Exchange – Experimentation – Collaboration
A Rogue Studios and Chinese Arts Centre Residency Swap Project with Nicola Dale, Geoff Molyneux and Yu-Chen Wang
Rogue Project Space 15 – 23 April
Preview 14 April 6-8pm

As part of a new project experiment between Chinese Arts Centre and Rogue Artist Studios, our current artist in residence Yu-Chen Wang left the familiarity of her in-house studio space for two artist studio spaces in Rogue. For 10 intensive days, Yu-Chen Wang and Rogue artists Nicola Dale and Geoff Molyneux exchanged studio spaces in a three way swap. Both Rogue artists spent time individually responding to their new environment of the Chinese Arts Centre residency, whilst Yu-Chen split her time away from the centre between both Nicola and Geoff’s studios. The three artists have then come together to share, reflect and create new works in the Rogue Project
Space.

Basing her work on the constraints of a five day residency at Chinese Arts Centre, Nicola Dale has created 5 sculptural paper studies, each made of 5 parts. Responding initially to Yu-Chen’s research and images of industrial revolution in her residency space, Nicola decided to shift the focus of research in the space from industrial to a natural revolution. Reflecting on recent natural disasters and our continual shifting environment, the 5 studies created represent this ever increasing tension between nature and culture. The folds of the paper echo forms of an open book, whilst the colours and curves used also suggest the image of a wave in the sea. This clash of culture/nature and changing environment allows Nicola’s studies to work on two levels. They firstly reflect onpertinent environmental issues and concerns of how society struggles to handle these changes. Secondly the studies give subtle references to the change in environment each artist has taken for this project, and how this shift in place can shift the direction of their developing practice.

On entering Chinese Arts Centre’s residency space, Geoff Molyneux was inspired to engage with the environment and team at Chinese Arts Centre to form his works in progress for the project space. Using the 6 members of CAC staff as his initial line of investigation, Geoff spent time in the residency space with each individual discussing identity, memories and aspirations. From continual dialogue and research with the 6 members of staff, came the next step; the decision to ask for 6 precious objects belonging to each person. Continuing to work with these collected objects whilst in the residency space, Geoff experimented with Chinese text and Chinese Inks to create 6 photographic and ink drawing based representations of each object. Each image simultaneously evokes the personal memories and aspirations shared between artist and participant.

For Yu-Chen’s residency swap, the artist wished to focus on exploring and re-valuating the existing internal structures and found objects she discovered in Geoff and Nicola’s studio spaces and the Rogue Project Space itself. Responding to existing elements of the Rogue building, looking at everything from piping to cracks in the floor, Yu-Chen is trying to encourage the audience to shift their focus on the often unnoticed details of Rogue’s architecture. Alongside paying attention to the building’s structural elements, Yu-Chen also selected an image and object from Geoff and Nicola’s studios, to bring into the project space as part of her installation. Yu-Chen’s works in progress consist of various small components of individual investigations. Each component only comes together on the day of installing. This allows a further element of immediate site responsive work and experimentation to take place in the space. Yu-Chen’s intricate drawing becomes a sculptural work when the paper itself is folded out from the wall. Her wooden sculptural interventions sit within the space almost as static performances. The swing appears desperate to be used and the ‘H’ shape seems to jump out from the existing marks of the project space floor, but they remain still, awaiting for interaction and response from the audience.

All three artists have come together to share ideas, environments and different ways of working for this experimental project between Rogue and Chinese Arts Centre. Our thanks go to all the Rogue artists who helped make this project a reality and our special thanks go to local artist, Lu Di, for all his support in the show’s installation. For more information about the artists involved follow:
www.rogueartistsstudios.co.uk, www.chinese-arts-centre.org and www.yuchenwang.com