Curating Happiness

George Vasey, Senior Lecturer in Curating at Teesside University, pursues happiness in the form of an exhibition


How do you curate an exhibition on the theme of happiness? Let me answer. With great difficulty. The subject of happiness has evaded the brightest minds. When my former colleague Laurie Britton Newell and I co-curated the exhibitions Joy & Tranquillity at Wellcome Collection, London in 2021 we were quick to understand our limitations. Let’s just say, spending two years studying the topic of happiness during the unhappiness of the Covid Pandemic was an illuminating experience. With this exhibition we really met our match with this vast and complex theme.

The exhibition recently toured to the Deutsches Hygiene Museum in Dresden, opening as Hello Happiness. Visiting the show on the opening, and seeing much of our original research, brought memories flooded back. On Happiness is expertly curated by Isabel Dzierson supported by the consultancy of myself and Britton Newell.

Deutsches Hygiene museum in Dresden. Photo: Oliver Killig

Working as a curator leaves you with lots of random facts. Here’s one for you: the word emotion was coined in the early 19th century by the philosopher Thomas Brown. Before then, we didn’t really have a concept for an emotional state. People used terms like passions to describe “stirrings of the soul.” These stirrings were to be resisted and the idea of emotion is a fairly recent phenomena.

So, where do you start on a project of this scale? Like any good researcher, we developed a series of questions that guided us through the topic. These included: what do people do to feel good and what does feeling great do to the body? Who defines what makes a happy life and who is excluded from this story? Can happiness be possible alongside unhappiness? Our research took us through ancient bloodletting rituals to Buddhism, 19th century yoga retreats, and medieval folk dances. We spoke to monks, activists, environmentalists, economists, scientists, historians and medical professionals, and commissioned artists and designers to bring the subject to life.

Happiness!

For all of its diverse forms, the ways to a happy life across history and communities share much in common. From creativity to meditation retreats, losing yourself on the dance floor to helping out in the local community, most forms of happiness revolve around a loss of the self. The philosopher Iris Murdoch called it “ego-loss” when the mind is occupied and the person is involved in something greater than the self. From secular to religious rituals, these paths towards ego-loss are found in every society since the dawn of time.

I learned that philosophically, feeling happy and the idea of happiness are slightly different concepts. The notion of a happy life is founded on the concepts of freedom, financial security, a sense of belonging and purpose. Scandinavian countries often feature high in international happiness surveys, many of their citizens benefiting from strong welfare support and high standards of living. Of course, emotions aren’t universally felt. How we feel is deeply physical and is constructed through memories and socialisation.

Happiness!

Feeling good can encompass a broad range of feelings from tranquillity to elation, catharsis to ecstasy and is often fleeting. Feeling good might accompany feeling bad. We might help others to feel good about ourselves or partake in destructive tendencies for that momentary dopamine hit. The quest for happiness can lead to perpetual unhappiness.

The most interesting aspect of my research involved talking to scientists and understanding the physical impact of hormones on the body. I talked to researchers who studied choir singers with evidenced levels of increased Oxycotin. This bonding hormone is involved in building trust and empathy. I talked to medical professionals who rhapsodised on the importance of Vitamin D and its ability to regulate mood. I learned that most of the feel-good hormone serotonin is in our stomach and not our brains and that a balanced diet is crucial in maintaining it. Did I learn any secrets to happiness while curating the topic? Sorry to disappoint but there are no quick fixes: regular sleep, exercise, a balanced diet and participating in cultural and community activities are all proven activities for improving wellbeing.

Happiness!

Isabel Dzierson has done a fantastic job of the exhibition, expanding on much of our original curatorial research. The exhibition boasts over 150 objects and artworks that bring the topic to life. The museum’s PR led with one of our original questions: why an exhibition happiness and why now? From the cost of living crisis to the environmental emergency, war in Ukraine to rising levels of political unrest seen across the globe, the question of what makes us feel good feels more vital than ever.

Happiness!

Hello Happiness runs from 27th May to 19th November 2023 at Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden.

George Vasey is a Curator and a Senior Lecturer in Curating in the School of Arts & Creative Industries, Teesside University.

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Fine Art students exhibit across Middlesbrough

This August sees a number of fine art students from the School of Arts & Creative Industries at Teesside University exhibiting their work for the general public to see


Friday 19th August sees the opening of an exhibition at Parkside West  featuring the work of MA Fine Art students. Titled ‘FEMELLE’, the exhibition is a showcase of the work of female artists including:

  • Amy Austin
  • Charley Duffy
  • Robyn Fyfe
  • Vanessa Langford
  • Donna Morris
  • Evelyn Rodgers

Amy, Charley and Donna all completed BA Hons Fine Art degrees in the School of Arts & Creative Industries at Teesside University before progressing on to study their masters in Fine Art.  Along with Robyn, a studio holder at Auxiliary, they have all been accepted onto teacher training courses in September, with a view to sharing their creative talents with the next generation of arts students.

Vanessa is an experienced Community Arts Practitioner of 20 years. She is looking forward to working towards showing her work in the local area on completion of her MA.

Evelyn also completed a BA (Hons) Fine Art at Teesside University and she has plans to develop her sculptural and textile practice, working towards exhibiting locally after her MA studies.

The exhibition opens to public viewing at Parkside West, Middlesbrough TS2 3LF at 10am on Friday 19th August, closing at 4pm. On the 20th August the exhibition is open between 10am and 2pm.

