MK Calling Milton Keynes Gallery

To celebrate 25 years at the heart of Milton Keynes’ art and culture scene, we are working in partnership with five local community groups to co-curate this year’s open call summer exhibition.

This year’s MK Calling features artworks spanning sculpture, painting, photography, installation and film. Over 120 established and emerging artists explore themes including identity, inclusivity, possible futures, heritage, and significant moments across five thematic gallery spaces.

Over the past year, MK Gallery has been collaborating with learners from: MK SNAP, a Milton Keynes-based training provider for learning-disabled adults; The Visually Impaired People (VIP) Group, a group of friends living with sight loss in the local area who have met through different local support organisations; Unknown Collective, a group of under-26-year-old creatives who have previously engaged with MK Gallery’s programme; Members of the Middle Eastern Cultural Group, a platform which provides social activities and language tuition to people from Middle Eastern communities living in Milton Keynes; and adults from Q:Alliance, a registered charity that provides support, information, and empowerment for the LGBTQ+ community in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.

Featured artists: ANDI, Aoccho, Nuha Al Hashimi, Theresa Alix Wren-Enayati Rad, Moe Asari, Sadie Aston, Polly Bates, Sophia Bharmal, Nazira Bibi, Benjamin Bird, Helen Birnbaum, Jared Boechler, Thomas Eke, James Bristow, Anna Brownsted, Roisín Callaghan, Daura Campos, Sophia Chapman, Gayle Charlotte Dallas, Clair Chinnery, Paul Chisholm, JMC Anderson, Helen Clarke, Ladina Clement, Liz Clifford, Sue Cohen, Patrick Ayre and Barbara Ayre (MNID Collective), Allistair Covell, Davies Monaghan Klein, Urban Fabric Architects, Ingrid McLaren, Khulood Dami, Sarah Davis, Vera Doarme, Imo Dunkley, Steve Dutton, Dionne Elizabeth, Deborah Fielding, Darcey Fleming, Sofia Fox Barton, Abie Franklin, Lucy Gregory, Dimitra Gkoutzou, Basak Cansu Guvenkaya, Thompson Hall, Alethia Hayden, Carol He, Cara Heath, Manuel Hechavarria Zaldivar, Mark Houghton, Nour Huda, Yang-En Hume, Kàren J Clements, Ella Jackson, Gity Jamei, Daisy Jones, Helen Jones, Margaret Keeton, Sagar Kharecha, Kishwar Kiani, Simon King, Kyle Kirkpatrick, Akrivi Koukouli, C L Davies, Kwinnie Lê, Alana Lake, Jamie Lee, Dene Leigh, Olana Light, Yingfei Lyu, Chris Madeley, Ana Maria, Lima Dimitrijevic, Zehra Marikar, Nicola McEvoy, Nhlonipho Mchunu, Lois McKendrick, Georgina McNamara, Ryoji Morimoto, Guy Morris, Melanie Mosaics, Tahira Noreen, Rosa-Maria Nuutinen, Chinwe Osaghae, Stella Ouzounidou, Sharon Paulger, Hannah Pickett, Melissa Pierce Murray, Deirdre Porter-Hanson, Reaa Puri, shunshun qi, Gill Quinnell, Ghosson Rahhal, W. B. Randall, Eliza Rawlings, Tina Reid, Elsie Roderiques, Rekha Sameer, Kathy Santiago, Mat Scott, Maheen Sheikh, Ellie Shipman, Sarah Simonds, Ricardo Sleiman, Yasmin Conway, Jenny Staff, Emily Stapleton-Jefferis, Ruth Switalski, Sebastian Thomas, Lisa Tilley, Emma Ogawa Todd, Mita Vaghela, Ruqaya Wajdi, Siao-Chen Wang, Matt Waruszynski, Sarah Watts, Emma Wilde, Alexa Wright, Natasha Wysocki-Douglas, Xinan Yang, Soon Yul Kang.

