Calum Wallis & Rhona Jack : An Isolated Process
Rhona Jack and Calum Wallis were artists in residence at MERZ from March through to May 2020. Their tactile hand and wind powered devices could not provide the playful exhibition they had hoped. Drawings of their machines featured in an outdoor exhibition – Inside : Outside – on the street facing side of MERZ. Calum... Read More
Monika Alff : World Collage Day Diary
Monika Alff has been artist in residence at MERZ and curated the 8th May’s World Collage Day in the gallery. Monika’s video diary explores the exhibition and her workshop at the community arts centre, A’ the Airts.
Michele Marcoux : Abandoned Cottage Diary
In April 2021 Michele Marcoux undertook a month-long artist’s residency at MERZ Gallery in Sanquhar for the research and development of new work and the opportunity to build relationships with the artists and community at MERZ. While there she developed creative ideas to re-centre her practice working on small observational paintings and drawings to develop... Read More
Olivia Irvine : MERZ Diary # 4 Pamphy Linns
MERZ artist in residence Olivia Irvine was in Sanquhar during March. In her local explorations to paint and draw she visited the celebrated ‘faerie dell’ at Pamphy Linns many times. The Kirkconnel poet Alexander Anderson wrote in ‘A Walk to Pamphy Linns’:- We reach’d a belt of wood at last, And with a lusty cheer... Read More
CARDBOARD CONVERSATIONS
CARDBOARD CONVERSATIONS was a lockdown project at MERZ involving local and international artists, primary school, college and university students. The project was coordinated ‘remotely’ by Lydia Brockless and Millie Laing-Tate of the Royal College of Art. Due to lockdown restrictions on gallery visits the exhibition served as the ‘stage-set’ for work to be assembled and... Read More
Olivia Irvine : MERZ Diary #3
Olivia Irvine writes: ‘I put together the charcoal drawings from around the bothy, the river Euchan and some older drawings to make two large collages. I had worked out beforehand where things would go, but made some changes as I went along. The idea of collaging time is interesting. Although I am not from the... Read More
Olivia Irvine : MERZ Diary #2
Olivia Irvine is the MERZ Artist in Residence for March 2021: ‘After my first week of drawing down by the River Euchan and around the MERZ Bothy, I started thinking of ways to combine the drawings. I went back to the locations to gather more material, in particular, darker drawings and close-ups. I tried mixing... Read More
Olivia Irvine : MERZ residency diary #1
“After a brief visit to MERZ around Hallowe’en I thought this is definitely the place for me – because of the amazing location within a friendly town offering direct access to the countryside and because of the connection with Kurt Schwitters and Hannah Hoch. Not least because the accommodation and work-spaces are self-contained, MERZ offers... Read More
KAZUKO KIZAWA : EXHIBITION
Kazuko‘s exhibition at MERZ went ahead between the 26th and 28th December. Unfortunately the inclusion of Sanquhar in Level 4 from the 26th prevented Kazuko from receiving visitors. This short film provides a record of Kazuko‘s exhibition while in residency at MERZ from November through to early January.
Susannah Horton : Two Day Residency at MERZ
Landscape architecture student Susannah Horton stayed at MERZ for a couple of days in December. Susannah explored Charles Jencks’ Multiverse. “Multiverse is fascinating. Even in poor weather, it’s fun to explore, and the windiness only added drama!” Our short film clip samples several events at the Crawick Multiverse as it evolved from 2015. Film credits... Read More
Kazuko Kizawa : SPECTRUM-Sound-Light
Kazuko Kizawa has been artist in residence at MERZ since mid November. Kazuko is planning to install some Video Installation Works at MERZ at then end of December. Kazuko has been on a Journey since the end of August. Her journey started in Helsinki, Finland, before coming to Sanquhar and then travelling to Ireland early... Read More
Jeff Zimmer : Glass Artist
From our former site, www.craftscotland.tv, artist-maker Jeff Zimmer uses traditional glass painting techniques on layers of glass to create enigmatic three-dimensional scenes. Jeff was showing his work at SOFA Chicago with Craft Scotland in November 2014 and the film will be shown over the next year following Glass Lives Week at North Lands Creative in... Read More
Choi Keeryong : Glass Artist
From our former site site, www.craftscotland.tv, artist-maker Choi Keeryong creates pieces of blown glass decorated using an ‘inlaid colouring’ technique combined with locally manufactured porcelain sourced from local car-boot sales. Choi was showing his work at SOFA Chicago with Craft Scotland in November 2014 and is now featured in Glass Lives Week at North Lands... Read More
Kurt Schwitters & Hannah Höch
Led by Helen Fox of Fox & Hounds Theatre Company local artists, designers and makers are working towards producing a short play imagining an exchange between Hannah Höch and Kurt Schwitters in the mid-1940s. Costume designer Tatiana Medina provided a design for the Hannah Höch costume which is currently being taken forward by Denise Zygadlo... Read More
Further Pottery News from MERZ
Across four locations artists are seeking to find ways to make the clay from the Sanquhar clay-fields more malleable. There are several recommended additions to add to make clay it easier to work. As yet small quantities of epsom salts, bentonite and vinegar have not made much difference to the clay’s plasticity. In the last... Read More
Sanquhar Pottery Project : November Update
Clay from the clay-fields that served the former Sanquhar Brickworks drying in the greenhouse at MERZ. Samples of clay have been posted to Maggie Broadley to explore in glazing. Meanwhile Sara Kennedy is adding epsom salts to see if the clay she has received can be made more ‘plastic’. An auger has arrived to help... Read More
Morane Le Coz : Designing MERZ catalogues, story and book
Designer and Illustrator Morane Le Coz was artist in residence at MERZ during lockdown. Morane worked with P6 at Sanquhar Primary to illustrate the story-book Torquil Tower. Morane returned to France in May and has been designing our exhibition catalogues and the catalogue of the Wallpaper Collective. Recently Morane has been redesigning David Rushton’s Analytical... Read More
Play : Hannah Höch & Kurt Schwitters
Helen Fox of Fox and Hound Theatre Company is preparing work with local artists, performers and makers to craft a play about Hannah Höch and Kurt Schwitters. The play will be staged on the sculpture green at MERZ around the two art-houses that depict the faces of Höch and Schwitters. MERZ and A’ the Airts... Read More