Better Business / Member news
‘AbCo presents; LTD Press’ – an exhibition of resilience, creativity, and community impact
Curating exhibitions is never smooth sailing. Deadlines slip, emails vanish into the void, and artists drop out at the last minute. Previous group shows have had an air of chaos disguised as creativity, as has this one. Somehow, Co-organiser and Alfie Newland have generally kept ahead of a rough Chat-GPT schedule, made for AbCo Presents: LTD Press – launch event and exhibition.
Days before the show 80 A5 flyers have been printed, on 250gsm cartridge stock paper (Far thinner than initially requested. Due to time restraints, this will have to do.
However, after eight years of living in Bristol, I have come to expect that the few days before the event launch is when people generally show interest and buy tickets. Bristol is as busy as ever, and people rarely know their weekend schedule before the start of the week.
Balancing full-time jobs while organising a show like this proves difficult at times. Plenty of people have put together shows with more finesse, sure—but we’re holding our own.
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Two weeks before installation, tensions usually hit boiling point. For us, it’s been more of a simmer. Alfie and I tend to communicate through a bombardment of stressful texts the night before meetings, relentless nagging, and a touch of empty threats of violence.
This may seem toxic to friends who hear my constant gripes about the project, but it gets things done.
Plans inevitably go sideways—artists, schedules, logistics go out the window when it comes to it—but the trick is not to panic. Setbacks add an edge and a tension you are able feel in the room.
On the bright side, Bristol Beer Factory’s ‘Brew-to-Give’ program has given us encouragement, donating over 100 liters of beer and cider. This will hopefully fuel the crowd and lubricate their pockets, to help us raise funds for foodbanks and suicide prevention programs in Bristol.
Although the event is intended for artists to their sell work and friends and family to enjoy the work being displayed, the sobering reality of financial insecurity and the ongoing lack of mental health support due to 12 years of austerity, is reflected in the work we have selected.
The Loft Gallery is situated on the fourth floor of the Tobacco Factory. It’s part AirBnB, part corporate retreat—a mix of grit and gloss that mirrors the contradictions of the art world.
With support from gallery coordinator Catherine Raspail and owner George Ferguson, we’ve managed to secure it without bankrupting ourselves—a small victory in an otherwise shoestring operation.
This exhibition doubles as the launch of Limited Press, our new artist agency offering free representation to artists who aren’t able to navigate the gallery system alone.
Artists often doubt their own work, or are unsure of its worth or “displayability.” That’s where curators step in—not just as organizers but as producers who frame the work of artists and connect it to the right audience.
AbCo Presents; LTD Press exhibition and launch will be held at the loft of Tobacco Factory – photo: Tobacco Factory
During my time at UWE Spike Island, under the guidance of Lizzie Lloyd and Kit Paulson, I learned to appreciate the nuances of contemporary art—the play of form, colour, and what sets current progressive works apart. Artists like Rothko, Hesse, Christo— pushed boundaries and changed the rules.
For this show, we’ve sought out artists like amycoaten.art , hollymilner and rafaelabarbu to name a few, who do the same, by introducing sound, technology and progressive values into their work and embody resilience and creativity.
At its core, art is a luxury— this show embraces the tension between different classes. By showing support for these causes we’re creating a space for the audience to explore themes of vulnerability and resilience.
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Curating, in the end, is like herding cats. Some artists undersell their brilliance, others overinflate their mediocrity, and it’s our job to pull it all together into something that resonates. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and worth every bit of stress.
This is an opinion piece by Abnormalist Collective (AbCo). “AbCo Presents; LTD Press” marks the launch of their new artist agency, LTD Press, where an array of exciting contemporary artists are brought together.
The show will be open from November 28 to December 1, in The Loft at Tobacco Factory, Southville, BS3 1TF.
For tickets, visit www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/tobacco-factory
Main photo: AbCo
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