MK Calling 2024 is generously supported by David Lock Associates, Milton Keynes Community Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Personal Structures, European Cultural Center, Venice

EUROPEAN CULTURAL CENTER/

PERSONAL STRUCTURES 2024/

PALAZZO BEMBO/VENICE, ITALY/

IN THE CONTEXT OF THE 60TH VENICE BIENNALE

EXHIBITION:

AMERICAS. LAND OF DREAMS

CURATED BY MILAGROS BELLO, PHD

APRIL 20-NOVEMBER 24, 2024

"Americas: Land of Dreams" curated by Dr. Milagros Bello, is presented in the European Cultural Centre/ Personal Structures 2024/Palazzo Bembo/Venice, Italy, focuses on the intricate complexity of artistic practices of the Americas and beyond, pointing to how the artists have creatively crystallized their experiences across different social, cultural and anthropological geographies. It reviews multifaceted aspects of the Human Condition, from reveries to apocalyptic, non-objective, and abstract; the works project a vision of critical contemporary Humanity. Artists rooted in narratives of their native or diasporic territories, whose work in various mediums across different geographies, contribute to pressing questions of our time. Embark on a voyage through the fictional cosmos of Magaly Barnola Otaola, Meg Cogburn, Sergio Cesario, Eliana Barbosa, Ricardo Carbonell, Paul D. Chisholm, Sylvia Constantinidis, Mercedes Inaudi, Matt Jacobs, Oksana Kirpenko, Esteban Machado Diaz (Roselle Gallery), Karina Matheus, Clark Medley, Vered Pasternak, Beatriz Sanchez, and Raul A. Vargas.

Dr. Milagros Bello

Curator

EXHIBITION ADDRESS

EUROPEAN CULTURAL CENTER/PALAZZO BEMBO

Riva del Carbon 4793 3014 Venice, Italy

April 20-November 24, 2024

Opening April 20, 2024

Group show Oxo tower london

13 - 17 DECEMBER 2023 BARGEHOUSE

Exhibit Here’s epic Art Maze is back! Join us, as we return to the iconic and atmospheric Bargehouse for five magical days just before Christmas. We warmly invite you to step into our immersive maze of art, which twists and turns through four floors and thirteen characterful rooms. You’ll discover art in every corner that has been thoughtfully curated in this mesmerising space that will leave you feeling enriched with a sense of awe.

We look forward to welcoming you to our show, whether you’re a serious collector or simply an art fanatic who enjoys being in the presence of art, Exhibit Here is passionate about bringing art and people together, creating an exhibition experience that visitors will enjoy and remember.

Daily opening hours: 11am – 6pm, admission free.

If you would like to meet the artists and enjoy a drink with friends, join us on the evening of 13 December 2023 for our festive Private View, where you will be greeted by Chop & Chip, who will have their mobile cash bar set up on the ground floor of Bargehouse, offering guests a full menu including cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer, cider, spirits, and soft drinks.

Private View: 13 December 2023, 6pm – 8.30pm. Early drinks from 4pm.

Featuring a performance by Georgina Ellul, Do You Feel Me? Do You Feel You? Fourth Floor, 6.45pm – 7.45pm. 

Selected Artists: Darren Floyd, Tiane, Roya Khalili, Alexandra Peterken, Andrew Medlock, Rina Bakis, Stephen Grant, Robin Ajder, Liam Collins, Marcela Olivia Dorantes, Clara Finn, Samantha Louise Emery, Sarah Asante, Chris Freeman, Jemima Charrett-Dykes, Annette Aspen, Lorna Ellen, Carly Jayne Roach, Nathaniel Port, Christian Azolan, Louis Judkins, Julie Fitzpatrick, David Caldwell, Joe Stevens, Kate Edmunds, Grace Crisp, Anji Main, Jose Zavala, Claudia De Grandi, Keith Pointing, Alan Dunne, Taidg O, Lucio Scotti, Irene Waters, Daniil Danet, Paul Chisholm, Frances Cooley, Jhimli Banerjee Saha, Shea Vadgama, Lee Tokeley aka LT66, Trig, Jane Bolden, Stephanie Pau, Jennie McCall, Ryan Ford, David Marron, Jacqueline Ito, Jim Grundy, Miguel de Melo, Andy Finlay, Minah Khan, Nabil Hamad, Chino Ridge, Tina Leslie, Aurelie Crisetig, Lai-fan LEE (Fan LEE), Vicki Demirdjian, Philosophical Artist, Keith Markillie, Andrea Seguraz, Millnercorp, Tina Davies, Andrew Moran, Annie Trevorah, Deano Hewitts, Nicholas James Morrison + Wiktoria Sara Piotrowska, MOMAR Malgorzata Marta Zych, Hasti Sardashti, Amanda Sumpter, Rosa Young, Georgina Ellul, Mike Hipwell, Emma Rhys Thomas XeMcgfma#66, Tashi Khan, David Dalley, Paul Gore, Mina Boromand, Jacqueline Prothero, plus more TBC. 

