The research included meeting artists and artist groups throughout the UK and in Toronto and Budapest. Click here to read Pest's Toronto blog and here to find out about our Budapest trip.
Pest Publications present artist-led projects initiated in Domestic Spaces, Museums & Archives and Social Spaces. Each publication will be produced in collaboration with other artists, who have been invited to present or instigate new projects within the space, and they will be launched by events in Preston and other locations. Please visit the contact us link to find out how you can get your own free copies of all three publications.
Pest is supported by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, through Manchester Castlefield Gallery's Project Space scheme, and the Arts Council England Northwest.
August 7–September 6, 2009
Pest participating in This & That International Mail Art Swap, San Francisco, California, USA
Pest were invited by Californian artist, Christine Wong Yap to participate in an mailart/ artist exchange project alongside 31 other multi-disciplinary visual artists from the United Kingdom, US, Vienna, Prague, Manila and Hong Kong.
Pest submitted one of their 50 limited editions, will is currently being exhibited alongside the other artworks as part of Involved, Socially, an exhibition curated by Michelle Blade at Triple Base Gallery in San Francisco.
Click here for more information about This & That.
Tuesday 21st July
3rd and final Pest publication now available!
The final copy of Pest, Social Spaces is now out! If you are already on the Pest mailing list you should receive your copy in the next few days, if not order your free copy by e-mailing info@pestpublications.org.uk
Thursday 9th July 6-8 pm
Launch of Social Spaces edition
Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt Street, Manchester, M15 4GB
Join us in celebrating the launch of the 3rd and final Pest publication. The evening will feature music by Manchester band, Victorian Dad and performance by artist Martin Hamblen.
Party food and drinks will be provided!
Special offer for the launch night: the Pest Limited Edition - 50 box sets with artworks by Rebecca Chesney, Elaine Speight and Robina Llewellyn will be available for £18 (normal price £22)
Friday 22nd May, 2009
Domestic Spaces edition 'sold out'!
The free editions of the first Pest publication have now all been taken. However, there will be an opportunity to buy one of 50 copies, as part of a Pest box set which includes 3 limited-edition art works. Details to follow in the next few weeks...
Wednesday 29th April, 2009
Putting the Pest into Budapest!
Pest have been awarded a NAN (Networking Artists Networks) bursary from AN magazine to visit artist groups in Budapest on 16th, 17th and 18th May. Details and documentation of the trip will be available in the Pest Office at Project Space Leeds, or on the Pest Office blog.
Wednesday 29th April, 2009
The Pest Office
Pest have set up a blog to document the Pest Office, our contribution to the Morphic Resonance exhibition at Project Space Leeds. Click here to find out more.
Wednesday 1st April - Saturday 27th June 2009
Pest at Project Space Leeds
Pest have been selected to take part in PSL's latest experimental project and exhibition, 'Morphic Resonance'. Click here for more information.
Friday 13th March - Sunday 31st May 2009
Pest at FACT, Liverpool
Copies of Pest are included in the Small Publishing Resource Area, as part of 'Climate For Change', FACT's latest exhibition. 'Climate For Change' is "a unique experiment in activism, engagement and networking, examining the multiple crises affecting the planet - from ecological to financial, food to housing." Click here for more information.
Thursday 5th March 2009
Museums and Archives edition out now!
The second edition of Pest Publications is available now! The publication explores how and why artists initiate projects in museums and archives, and includes an essay by curator Bryony Bond and artwork by Gaenor Deacon. Publications are free but limited to 1,000 copies which are already going fast! To get your own copy please send your name and address to info@pestpublications.org.uk
Monday 16th February 2009
Launch of Museums and Archives edition
Pest are hosting an informal afternoon of tea, cakes and art at the Museum of Lancashire on Wednesday 25th February, 3pm – 5pm, to mark the launch of Museums and Archives, the second Pest publication.
Museums and Archives examines the ways in which artists can work alongside curators and archivists to re-imagine museum collections and activate hidden archives. It includes artwork by Preston artist Gaenor Deacon, an essay by Manchester curator Bryony Bond and an essay by Pest presenting the findings of a national research project in which curators, archivists and artists were asked about their experiences of working together.
The event will include a short presentation by Pest, a talk by Leander Wolstenholme, Curator of Botany at Manchester Museum and a chance to chat to artist Gaenor Deacon. Each guest will also receive a free copy of the limited-edition publication.
The event is free, but places are limited and booking is essential. To book a place please e-mail info@pestpublications.org.uk
Doemstic Spaces edition now available!
The first Pest Publication is now available! This edition features an essay by Nottingham based curator, Jennie Syson and artwork by Stoke-On-Trent artist, Anna Francis. This edition is the first of three publications and will act as a pilot for the project. To find out how to get hold of your free copy, please visit the 'contact us' section of this site.
7pm til late
Launch of Domestic Spaces edition
The first Pest Publication will be launched simultaneously at the following venues:
5 Jordan St, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 4JZ
and
24 Osborne St, Preston, PR1 8PN
The venues will be connected via a three way 'live link-up' with Toronto's Convenience Gallery (http://www.conveniencegallery.com/)
Editions of the publication will be given out for free to each person who brings along a piece of artwork to either venue. The artwork can be absolutely anything as long as it is no bigger than A6 (2D) or 3cm cubed (3D). All artworks will be displayed on a windowsill in Preston or Stoke before being 'toured' to the other venue.
For more information, please phone Elaine on 01772 905102 or e-mail info@pestpublications.org.uk
Public talk by Toronto Gallery director
Following their research trip to Toronto, Pest will present their research findings as an introduction to Dave Dyment’s talk on the art scene in Toronto.
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Venue: PAD Gallery, 10-14 Market Street, PRESTON, PR1 2AR
FREE ADMISSION
To book please call Castlefield Gallery on 0161 832 8034 or email events@castlefieldgallery.co.uk with your contact details and number of places
Dave Dyment is an artist, writer and curator living in Toronto. He has curated numerous exhibitions at Art Metropole (where he was employed from 2000 - 2004) and Mercer Union (where he was the Director of Programming from 2004 - 2008), as well at YYZ Artists' Outlet, Harbourfront Centre, and +15. From 2001 to 2006 he was a member of the artist-run Performance Art festival 7a*11d and he is currently curating Zone C for Toronto's Nuit Blanche. He is the co-founder of the Nothing Else Press, who recently published a mail-art project by Jonathan Monk. Future planned editions include Paul Butler and David Shrigley. His writings have appeared in numerous artist catalogues, as well as artist-run publications such as Mix, C Magazine and Lola. He has hosted concert events by Rodney Graham, Michael Snow and Christian Marclay. Currently he is in the artist-in-residency at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, his work has been seen in exhibitions across Canada, as well as Dublin and New York City. Examples of his audio work can be heard on the Walter Phillips publication "Aural Cultures", and on the CD New Life After Fire, a collaboration with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. Further examples can be seen/heard at www.davedyment.com. He is represented in Toronto by MKG127.
