Curating
New Routes
New Routes (January - June 2021) was a collaboration between Shed Project and art therapy service-users at South London And Maudsley Hospital exploring how creativity can foster community.
It began as a mail art initiative between curatorial collective Shed Project and art therapy service users at South London and Maudsley Hospital (SLAM). Relying on the post required slow communication - allowing everyone (including the team of then-student curators) to get to know one another gradually and carefully.
When lockdown eased, we transitioned into weekly meet-ups in Camberwell to draw, paint and chat. Discussions about art strengthened our connections. Themes and links between practices emerged, techniques were shared and people started making collaboratively. The atmosphere was casual, kind and creative.
It culminated in an outdoor exhibition, celebrating our collaboration.
For the first half of the project, none of us had ever met IRL. Shed Project began collaborating via online meetings.
We made a zine documenting the mail-art half of the project.
Making and getting to know everyone after months of collaboration via post
Drawing session
Drawing session
Reviewing work for thematic connections
A constellation of work, inspired by Donna Haraway's 'string theory'
Planning
Shed Project IRL!
Editing audio interviews for a sound installation at the exhibition
Private view
The artists' output each week was prolific. We chose to represent this by wallpapering one of the exhibition structures with photocopies of the works.
Teamwork = Dreamwork