Curator: Leila Bibizadeh

Venue: Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, South Bank, London SE1 9PH

Interview with Metafora Arts Barcelona

LIFE AFTER METÀFORA

Interview with Paul Chisholm

Paul was a student at Metàfora during the Academic Year 2010-2011. It has been a pleasure see his work develop since. Soon, he will be opening a solo show at The Art Fund Prize Gallery, The Lightbox Museum, Woking, Surrey, England.

We asked about his experience on the Metàfora Studio Arts Program, his professionalising process, and of course, about the exhibition taking place between the 7th to 19th November.

What do you remember about your stay at Metàfora, and in Barcelona?

I remember it being the most magical of years. A chance to dedicate oneself fully to their practice, exploring new avenues, directions all under the umbrella of a critical discourse with like-minded artists from across the Globe many of whom are still best friends. Barcelona has a certain vibe and a buzz which reflected deeply in the work I created during that time.

In what ways has your experience at Metàfora helped you become the artist you are today?

At the time of applying to Metàfora I was considering a Masters in London. However I desperately wanted to get out of the rat race which is London and explore Europe. Metàfora really consolidated my practice to which it is today combining painting and conceptual sculpture. The course allowed time for experimentation, trying ideas out and ultimately I made several of my most iconic pieces whilst on the course. The course offered something which I don’t think many U.K colleges can offer…a truly international perspective, a highly conceptual approach and with a lot of 121 tuition and the chance to learn about Art therapy too!

How has your art developed since?

Since leaving Metàfora I lived a few years in Palma de Mallorca where I had an exhibition at Waka. Unfortunately in 2013 I moved back to London but eventually enrolled on an MA at Chelsea College of Arts in 2018. This really supercharged my practice in so many ways, connections, opportunities and a deep re-think of my practice. I now regularly dontate my work to the Terrence Higgins Trust annual Auction at Christies, London where my work has sold for double digits in aid of the charity. I have given talks on my practice in relation to Keith Haring at Tate Liverpool and all sorts of great great platforms which as a young artist at Metàfora I could only dream of. Never give up on your dreams keep creating, exhibiting and applying for things and even when no one else will give you an opportunity make one for your Art! I now live just outside of London in the countryside where I have a large studio subsided by the local council. This enables me to push boundaries in my practice, experiment and dream of sunny days in Barcelona! Art is a journey enjoy it!

(above) Mc Whimsical (below) Screw You, Virus Face

What is your upcoming exhibition about?

My exhibition is entitled The Lost Boys and mostly reflects upon the Aids & HIV epidemic both personal and political. The exhibition will include works made at Metàfora to the present day. This is my first solo Museum show. Which is so exciting! This body of work has been in my mind’s eye for many many years and will survey my practice surrounding these issues. In fact, as an alumni of Metàfora I was lucky enough to be invited back to do a talk on Arts Activism and the Aids Crisis in 2012. This gave me the chance to consolidate and present my research to a new cohort of Metàfora students… What a great opportunity Jette gave me! This area of research has fuelled my practice ever since…. These professional opportunities Metàfora gave me are the foundation for wanting to go on to do a PHD!

