Open Wednesdays-Saturdays, 1-4pm*
Free and open to all
A joint exhibition with Adelle A’asante as part of our New Creatives programme.
*Please note, the gallery will be closed between Friday 29th March and Saturday 6th April inclusive, and on Saturday 4th, Saturday 18th, Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th and Saturday 25th May.
About the Exhibition
Radix was an interactive and participatory exhibition created by Rachel Rea and explored themes around plant sciences, from microbial and visual stimuli to germinating and growing living plants. Through learning more about the complexities of the world beneath our feet, the exhibition explored the pivotal role played by soil health to each stage of our lives and the ongoing climate emergency.
Radix showed us root systems as a material and a bio fabric that the artist would continue to develop and manipulate as this research-led project continued. Rachel Rea revealed the unseen world of full civilisations and organisms in the ground that we know so little about but inform our health and each stage of our lives.
The exhibition acted as an introduction to scientific subjects in a visually stunning and accessible way for visitors. Through a range of engagement activities, visitors were invited to explore hitherto unknown worlds beneath the ground. Join us to explore using microscopes to look at the microbial world through to examining the health of plants as they respond to the world around us, and embark on a symbiotic and rewarding experience.
Photos © Matt Radcliffe Photo and Film
Check out these events as part of the New Creatives exhibition
Family DROP IN: PLANT sCIENCES
Join our family drop in session for all ages to have fun being creative with art and science! You’ll explore and learn about plant sciences, from microbial, visual stimuli to germinating and growing living plants with artist Rachel Rea.
About the Artist: Rachel Rea
Rachel comes from a costume, textile and theatre designer based in West Yorkshire. Her current work investigates mediums that engage audiences in a sensory way that is perceived using light, textiles and three dimensional forms that make the physical attributes of an installation. The work can be tactile, visual and atmospheric, and with the choice of topics in the work that she makes and collaborates in, these techniques are effective in communicating some pressing concerns of our time: ‘waste and consumption of plastic products and the devastation of vital ecological systems by climate change’.
Rachel’s artistic practice is a dynamic exploration of material communication, circularity, and the intricate interplay between the human-made and the natural world. Grounded in an appreciation for the multifaceted systems of existence, she often delves into themes of biomimicry, drawing inspiration from nature while integrating closed-loop systems into her creative process.
Approaching each project with a spirit of openness and co-creation, Rachel allows materials to guide her, fostering unexpected discoveries in mediums such as textile, sculpture, and light. Working with waste materials, she challenges conventional notions of wastefulness, creatively repurposing forms to engage audiences through STEAM-based methods and interactive elements that invite community participation.
About the New Creatives Project
Real living wage traineeship programmes
New Creatives was a training and mentorship programme that would help to kick start the careers of four emerging artists in Calderdale.
During their six-month paid placement, the successful candidates had the opportunity to earn, learn and create at the same time. They would gain valuable skills and mentoring tailored to their practise and were supported in developing a new cultural activity that would engage and inspire the people of Calderdale to be more creative in their everyday lives. In October 2023 we were pleased to welcome the first two artists to the programme, Rachel Rea and Adelle A’asante. We shared news about their journey as well as recruited the next two positions in the spring of 2024.
With the support of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council’s Culture Grants, New Creatives sought to address some of the challenges and barriers that exist in the cultural sector by empowering the next generation of visual artists underrepresented by the cultural sector.