Chris Evans
Radical Loyalty
6 October – 12 November 2006
Thursday – Sunday, 1 – 6pm
Preview: Thursday 5 October 2006, 6 – 9pm
Publication Launch: 7 November 2006, 6 – 8.30pm at STORE Gallery, London
Template for the signage for Radical Loyalty Sculpture Park
Wall painting, 2006
Chris Evans
COURTESY OF THE ARTIST & STORE GALLERY, LONDON
Chris Evans works in the spaces where patronage, be it private, corporate or political, meets art. Often offering himself as a consultant, he initiates dialogues with company directors, public bodies and individuals. These dialogues result in art works; sculptural manifestations taken from conversation and discussion result in the production of various forms ranging from a chalky-looking sculpture of a rock to a sculpture of a rat and a cockroach.
Maquette of sculpture proposed by board member Kari Vaiha, Manager of Environment, Sonera-Telia Telecom, Helsinki
Bronze & Patina, 2003
Chris Evans
COURTESY OF THE ARTIST & STORE GALLERY, LONDON
Radical Loyalty begun in 2003 when the artist purchased an unpromising piece of land in Järvakandi, an industrial town 80km south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and since then has been in the process of turning it into a sculpture park due to open in the summer 2007. Evans asked a number of Managing Directors from international companies such as Daimler Chysler Finance, Schlumberger Oil and Starbucks how each would envision loyalty and how loyalty might be thought of as radical. He then produced a series of gravure prints and maquettes from these conversations Evans has recruited a team of Estonian artisans - responsible for building the country's monuments during the Soviet era - to construct for the park the sculptures based on the gravure prints and maquettes. The exhibition at Studio Voltaire will feature the complete set of maquettes from the series alongside newly commissioned works.
Residents of Jarvakandi on the future site of Radical Loyalty Sculpture Park
Photograph, 2004
Chris Evans
COURTESY OF THE ARTIST & STORE GALLERY, LONDON
This event forms the first part of a four-part National Touring Programme organised by Studio Voltaire, whose partners include International Project Space, Birmingham; Chapter Gallery, Cardiff and Outpost Gallery, Norwich. Each exhibition will present a separate project by Chris Evans. Integral to the touring project is a new publication by the artist, Magnetic Promenade and other sculpture parks; an illustrated book of fictional sculpture parks with contributions by thirteen writers and artists including Rita McBride, Mike Nelson, Keren Cytter, Will Holder, Will Bradley, Niru Ratnam, Will Holder, Liam Gillick, Jon Wood, Jaki Irvine, Joanne Tatham & Tom O'Sullivan, Graham Fagen and Natasha Soobramanian.
Supported by Arts Council England and The Henry Moore Foundation
With kind support from Arts Council of Wales and STORE Gallery, London