesl, Lila, Nate, Otto, Ruby, Sage, Sofiia, Tilly and Zak.
Participation Assistants: Maya Douglas and Lauren Pirie-Scott,
Technicians: Ryan Kalkman, Karolina Mikeskova, Alex Pain and Sophie Smart.
Participation Manager: Peter Martin
Participation Producer: Alfie Heffer
Curation and Text: Peter Martin
All Images, Installation view of Wishful Thinking, 2023. Site Gallery, Sheffield Photo: Shared Programme, 2023
