Art without words

Thursday 06 February 2014

Jersey and French artists are to work together on a four-day exchange using their work as a common language.

Lisa Le Brocq, Ian Rolls, Kerry Jane Warner, Lucie Marie-Holt, Christine Finn and Matt Daly were all picked for the collaborative project at Hamptonne which starts on 10 February. They will be working alongside four artists from St. Malo.

The aim of the project is to transcend barriers by using art as the common language. Organisers hope the artists will develop a new creative language through art, good humour and play.

Jersey Arts Trust’s Arts Development Officer Sasha Gibb, said: “It is common for people to get embarrassed and restricted by their poor language skills and these difficulties are often the reason cultural exchanges do not take place. Artists have the ability to express themselves without relying on a verbal language. I’m delighted to be working with Bruce van Barthold, a communication expert from Paris to see how we might help the artists develop a collaborative body of work without relying on their mother tongue.

 “Although the artists are still unaware who else is taking part, we shall be working with painters, print makers, metal workers, sculptors, photographer/ film maker, conceptual and mixed media artists from both side of the Channel. The commitment of all the artists is very high and we are excited about the cultural and artistic potential of them all working together.”

Their work will go on show at Jersey Museum from Friday 14 February.

The Jersey Arts Trust hope the experience will be the beginning of a strong and continuing artistic and cultural relationship with French and Breton artists and will lead to further artistic exchanges in the future.