How did it happen? Can you expand on your professionalisation process?

My upcoming show is funded via a Developing your artistic practice grant by The Arts Council England plus grants from The Oppenhiem Johns Downes Trust and Visual Aids In New York. Applying for Arts grants is so important in being able to make the work you envision and see it exhibited and get things off the ground. Wherever you are based in the World there are Artist grants you can apply too which will with perseverance make your ideas a reality. Just remember rejection is a part of the process and never give up! It took me eight long years to get ‘Mc Whimsical’ a work I made and created at Metàfora off the ground in Barcelona and at the time it was a small scale installation eventually in 2019 I exhibited 101 creatures from the work in a Gallery in Hoxton U.K. Think big never give up… Dreams can, and do come true…

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

“The lost boys”

at The Art Fund Prize Gallery,
The Lightbox Museum,
Woking, Surrey,
England

Between November 7th -19th 2023

Open daily 10am-5pm.
Entry is free.

+++

The Artist will be present on the 7th of November 1pm-5pm,
and again on the 19th of November 1-5pm

+++

For more information contact
the Artist mrpauldavidchisholm@gmail.com
or the gallery peter@thelightbox.org.uk

thelightbox.org.uk  |   mrpauldavidchisholm.com

 

The title of this exhibition comes from J. M. Barrie’s 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up but refers in the context of this exhibition to the boys who simply couldn’t grow up because of the Aids/ HIV crisis. Although this exhibition refers to Boys throughout its context it is no way limited by gender as this affects us all.

‘A stitch in time saves nine’, meaning if you sort out a problem immediately it may save a lot of extra work later; if you’re lucky! The AIDS crisis and those affected are not so lucky and it took seven long years for any ‘Art’ (Anti-Retroviral Medication) to come in effect and it was another 9 years- 1996 until this medication slowly became effective and in ‘the everyday cushions’ these concerns are played out. These cushions are rough in nature but soft at hand and are a labour of love and frustration, each stitch is a direct sign of life; a life the artist thought he would not live after his diagnosis of HIV in 2007. With each word a contradictory or opposing word appears on the cushions scattered across the gallery floor alongside these are black pencils that lie with red tips alluding to both blood, the black death and  an artist’s career that may have been cut short like so many others in the 80’s and 90’s. Each pencil is varnished with anti-viral glitter this coating both suggesting protection against viruses and a reminder of ever present danger. This steri-coat varnish is often used in hospital settings, without the glitter of course! However each glitter shard stands as another star burning bright and a reminder of those who we have loved and lost.

On the wall hang two poems created using Chat GPT, one which the artist asks to create a poem about  the lost boys due to the Aids Crisis’ and  another ‘the Lost Gay boys due to the Aids crisis’. With each the artist raises questions upon the fact that a Virus knows no boundaries gay or just a boy. It’s interesting to note the change in language used by the AI when instructing it to use a label such as ‘Gay’. Either way the work ends with making the Artist cry.

A soft sculpture entitled ‘My magical mental illness power’ is covered with 101 red ribbons and Nazar badges – the Turkish amulet which deflects the evil eye. The red Ribbon was created as a way of remembrance by a group of 12 Artists in 1991, from the New York Arts charity Visual Aids. (A charity which the artist often exhibits with and is awarded arts grants by) Coupling both of these symbols of hope, remembrance and protection within the context of mental health the artist questions the ongoing stigma associated with HIV and AIDS, whilst simultaneously creating a sculpture which empowers those affected both those lost to history and those struggling today.

In a self-portrait from 2017 the artist has placed a badge on the heart and it states ‘ Over 1 million people die of AIDS each year that’s the population of Amsterdam gone’ This statement came from a poster when the International Aids Conference was held in Amsterdam in 2018 (The Artist splits his time between the City and Surrey, England). Just imagine… ‘That’s an entire city in silence every year, year on year’… Aids is not over…

On the opposing wall a large print of Paul Chisholm’s iconic ‘I’m Tired’ poem stands which was read aloud at the Keith Haring Art and Activism conference at Tate Liverpool in 2019. This work juxtaposes the AI generated poem giving a more human take on our collective consciousness. Ultimately the work ends by saying ‘I’m Tired but never too tired to keep creating Art which someday somewhere may touch another’s soul …’  And I think this exhibition is a testament to that.

