An arts festival is set to launch in Leicester this weekend – including an installation at the LCB Depot partly inspired by the building’s role in the city’s history.
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) Fine Art lecturer Leila Galloway’s work, Beyond Depot, is partly inspired by memories of the building when it was Leicester’s bus depot and blends references to the countryside, movement and the city’s Roman past.
It uses materials including wax, raw concrete, slate as well as sound to create an experience for visitors.
“My work is not really driven by narratives but the flow of ideas,” explained Leila. “I posted on Facebook about the LCB Depot and asked what people’s memories were. One woman said she couldn’t remember the depot, but remembered the excitement of going on the bus there as a child in the 1960s on days out to the countryside from the city which started me thinking about journeys.
“Since I moved to south Leicestershire my work has been about being in that aspect of flux, of changing, of trying to capture moments. There’s another level to the work about surfaces and patterns, as well as Leicestershire’s past in providing the material for roads which again links to journeys. But I think the great thing is that people experience art differently and I don’t want to tell people what they are looking at.”
Beyond Depot uses materials including wax, raw concrete and slate as well as sounds to create the experience for visitors. WSG Wanlip Sand and Gravel has loaned the slate and DMU’s Fine Art Research Group gave some money toward the cost of the installation.
Beyond Depot picks up on themes from Leila’s previous installations including Attention to Detail, shown at Nottingham Trent University’s Summer Lodge exhibition. It is part of the city’s Summer Art Trail, a 10-day celebration of art which will see venues transformed into mini art galleries to show off photography, installation, spoken word, film, music and visual arts.
Venues taking part include the Queen of Bradgate pub in High Street – which features DMU Fine Art students’ work – The Two Queens gallery, Attenborough Arts, The Cube Gallery at Phoenix Cinema, The Western pub and New Walk Museum and Art Gallery plus many more.
Local musicians will also be playing at the festival at LCB Depot on August 22 presented by the Magic Teapot. The Summer Art Trail is organised by the Silver Vine Arts non-profit collective.
* See Beyond Depot at LCB Depot, St George’s Cultural Quarter, from August 21 to 31. Free entry.
Posted on Wednesday 19 August 2015