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Building Bridges 2024 Artist Residency
Building Bridges: Local and International Residency 2024
10 May – 7 July 2024
Artcore’s connection with Osnabrück, Derby’s twin city, continued to thrive through sustained partnerships with institutions in Germany. Now in its third year, this collaboration saw two selected artists, Dr. Chris Wright and Ashley Morris, embark on a residency in Osnabrück in 2024. This year’s partnership was with Atelier m82, hosted by Margit Rusert, with the continued support of last year’s partner, Elisabeth Lumme.
The residency began in Derby on 10th May, with the artists working on initial concepts before travelling to Osnabrück in the first week of June. During their time there, they participated in an Open Studio Day, where they showcased their preliminary drawings, sketches, and photographs—works in progress that were later completed in Derby. This residency further strengthened the bond between the two cities and highlighted their shared heritage and creative potential.
This project continues to celebrate the connection between Derby and Osnabrück, fostering artistic exchange and collaboration across borders.
Selected Artists:
Ashley Morris
Ashley is a neurodivergent writer/director from the Midlands. His work is focused on class, poverty and family. Recently, funded by the BFI Doc Society for his short documentary DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?. A documentary about the cost of living crises and female shoplifters of the Midlands. In 2022, he was funded by the BFI for his short film HOME MOVIE. The film is based on real life experiences inspired by old family photographs and memories of growing up in a poorer working class household. In 2019, he was selected for Channel 4’s emerging talent scheme, 4Stories and directed the BAFTA Cymru winning ADULTING for Channel 4’s BAFTA nominated ON THE EDGE anthology of episodes. The directing scheme focuses on finding diverse and exciting new talent in the UK. At the start of 2021, he was put forward by Blacklight TV and Channel 4 for a BAFTA for emerging talent. His work has been screened at Aesthetica Film Festival, Derby Film Festival, Carmarthen Bay Film Festival, BFI Southbank, Portugal Arts Channel, London Short Film Festival. Ashley is currently undertaking a body of work called LOAF exploring working class narratives with lowfi aesthetics.
Dr. Chris Wright
Dr. Chris Wright is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher and writer at the intersection of fine art and philosophy with main concerns of the political, cultural and societal aspects of borders and transitional spaces. With an emphasis on sound and its relationship to time/space, film, installation and performative drawing to create multi-dimensional proposals with myriad interpretations. Recent work includes slow running focusing on listening (UK/ France); improvised music/sound/ sound-songs in site-responsive situations (Canada/France/Italy); an art, science, environment project about the global and local politics and nature of water (UK/France) and a developing interest in the sound of protest (Switzerland).
See Hear Exhibition:
13 July – 31 August
Artcore’s residency program brought Derby and its twin city, Osnabrück, together through a shared artistic exploration. In July, resident artists Dr. Chris Wright and Ashley Morris exhibited their works at Artcore Gallery. The works delved deeply into the connections and references that unite these two cities. The exhibition’s opening night was a lovely event, with many from the community attending to view the thought-provoking pieces.
Dr. Chris Wright, an interdisciplinary artist, explored the themes of borders and transitional spaces. Her installation, … “waits for no-one,” was a highlight of the exhibition. Set against the backdrop of ticking clocks and chimes, a swing invited viewers to sit and move, disrupting their sense of time and place. As participants swung, each motion created a mechanical beat, inviting a meditative or nostalgic reflection, while plants growing around the swing represented time in their own rhythm. Adding to the atmosphere, Chris cultivated tomato plants around the swing inside the gallery, creating a juxtaposition of the swing’s disruption of time and the natural, steady growth of the plants. This dynamic combination brought a multi-sensory experience to the exhibition.
Ashley Morris’s work, “SEE HEAR,” was a collection of moving images and lo-fi photography that began at Derby’s train station and ended at Osnabrück. His work captured the often-unnoticed details of these two cities, creating a visual narrative of the journey between them. Through photography from the train stations and moving images of the journey itself, Morris focused on fleeting moments and snippets of time, revealing the subtle connections between Derby and Osnabrück. By juxtaposing the two cities in his imagery, he established a bridge that highlighted their shared experiences and the beauty in everyday observations.
‘Working with Artcore was a great experience. The residency and exhibition were really well organised and it was a pleasure to work with the Artcore team again.’ – Dr. Chris Wright
In Conversation: ‘See Hear’ Artist Talk + 3C (Creative Community Collab) Networking Event
9 August 2024
As part of the exhibition programming, an artist talk was organised, following Artcore’s tradition of hosting talks alongside its residencies and exhibitions. Interdisciplinary artist Dr. Chris Wright and neurodivergent writer and director Ashley Morris delivered insightful presentations, sharing their experiences from their residency in Osnabrück, Germany. They discussed the creative process behind the works featured in the “See Hear” exhibition, offering the audience a deeper understanding of their artistic journeys and the cross-cultural influences that shaped their work.
In addition to the Artist Talk, Artcore also hosted the 3C (Creative Community Collab) Networking Event as part of the day’s program. The event concluded with a shared lunch at Artcore Gallery, bringing together artists and attendees for further engagement and collaboration, and rounding off a successful celebration of creativity and community.
