The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery to launch exhibition featuring more than 25 artists

The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery will be launching a brand new, free-to-enter art exhibition, VENTRILOQUISM: The Lost Voice Spoken by Others.

The Whitaker will celebrate the launch with a free event on Saturday, August 24 at the Museum and Art Gallery at 2pm, and invites the local community to attend.

The exhibition, which will run until Sunday, November 10, has been curated by artist curator, Mike Chavez-Dawson and will feature over 25 artists (including recent graduates, mid-career to established international practitioners).

This group show will explore the idea of ‘Ventriloquism’ both directly and indirectly, drawing upon topical themes including data harvesting, hyperreality, forgotten histories, misinformation, gaslighting, mediation, and artificial intelligence.

The works, artists and artwork seek to resonate and draw out critical, playful, and insightful narratives with the collection at the Whitaker, both with the physicality of the Museum layout, on display and through archived collections.

The exhibition aims to raise an informed debate around how information is both mediated to us by marketing and political forces.

Artist curator, Mike Chavez-Dawson, said: “To debut this show, alongside bespoke commissions and collaborations with The Whitaker, its team, and amazing community of volunteers, I can honestly say, it has been truly insightful, and has helped mature key thinking in my practice as an artist curator at this pivotal moment in my career.

“And whilst this show doesn’t want to offer direct answers to its thematics, it does seek to validate the paramount importance of art, philosophy and critical thinking, to hold up a mirror of ‘pause and hope’ to enable us to reflect upon our contemporary way of life in an age of AI, smoke ‘n’ mirrors, misinformation, confusion, and the division that we all play a part in.

“The amazing artists and works selected, alongside the incredible collection seek to offer us insights into the mechanisms of our own making, but with the idea that hope is always present.”

Creative director of The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, Gaynor Seville, said: “We are delighted to share this incredible exhibition with our many visitors. Once again, we are showing work by some of the best artists from the region and nationally.

“Our audiences like to be challenged and experience new artwork and approaches, and this exhibition will not disappoint with a range of different styles, mediums and themes to engage with.

“Everyone is welcome to our free-to-enter museum to enjoy the show.”

The exhibition will also include participation activities with artists featuring within the exhibition show.

This includes an Artist Talk with Paul Vivian and Mike Chavez-Dawson (September 21), Artist Workshop exploring Expanded Drawing, Traditional Means and AI with Alan Baker and Mike Chavez-Dawson (October 12) and an Artist Talk and Panel Discussion with Mike Chavez-Dawson (November 2).

For more information and bookings, head to: www.thewhitaker.org

Location: Rossendale, Lancashire