Exhibitions / Group

The Sheffield Pavilion 2009

Büyük Londra Hotel, Beyoğlu, Istanbul
17 – 20 September 2009

The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 was a screening programme and limited-edition DVD publication produced by Sheffield Contemporary Art Forum and launched during the opening week of the 11th Istanbul Biennial.

Exhibition Text

Presented at the historic Büyük Londra Hotel in Beyoğlu, The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 brought together moving-image works by eleven Sheffield-based artists, creating a temporary platform for the city's contemporary artistic practice within the international context of the Istanbul Biennial.

The Pavilion formed the second in a series of Sheffield Pavilion projects developed by Sheffield Contemporary Art Forum. Taking the idea of the national pavilion as its starting point, the project created a mobile, artist-led structure that could travel between international exhibitions while promoting work made in Sheffield beyond the city itself.

The project built upon existing relationships between artists and organisations in Sheffield and Istanbul, demonstrating how independent artist-led initiatives could create international exchanges outside traditional institutional frameworks. Alongside the screening programme, a limited-edition DVD and accompanying publication featuring an essay by Ian White were distributed during the Biennial.

Following its launch in Istanbul, The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 toured to further venues and festivals in the United Kingdom and Europe, including Edinburgh, Sheffield, Copenhagen and Jihlava.

Participating Artists

The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 included Richard Bartle, Chloë Brown, Katie Davies, Hondartza Fraga, Steve Hawley, Esther Johnson, Tony Kemplen, Haroon Mirza, Paul Morrison, No Fixed Abode and Third Angel.

Project Director

The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 was conceived and directed by Jeanine Griffin through Sheffield Contemporary Art Forum. Bringing together artists, curators and organisations from Sheffield and Istanbul, the project demonstrated how an artist-led initiative could create meaningful international exchange beyond traditional institutional structures.

Through her vision and commitment, the Pavilion provided an important platform for Sheffield artists during the opening week of the 11th Istanbul Biennial, establishing professional relationships that continued long after the screenings themselves.

Richard Bartle's Contribution

Richard Bartle presented Powwow, a short moving-image work developed from his wider Rhizomes project. Filmed in Sheffield, the work explores ritual, landscape and collective performance, reflecting Bartle's ongoing interest in the relationships between place, community and observation.

Bartle was also a board member of Sheffield Contemporary Art Forum at the time of the project. His existing connections in Istanbul, established through an earlier residency at Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, contributed to the relationships that helped make the Pavilion possible.

Screening Venue

Featured Film

Powwow
2009 · moving image

Further Screenings

• 11th Istanbul Biennial, Büyük Londra Hotel, Istanbul, 2009
• Cross Cutting, Sierra Metro, Edinburgh, 2009
• Object Image – Revisiting the Interface, 2009
• Showroom Cinema, Sheffield, 2009
• CPH:DOX, Copenhagen Documentary Film Festival, shortlisted for the New Visions Award, 2009
• Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic, 2010

Legacy

The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 demonstrated how artist-led organisations could build meaningful international exchanges through collaboration rather than formal institutional representation. Developed by Sheffield Contemporary Art Forum, the project brought together artists, curators and organisations from Sheffield and Istanbul, creating a temporary platform for dialogue during the opening week of the 11th Istanbul Biennial.

For Bartle, the Pavilion connected two important strands of his practice: his long-standing involvement in Sheffield's artist-led culture and his developing relationship with Istanbul. Building upon relationships established during his earlier residency at Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, the project became part of a wider exchange between Sheffield and Istanbul that would continue to shape his practice in Turkey.

Seen in retrospect, The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 sits near the beginning of a body of work that would later include The Book of Streets, The Black Pen, Steppingstones, On the Rubble of our Ancestors and A Nomad's Tale.

Image Credits

Acknowledgements

With thanks to Jeanine Griffin for her generosity in making documentation of The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 available, and for her continuing commitment to preserving the history of this important artist-led project.

Further Reading

Further information about The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 is available through Jeanine Griffin's archive.

Read more about The Sheffield Pavilion 2009 →

Further information about Object Image – Revisiting the Interface is available through Fatos Üstek's archive.

Read more about Object Image →