Shortlisted Artists Announced for Hatton Offsite Commission Showcase

From the dozens of artists who submitted proposals to an open call in spring 2016, Catrin Huber, Toby Paterson, and duo Harriet Sutcliffe & Jack Mutton have been selected to develop designs for a roaming pavilion (temporary architectural structure) which will tour around Newcastle and Gateshead in spring/summer 2017.

The proposals will be unveiled at the exhibition Showcase: Designs for a Touring Pavilion, which opens at the Laing Art Gallery later this month.

Julie Milne, Chief Curator of Art Galleries said:

‘We are really excited to announce the names of the shortlisted artists. We put out an open call to develop a commission responding to the history and collection of the Hatton Gallery.

“The brief was to design a roaming pavilion inspired in particular by the internationally significant projects undertaken in the 1950s and 1960s by artists such as Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore who taught in the Fine Art department at Newcastle University. The responses by the selected artists were outstanding in their creativity, and we can’t wait to show them at the Laing Art Gallery.”

Showcase: Designs for a Touring Pavilion is part of the offsite programme which aims to maintain the profile of the Hatton Gallery whilst it is closed for a £3.8million refurbishment, which has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

When the gallery reopens in 2017, it will be transformed into a vibrant and modern exhibition space bringing about a new era for art and learning in the city.

Gallery improvements will include conserving the architectural and historical elements of the building whilst modernising the gallery to allow for flexible exhibition facilities, a dedicated multi - purpose learning space, improved lighting, a new picture store and conservation and reinterpretation of Kurt Schwitters’ iconic Merz Barn Wall.

Showcase: Designs for a Touring Pavilion has been supported by money raised through Arts Council England’s Catalyst Arts: capacity building and match funding scheme. The exhibition is on show at the Laing Art Gallery until October 2016.

Image credits left to right: Harriet Sutcliffe, An Exhibit III, 2013. Courtesy the artist. Toby Paterson, Crooked Path, 2015. Courtesy the artist and The Modern Institute /Toby Webster Ltd, Glasgow. Photo: Gilmar Ribeiro. Catrin Huber, Swirl, 2009. Courtesy the artist. Photo: M Franke.