A new season of exhibitions and commissions will launch at The Box in Plymouth this October with a nationally touring fine art exhibition and a thought-provoking sculpture. Through both elements of the programme, visitors are encouraged to view social and historical narratives in a different light.
Dutch Flowers
Dutch Flowers brings ten of the finest examples of Dutch flower painting from the National Gallery to Plymouth for the first time.
In The Box’s beautifully restored St Luke’s church gallery, bursting with colour, life and beauty, the artworks provide audiences with a stunning glimpse of leading artists, including Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (1573-1621), Jan van Huysum (1682-1749), and Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750).
The exhibition will run from the 7th of October, 2023, until the 7th of January, 2024.
End of Empire
Talking about Yinka Shonibare’s End Of Empire exhibition, Victoria Pomery, CEO of The Box stated: “Like many museums and art galleries in the UK and beyond, we are working hard to decolonise our collections and displays, and it’s really important that we echo this approach in our temporary programming too. End of Empire is a multi-layered work that speaks to ideas around conflict and how borders are constantly shifting. It’s a reminder that things are always changing, and how our understanding of history informs our understanding of what’s happening in the world today.”
Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE was born in London and moved to Lagos as a child. He is known for works like Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle (2010, Fourth Plinth) that tackle the themes of globalisation and empire. The use of Dutch wax fabric is a hallmark of Shonibare’s work. Historically produced by Dutch colonisers, West Africans claimed and repurposed the fabric.
The exhibition will run from the 12th of October, 2023 until the 23rd of June, 2024.