On the Edge: Two group exhibitions by Royal Society of Sculptors members in London at Espacio Gallery and Oxford at Ovada.

Chad, Tere, Russell, Caroline, Elliott, Emma and Olczak, Susie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9615-5514 (2023) On the Edge: Two group exhibitions by Royal Society of Sculptors members in London at Espacio Gallery and Oxford at Ovada. [Show/Exhibition]

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Abstract

After more than 75 years of peace in Europe, it appeared that the idea of stability had been taken for granted. Generations had experienced decades of economic growth, innovation and relative prosperity. Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February, together with the ensuing energy crisis, and alongside the long-term effects of climate change reshaping landscapes, this period of stability came to be regarded as increasingly precarious. In the first exhibition Olczak and Elliott exhibted their work Where the Jungle Meets the Sea...The World is Split in Two. In Oxford they showed their work In Solidarity. As sculptors, the artists engaged not only in aesthetic production, but in practices that sought to extend formal boundaries, interrogate prevailing conditions and contribute to wider social discourse. In this context, a group of artists affiliated with the Royal Society of Sculptors in London convened to produce work that responded to, and critically reflected upon, the implications of maintaining a sculptural practice under conditions shaped by war and climate crisis. At a moment characterised by global uncertainty, the question arose as to how and why artists might respond. The exhibition, co-curated by Tere Chad, Caroline Russell and Emma Elliott, drew upon a quotation by the Ukrainian poet Boris Khersonsky, which informed sustained discussion among the participating artists over the course of nearly a year of online meetings: ‘Every hut in our beloved country is on the edge. And to be honest, I’m on the edge too. I felt sorry for the ones at the centre.’ Olczak showed collaborative film work made with Emma Eliott as part of these shows.

Item Type:	Show/Exhibition
Related URLs:	https://www.ovada.org.uk/
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR N Fine Arts > NB Sculpture
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Arts, Culture and Environment
Depositing User:	Susie Olczak
Date Deposited:	04 Jun 2026 11:02
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2026 11:02
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15986

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