Brian Cass the new Senior Curator of Hayward Gallery Touring at Southbank Centre will expand the program and spread of the program.

ART NEWS: Brian Cass has been appointed Senior Curator of Hayward Gallery Touring at Southbank Centre to continue overseeing its touring program.

BY KAZAD

LONDON- Hayward Gallery Touring at Southbank Centre has appointed Brian Cass Senior Curator. The Senior Curator post was created to succeed Roger Malbert, Head of Hayward Gallery Touring who retired after 34 years of service.  Brian Cass will oversee the Hayward Gallery Touring program under Ralph Rugoff’s direction. His tenure begins November 19.

Presently Head of Exhibitions at Towner Art Gallery, Brian Cass oversees an ambitious program of exhibitions and public programs. He works extensively with British and international artists, creating opportunities for emerging practices. Additionally, Brian has been at the forefront of developing the museum’s Collection, acquiring major works by artists including Dineo Seshee Bopape, Isaac Julien, and Omer Fast amongst others.

Brian Cass joins Hayward Gallery Touring with a world experience. Before working at Towner Art Gallery, Cass was the curator at Trinity College Dublin and The Irish Museum of Modern Art.  In addition, he led and managed the Turner Prize in Derry in 2013.

An avid writer, Brian Cass, has written for exhibition catalogs and artist books. He has also directed and produced programs for film and television. Cass was an external adviser to the Arts Council Collection Acquisitions Committee and in 2018 was a visual arts judge for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Artist’s Award.

Brian Cass is not only delighted by the opportunity to join the Hayward Gallery Touring team, but he is also looking forward to contributing to the program. He notes:

I am thrilled to be joining the Hayward Gallery Touring team and I look forward to contributing to the rich programme of visual arts exhibitions organised by Southbank Centre. I feel Hayward Gallery Touring provides an invaluable contribution to the art scene throughout the UK, developing outstanding programs that inspire and resonate with diverse audiences. I am excited to embrace this new challenge and to work with many regional institutions nationwide.

When Brian Cass eventually takes his position in November, he will be fostering a new direction for the Hayward Gallery Touring program, expanding its reach across Britain.  The program organizes contemporary art exhibitions that tour galleries, museums and other publicly funded venues throughout Britain.

Over the years, Hayward Gallery Touring has been collaborating with artists, independent curators, writers, and partner institutions to develop imaginative exhibitions. Up to half a million people in over 45 cities and towns see these exhibitions every year.

Hayward Gallery Touring exhibitions are carefully organized to complement and expand upon partner-galleries’ programs. While some of the exhibitions are focused on individual artists, others are thought-provoking. They are also varied in scope and size. One of the largest exhibitions of contemporary art produced in the UK organized by the Hayward Gallery Touring is the British Art Show. It takes place every 4 years. Smaller shows organized by the group in monographic print and photography exhibitions that tour to diverse venues. Venues include galleries, museums, arts centers, libraries, and schools.

Ralph Rugoff, Director, Hayward Gallery, is already looking forward to working with Brian Cass. He notes:

I am delighted to welcome Brian Cass to the Hayward Gallery Touring team. Brian’s curatorial creativity and experience outside London make him an ideal person to lead the team in developing innovative and relevant touring exhibitions that will appeal to diverse audiences across the country.

Current Hayward Gallery Touring exhibitions:

As expectations grow at the Hayward Gallery Touring about the appointment of Brian Cass, the program continues with its tradition of presenting notable exhibitions across the United Kingdom. One of the exhibitions organized by the program and presently touring Britain is Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness.

Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness

John Walter, The-Shonky Bar, 2017. In Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness , one of Hayward Gallery Touring exhibitions. Photo: Honathan Bassett

Curated by John Walter of Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre, Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness explores the nature of visual awkwardness. ‘Shonky’ is a slang term meaning corrupt or bent, shoddy or unreliable. Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness features works of artists and architects. They include Arakawa and Gins; Cosima von Bonin; Niki de Saint Phalle; Benedict Drew; Justin Favela; Duggie Fields; Louise Fishman; Friedensreich Hundertwasser; Kate Lepper; Andrew Logan; Plastique Fantastique; Jacolby Satterwhite; Tim Spooner and John Walter.

Hand Drawn, Action Packed

Rinus van de Velde, Hand Drawn Action Packed. Image: Hayward- Gallery Touring exhibitions

Hand Drawn, Action Packed brings together ten international artists whose practice uses drawing to explore the medium’s possibilities for a narrative invention. They include Marcel Dzama; Marcel van Eeden; Inci Eviner; Yun Fei Ji; William Kentridge; Nalini Malani; Otobong Nkanga; Raymond Pettibon; Amy Sillman and Rinus Van de Velde. 

Hand Drawn, Action Packed opened early September at the St Albans Museum + Gallery and will run through November 11. Soon after, the show will go on tour to Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Hunterian Art Gallery in Glasgow, and the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea.

The Hayward Gallery Touring takes small and big art exhibitions to different places across Britain. What do you think about the program? Share your thoughts.