‘In Response’ at Blue Shop Cottage A ‘The Viewing Room’ Exhibition Curated by Cassandra Bowes
Blue Shop Cottage is by no means a large space but, by the magic of excellent curating, an exhibition of 20 works was hung not only with enough space to admire each work but with intuitive and gorgeous grouping.
The Viewing Room online platform is dedicated to “socially conscious collecting”, a mission to “shape art collections of the future that are truly diverse and representative” through “inclusivity, diversity and accessibility”
The Viewing Room
The exhibition had works in a range of sizes (and, for budding collectors, a range of prices) and championed colourful works by emerging artists. The room was filled with colour, a quality which unified the hang.
‘In Response’ featured Mafalda Figueiredo, Sola Olulode, Kemi Onabule, James Owens, Rebecca Sammon, Cathy Tabbakh, and Hannah Tilson. Despite their different styles, each artist’s work seemed to belong to the same visual universe. This is the hallmark of a well-curated Group Show.
The space regularly holds exhibitions as well as workshops, dinners, and life-drawing. The shop has a domestic air which gives the exhibitions an unpretentious, welcoming feeling. Making the artworld approachable and accessible is exactly what Blue Shop stands for. ‘In Response’ was a call for artists to respond “to the environments around them… present[ing] nuanced and intimate explorations of identity.” The homeliness of Blue Shop Cottage made this the venue for the job.
The Viewing Room is the latest venture from Cassandra Bowes. Bowes is a gallerist, curator, and brains behind the successful Instagram account @the_arts_editor. The Viewing Room online platform is dedicated to “socially conscious collecting”, a mission to “shape art collections of the future that are truly diverse and representative” through “inclusivity, diversity and accessibility” . They also support a different charitable cause each month. This is what the artworld needs right now.
We look forward to the next Viewing Room exhibitions and Blue Shop’s upcoming hangs.
Read an exclusive interview with Cassandra Bowes here
Read an exclusive interview with Blue Shop Cottage here
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©2020 Cassandra Bowes, The arts editor, Blue Shop Cottage, The Viewing Room Gallery
Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate from the University of Oxford, artist consultant, writer, and podcast host. Her written work focuses on London’s contemporary art scene
