Exhibitions & Art, Mixed Media.
Go On Being So includes works drawn from the Arts Council Collection of more than 8,000 works of British art. Go On Being So is curated by MBA Collective, a group of art, photography and graphics students from Mounts Bay Academy aged between 12 and 16 years. An incidental conversation between the 14 students around what it means to be a global citizen was the starting point for their exploration of the Arts Council Collection, bringing together an intriguing selection of works that say something about the world today and their place in it. James Green, Gallery Director explained, "Our involvement in the Arts Council Collection National Partners Programme has given us an extraordinary opportunity to test new curatorial models that invite groups and individuals to have their voice heard as part of our main gallery programme. This exhibition is the first in that mould." MBA Collective looked for works which resonated with them, while also considering pieces that illustrated issues other young people in different parts of the world may be facing. "We chose works that said something about big issues for us personally, and are universal to people of our age, such as mental health and equality," explained the Collective. Artists include Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Claudette Johnson, Young In Hong, and Ross Sinclair. The title Go On Being So refers to their quest for strength and resilience; "things might not be too good but there's still life, you're still living, there's still beauty in it", as demonstrated in works such as Karl Ohiri's How to Mend A Broken Heart, and Rod Dickinson's Egg Bag. The title also acts as a provocation, reflected in works such as Gavin Jantjes' Freedom Hunters and Donald Rodney's Self Portrait: Black Men Public Enemy; "it then becomes a challenge: Go On Being So - Can we? Should we?" Jill Constantine, Director, Arts Council Collection has said, "We are delighted that the students of Mounts Bay Academy have been given this opportunity to work directly with the Arts Council Collection and take real ownership of their project. In a time when there is so much turmoil in the world, the opportunity to hear the voices of a younger generation has never been more important." An Arts Council Collection National Partner Programme Exhibition
