Firstsite
Encyclopedia
Firstsite is a £28 million art gallery in Colchester
, Essex
which opened in 2011. It was designed by Rafael Viñoly
. It is situated in Colchester's 'culture quarter' near the Norman Colchester Castle
, the Natural History Museum, Hollytrees Museum
and Colchester's Roman Wall. It will show a wide range of temporary exhibitions, starting with 'Camulodunum', while it also cooperates with Essex University to show South American Art.
criticized the sloping walls and the architect, Viñoly. It also examined it in terms of the economic expectations towards it and in comparison with other regional galleries. However, The Independent
praised the inaugural exhibition Camulodunum. The Daily Telegraph
has criticized the expense of the project.
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
which opened in 2011. It was designed by Rafael Viñoly
Rafael Viñoly
Rafael Viñoly is an Uruguayan architect living in the United States.-Biography:He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay to Román Viñoly Barreto, and Maria Beceiro ....
. It is situated in Colchester's 'culture quarter' near the Norman Colchester Castle
Colchester Castle
Colchester Castle in Colchester, Essex is an example of a largely complete Norman castle. It is a Grade I listed building.-Construction:At one and a half times the size of the Tower of London's White Tower, Colchester's keep is the largest ever built in Britain and the largest surviving example in...
, the Natural History Museum, Hollytrees Museum
Hollytrees Museum
Hollytrees Museum is a free to visit, publicly owned museum in the centre of Colchester and close to Colchester Castle. It is situated in an eighteenth-century house , which was used as a private residence until 1929, when it became a museum....
and Colchester's Roman Wall. It will show a wide range of temporary exhibitions, starting with 'Camulodunum', while it also cooperates with Essex University to show South American Art.
Exhibitions
- Camulodunum - includes work by Ai WeiweiAi WeiweiAi Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008...
, Grayson PerryGrayson PerryGrayson Perry is an English artist, known mainly for his ceramic vases and cross-dressing. Perry's vases have classical forms and are decorated in bright colours, depicting subjects at odds with their attractive appearance. There is a strong autobiographical element in his work, in which images of...
, Henry MooreHenry MooreHenry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
, Barbara HepworthBarbara HepworthDame Barbara Hepworth DBE was an English sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism, and with such contemporaries as Ivon Hitchens, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo she helped to develop modern art in Britain.-Life and work:Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth was born on 10 January 1903 in Wakefield,...
and Andy WarholAndy WarholAndrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
.
Critical Appraisal
The gallery's opening received a considerable evaluation in the press. The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
criticized the sloping walls and the architect, Viñoly. It also examined it in terms of the economic expectations towards it and in comparison with other regional galleries. However, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
praised the inaugural exhibition Camulodunum. The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
has criticized the expense of the project.
See also
- The Hepworth WakefieldThe Hepworth WakefieldThe Hepworth Wakefield is an art gallery in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, which opened on 21 May 2011. The gallery, is situated on the south side of the River Calder and takes its name from artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth who was born and educated in the city.The gallery was designed by...
- Middlesbrough Institute of Modern ArtMiddlesbrough Institute of Modern ArtMiddlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, or mima, is a contemporary art gallery based in the centre of Middlesbrough, England. The gallery was formally launched on Sunday 27 January 2007...
- Turner Contemporary
- Tate St IvesTate St IvesTate St Ives is an art gallery in St Ives, Cornwall, England, exhibiting work by modern British artists, including work of the St Ives School. The three storey building, designed by architects Evans and Shalev, lies on the site of an old gas works, overlooking Porthmeor Beach. It was opened in...
- Baltic Centre for Contemporary ArtBALTIC Centre for Contemporary ArtThe Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is an international centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the River Tyne alongside the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in Gateshead, North East England, United Kingdom...
- Nottingham ContemporaryNottingham ContemporaryNottingham Contemporary is a contemporary art centre in the Lace Market area of Nottingham...