Another Fine Art student, Ellen Ranson, is currently exhibiting her most recent work, inspired by a fellowship in Venice, at Pineapple Black in Middlesbrough until 20th August. Ellen is an abstract expressionist painter who works on large canvases, using bright colours and layers to create a sense of depth on the canvas.

Ellen Ranson

 

Scatter at Saabat Gallery

Scatter is a current exhbition at the Saabat Gallery in Middlesbrough featuring a showcase of works created with artist and academic Henwar Baker as part of her PhD studies at the the School of Arts & Creative Industries, Teesside University.


Pop by the Saabat Gallery on Southbank this week to see their latest exhibition, showing until 3rd June, featuring the work of artist and PhD student Henwar Baker in collaboration with a group of women from Iraq and the Kirdish community.

Henwar at the opening of Scatter on 7th May

The exhibition, Scatter, opened on 7th May and is the culmination of a programme of workshops that were delivered over 6 weeks at Culture CIC.

Henwar collaborated with eight women from the Iraqi and Kurdish diaspora to express themselves through creativity and to explore their relationship with the Northeast of England.

A variety of artistic techniques were explored each week and the images on display at the exhibition were chosen to tell their first-hand experiences and stories.  

 

Henwar is studying for her PhD at the School of Arts & Creative Industries and more of her work can be seen on Instagram.

 

 

Henwar at the opening of the exhibition with Professor Sarah Perks from the School of Arts & Creative Industries

To find out more about upcoming exhibitions, events and programmes at Saabat Gallery, follow them on Facebook or visit their website

Curating – what’s it all about?

Straight from latest issue of the  School of Arts & Creative Industries Magazine , we’re sharing extracts from an interview with MIMA’s exhibitions and collection curator, Helen Welford, who tells us a little bit about her job.


Helen studied BA (Hons) Fine Art in Manchester. Following graduation she moved back to the region and set up a studio. Keen to further her learning she undertook an MA Art Museum and Gallery Studies and began curating at Newcastle University, as well as getting involved with Saltburn Artists Projects. Helen’s role at MIMA has changed over the years. Beginning as a gallery assistant, she moved up through the ranks from assistant curator to exhibitions and collections curator

“My favourite thing about being a curator is working with artists to develop ideas for shows. I love working on commissions and helping artists develop new work. My job is incredibly varied and every day is different. From studio visits to planning an exhibition to designing the gallery’s look and feel, it can be very creative.”

The School of Arts & Creative Industries at Teesside University offers an MA Curating as well as a Degree Apprenticeship in Curating, which awards an MA Curating along with the apprenticeship qualification. The degree apprenticeship offers an excellent opportunity for individuals in a curating role to gain a masters level qualification in their specialism whilst discovering the benefits of networking with other like-minded curators, studying part-time in our international art gallery and museum MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art), whilst still working and earning.

Helen’s advise for anyone considering a career in curating – “I recommend that you see as much art as possible. Read magazines and websites and soak it all up. Go to as much locally as you can but also try and go further afield. Art online has really advanced during the pandemic and it can be a great place to come across new artists. Go to openings and meet people. Ask for support and mentoring, people are happy to help. Middlesbrough is a great place to be in the art world and make things happen.”

Find out more about our Curating Degree Apprenticeship (MA)

 

 

MIMA and Me

Clare Varga talks about the decision to return to university to study for a journalism degree as a mature student and the internship opportunity this opened up for her

At the ripe old age of 35, I decided it was about time I got the degree I had been promising myself since I was 18, so I studied Media and Communications BA (Hons) degree at the School of Arts & Creative Industries.  I have always been interested in the media and the arts and after graduating I was given a really exciting opportunity to work at MIMA gallery as an intern for 3 months. I have learned a huge amount in that three months.

My role focusses on supporting the communications manager with activities both in MIMA gallery and with the School of Arts & Creative Industries.  As well as being passionate about media in of all its various forms I am an appreciator of the arts, so I feel incredibly lucky to be working in such a fantastic environment, surrounded by such creativity.

I’ve always enjoyed art. I love the way that everyone interprets works in their own individual way, and also how a piece of art can evoke such strong emotions.  I’ve really enjoyed learning about how a gallery is run and I have been working on social media plans, public relations and have been contacting the media, both local and national about events and activities going on at MIMA Gallery.

I have also been witness to the flurry of excitement and activity that goes on just before a big exhibition opening. Chemical City opened on 25th November, and in the days and weeks beforehand, MIMA was a hive of activity. This culminated in an opening night event, which I had the privilege of not only attending, but also helped at the event. Seeing the gallery change from one exhibition, to an empty space and then filled with a whole new show was fascinating. I really had no idea how much work went into staging an exhibition and that the planning takes place a year or two beforehand, there’s a lot involved in putting on an exhibition – as I have learned! I was also privileged to have a sneak peak of the exhibition with a guided tour from Helen Welford, curator at MIMA, before it was opened to the public.

Ive also been really surprised to see how involved with the community MIMA is. From schools to elders, MIMA is at the heart of Middlesbrough. The recently launched Saturday Club, for 13-16 year olds has been a roaring success and I’ve seen some of the amazing work that they have produced.

I will be sad to leave MIMA when my internship is at its end, but I will be eternally grateful to the team for allowing me to join them and learn so much about what they do, as well as utilising the skills I learned during my degree. Anyone who is thinking about a creative career path, I would 100% recommend experience in an arts and culture environment.

You can find out more about creative subjects to study at the School of Arts Creative Industries here

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