In 2019 Nottingham-based artists Emily Stollery and Yelena Popova were selected as two of six recipients of a new Sculpture Production Award. Conceived by Pangaea Sculptors’ Centre and open to emerging artists working in 3D, based within the UK but outside of London, the Award provides six sculptors with skills mentoring and a £1,000 production grant towards the realisation of a new work.
In the months since receiving their awards, Emily and Yelena have spent time in their studios, on location, in residence and with fabricators, to research and realise new work. This work is now complete and ready to be shown to the public.
Yelena Popova, ‘The Scholar Stones Project’
Exhibition: Friday 7 February – Thursday 27 March 2020
Private View: Thursday 6 February 17:30 – 19:30
The Holden Gallery, Manchester Metropolitan University
Pangaea Sculptors’ Centre and the Holden Gallery present Yelena Popova, ‘The Scholar Stones Project’. Working across a range of media including installation, painting and tapestry, Yelena’s interdisciplinary project addresses an ongoing fascination with nuclear history and materiality. The exploration into nuclear heritage reflects on Popova’s autobiographical history, having grown up in Ozyorsk, Russia, a secret closed city, and the birthplace of the Soviet nuclear-weapons programme. Over the last year she has been visited decommissioned nuclear sites around the UK as part of a self-appointed enquiry. ‘The Scholar Stones Project’ is the culmination of her research, exploring the deep connections between our nuclear industry, the landscape and the passage of time.
Emily Stollery: Tangible Nothings and Momentary Happenings
Exhibition: Thursday 20 February – Saturday 14 March 2020
Private View: Thursday 20 February 18:00 – 21:00
Four/Four, Primary, 33 Seely Road, Nottingham, NG7 1NU
Pangaea Sculptors’ Centre and Nottingham-based Four/Four are delighted to present Emily’s first solo exhibition,Tangible Nothings and Momentary Happenings. Her sculptural practice focuses on form and is led by the seductive properties of materials. Manipulating materials in ways that go against their natural propensity, her resulting sculptural assemblages openly manifest the struggles of her process. The exhibited artwork is a result of a two-week on site residency, responding to the specific and physical context of the gallery. Added to this will pieces cast in aluminium and bronze at Lockbund Sculpture Foundry, as part of the Award.
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The Sculpture Production Award 2019 is funded by Arts Council England and Pangaea Sculptors’ Centre. With special thanks to CVAN EM, CVAN South East, Eastside Projects, New Art West Midlands, STEAMhouse and the Yorkshire & Humber Visual Arts Network for supporting the cost of administering the Open Call to ensure it remains free to apply.
Programme partners: Branch Arts, Castlefield Gallery, Coventry Biennial, CVAN EM, CVAN South East, Eastside Projects, New Art West Midlands, New Contemporaries, Primary, STEAMhouse, Temporary Contemporary, Yorkshire & Humber Visual Arts Network, Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Additional partners for this residency and exhibition are Four/Four and Lockbund Sculpture Foundry.