Romantic Detachment (Q Arts)

Bringing with it the work of 49 of the contemporary art world's leading artists in a bizarre and epic take on romanticism. From exploding haggis to customised tea urns, through to work with the Game Boy Dump in the USA, Romantic Detachment explores the romantic hinterland between Rimbaud and Rambo.

This major project was created on Roosevelt Island and at P.S.1 MoMa in NewYork in October this year. Romantic Detachment was conceived by Grizedale Arts with the support of The Henry Moore Foundation Contemporary Projects. Work in the exhibition includes a collaborative project by Turner Prize nominee Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, who have kindly provided refreshment for visitors in the form of a decorative tea-urn. Emily Wardill presents films made in New York and Yorkshire based on a scene of a decadent dinner party in Hausmann’s Against Nature and New Contemporaries star David Blandy shows a new video work documenting a pilgrimage made by the artist to sites of teenage significance dressed in the apparel of a monk.

To accompany the exhibition, Q have invited people to make a series of pin badges that reflect their own interpretation of ‘Romance’ or ‘Romanticism’. The contributors include artists, theatre directors, dancers, writers, musicians and young people as well as members of Q Arts’ team. The badges cost £1 each and proceeds were donated to the Coronary Prevention Group.

ASSOCIATED EVENTS

Launch
A performance by The Romantic Detachment Band and young British art duo, Juneau/Projects. Based in Birmingham, Juneau/Projects (a.k.a. Phil Duckworth and Ben Sadler) have developed their practice in reaction to the status of ‘electronic consumer goods in general culture’.
Often their projects are realised in rural settings and involve the most commonplace and banal of electronic products (mobile phones, computer hardware, camcorders, dictaphones) which are generally destroyed in diverse and often surprising ways. Their performance for Q Arts featured cuddly toys and MP3 players.

Playback
Tap your feet to the experimental sounds of The Dust Collectors. This innovative band draw upon themes set by the exhibition and combine the sounds of flugelhorns, the spoken word, flamenco guitars, the double bass and car engines to create a suitably unromantic mood for the evening. The sound performance was also accompanied by tap dancing.

Cinema Extreme
Romance blossom and bled on the silver screen, and Metro Cinema presented a film night on the theme of Romantic Detachment. This evening featured films, performances and talks by artists who are part of the Romantic Detachment project. d

Feedback
Alistair Hudson, curator from Grizedale Arts talked about the Romantic Detachment Project. Grizedale Arts is a commissioning and residency agency based in Grizedale Forest in the Lake District of Great Britain.

Romantic Detachment received the support of The Henry Moore Foundation Contemporary Projects, Northern Rock Foundation, The British Council, Arts Magnet and Rural Regeneration Cumbria.

For more information contact Q Arts