About Paul Chisholm

Surrey based artist, Paul Chisholm presents a body of paintings and sculptures from his Lost Boys series which is inspired by the boys lost to the HIV epidemic throughout the decades and related suicide. It also points to stigma faced by those boys affected by HIV within modern day society.

Paul Chisholm (1983) was born in Canterbury, England and brought up in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He studied a BA in Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University (2004) and Metàfora Studio Arts , Barcelona (2011) before doing his MA in Fine Art at Chelsea -College of Art in London (2020). In 2023 he was nominated for the Queer Britain Art Prize. This exhibition is funded by an Art Council England Developing your creative practice grant.

Press Release The Lost Boys at The Lightbox Museum, Woking, Surrey, U.K

Press release

The lost boys, The Art Fund Prize Gallery, The Lightbox Museum, Woking, Surrey, England.

November 7th -19th 2023

Open daily 10am-5pm Entry is free.

The Artist will be present on the 7th of November 1pm-5pm and again on the 19th of November 1-5pm

www.thelightbox..org.uk

www.mrpauldavidchisholm.com

For more information contact the Artist mrpauldavidchisholm@:gmail.com or peter@thelightbox.org.uk  

Surrey based artist, Paul Chisholm presents a body of paintings and sculptures from his Lost Boys series which is inspired by the boys lost to the HIV epidemic throughout the decades and related suicide. It also points to stigma faced by those boys affected by HIV within modern day society.

The title of this exhibition comes from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up but refers in the context of this exhibition to the boys who simply couldn’t grow up because of the Aids/ HIV crisis. Although this exhibition refers to Boys throughout its context it is no way limited by gender as this affects us all.

‘A stitch in time saves nine’, meaning if you sort out a problem immediately it may save a lot of extra work later; if you’re lucky! The AIDS crisis and those affected are not so lucky and it took seven long years for any ‘Art’ (Anti-Retroviral Medication) to come in effect and it was another 9 years- 1996 until this medication slowly became effective and in ‘the everyday cushions’ these concerns are played out. These cushions are rough in nature but soft at hand and are a labour of love and frustration, each stitch is a direct sign of life; a life the artist thought he would not live after his diagnosis of HIV in 2007. With each word a contradictory or opposing word appears on the cushions scattered across the gallery floor alongside these are black pencils that lie with red tips alluding to both blood, the black death and  an artist’s career that may have been cut short like so many others in the 80’s and 90’s. Each pencil is varnished with anti-viral glitter this coating both suggesting protection against viruses and a reminder of ever present danger. This steri-coat varnish is often used in hospital settings, without the glitter of course! However each glitter shard stands as another star burning bright and a reminder of those who we have loved and lost.   

On the wall hang two poems created using Chat GPT, one which the artist asks to create a poem about  the lost boys due to the Aids Crisis’ and  another ‘the Lost Gay boys due to the Aids crisis’. With each the artist raises questions upon the fact that a Virus knows no boundaries gay or just a boy. It’s interesting to note the change in language used by the AI when instructing it to use a label such as ‘Gay’. Either way the work ends with making the Artist cry.  

A soft sculpture entitled ‘My magical mental illness power’ is covered with 101 red ribbons and Nazar badges - the Turkish amulet which deflects the evil eye. The red Ribbon was created as a way of remembrance by a group of 12 Artists in 1991, from the New York Arts charity Visual Aids. (A charity which the artist often exhibits with and is awarded arts grants by) Coupling both of these symbols of hope, remembrance and protection within the context of mental health the artist questions the ongoing stigma associated with HIV and AIDS, whilst simultaneously creating a sculpture which empowers those affected both those lost to history and those struggling today.

 In a self-portrait from 2017 the artist has placed a badge on the heart and it states ‘ Over 1 million people die of AIDS each year that’s the population of Amsterdam gone’ This statement came from a poster when the International Aids Conference was held in Amsterdam in 2018 (The Artist splits his time between the City and Surrey, England). Just imagine… ‘That’s an entire city in silence every year, year on year’…….. Aids is not over…..

On the opposing wall a large print of Paul Chisholm’s iconic ‘I’m Tired’ poem stands which was read aloud at the Keith Haring Art and Activism conference at Tate Liverpool in 2019. This work juxtaposes the AI generated poem giving a more human take on our collective consciousness. Ultimately the work ends by saying ‘I’m Tired but never too tired to keep creating Art which someday somewhere may touch another’s soul ……..’    And I think this exhibition is a testament to that………  

Paul Chisholm (1983) was born in Canterbury, England and brought up in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He studied a BA in Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University (2004) before doing his MA in Fine Art at Chelsea -College of Art in London (2020). In 2023 he was nominated for the Queer Britain Art Prize. This exhibition is funded by an Art Council England Developing your creative practice grant.

BLUE DOT GENERATION @ HOUSE OF VANS, LONDON

Im pleased to say my work " Suffocating Oceans" will be exhibited as a part of the Charity " Blue dot generation at The House of Vans in London. Please see below for more details... 

The Debut @ the Ply Gallery, Crouch End, London.

The Worlds most painful Dildo Press Images

Press Images from Around the World, The work Viral Load was dubbed The world's Most 

Painful Dildo by the World's Media. 

" The Worlds most painful Dildo "

im pleased to say " Viral Load " sold at Christies to a private buyer raising a lot of money for the Terrence Higgins Trust. There has been a lot of publicity about the piece which is all good. However as always with the Media some quotes have been taken out of context. Which saddens me. No one is to blame for a virus and no one should face discrimination, blame or stigma. We are all accountable for our own actions and the consequences that become us. "|Viral load" was originally created to visualise the virus and the pain caused by contracting it. It was NEVER intended to " Get back at " or hurt anyone. " a voodoo doll can also be used for good in your own life or in the lives of others: for love, healing, protection, success" Kind Regards The Artist Mr Paul David Chisholm

You are quite the subversive lad! Quite the provocateur. I was most impressed with your piece Viral Load. As a sculptor myself, I relate best to 3-D form. This is a powerful piece – odd, though, that the excellent accompanying commentary doesn’t mention black as the colour of death. This penis is in part undoubtedly a powerful a statement precisely because it uses black. The HIV crisis was called the “Plague” in my day with its obvious reference to the Black Death/Plague. Is this curator so afraid of not being politically correct he dare not reference black’s symbolic association lest it impute black men’s penises, too? Possibly. Certainly, he views the relevance of the red colour chosen for the pins on the glans as worthy of comment and that they signify ‘Danger” [i.e. HIV virus in the ejaculate] Neither does he reference that this penis is erect. The fact that only in its erect state can the penis be an HIV vector is an important feature . The tumescence is relevant. – ready for action/loaded, so to speak. Flaccid, a penis is not a threat for infection. Bruce Flowers Curator Art Critic 2017

Links To Press 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/606939/World-most-painful-dildo-sex-toy-charity-auction-HIV-positive

http://metro.co.uk/2017/04/20/this-pin-studded-dildo-could-be-the-worlds-most-painful-sex-toy-6585744/

Viral Load THT AUCTION @ Christies, London 2017

Im pleased to anounce my work is up for grabs in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust !

To buy tickets please see : http://www.tht.org.uk/get-involved/Special-events

To view the online Auction book : https://www.tht.org.uk/~/media/Files/Auction/Auction%202017.pdf

To Bid on My art : https://www.tht.org.uk/get-involved/Special-events/The-Auction/Online-auction-lots/Paul-Chisholm

THT is a charity i will forver be in debt to without them at the end of the phone i may well have jumped of a cold dark mountain in Switzerland... the work they do saves peoples lives !