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My experience of Xhibit with my painting, Fifteen Love

students looking at a painting on the wall

Written byAmy Powell
Published date 24 May 2023

Article written by Amy Powell, current MA Fine Art - Painting student at Camberwell College of Arts

This year my painting ‘Fifteen Love’ was chosen as part of the ArtsSU’s 26th edition of Xhibit 2023, the longest-running open call to UAL students. This year, Xhibit was held at the Dray Walk Gallery on Brick Lane, April 29th to May 3rd, 2023, with a private view on April 28th.

Sophie Risner of the ArtsSU developed and coordinated the exhibition with comprehensive dedication and professionalism, as evidenced by her frequent correspondence leading up to the exhibition.

As an emerging artist taking their first steps in the professional landscape of contemporary art, the exhibition experience was sincerely invaluable.

The exhibition was an open call to all UAL students, with student Sarah Winski given the challenge of finding and unpicking relationships between the works to curate the show that she entitled from / now / on. In the words of Sarah, "this year’s Xhibit cohort covers vast and exciting ground across themes of crisis, multiplicity, possibility, immigration and family. Their practises are multidisciplinary and generative, presenting new modes of observation, speculation and experience."

group of students outside a gallery window — **Image credit: David Povilaika of Arts SU**

As well as exhibiting work, I was also able to attend an exciting professional development programme: a day of talks reflecting areas of consideration pertaining to Xhibit. Early in the development of the exhibition, on November 16th, I attended a development day for Xhibit, where I was able to find out more about Xhibit and its history; discuss the possible exhibition hosting venue and possible dates; learn about the Professional Development programme; discuss installation troubleshooting; gain some initial feedback from the judges; meet other selected students to network and commence community building; find out more about the catalogue; and ask any questions about the opportunity.

It was a gratifying experience to see the show come to fruition and all the work that contributed to making an all-encompassing and lucrative exhibition, especially since Sophie had the artists involved in every step of the exhibition making.

Recent themes in my own work and the broader spectrum of contemporary practise have tested the individual artist genius, and through this exhibition I have truly experienced the interdependence and camaraderie that accompany a successful exhibition!

Sophie displayed a deep care for the artists’ vision and intellectual property rights while showing us the importance of situating the work in the broader art context of exhibition making, from the copy-editing of the press release and catalogue to the administrative tasks of transportation and insurance.

During the exhibition, we also had the opportunity to participate in a programme of events that stimulated discussion pertinent to a socially engaged practise. Artists were invited to present their work to the UAL SLT and ArtsSU staff alongside Sophie, who provided a summary of the exhibition's investigations and objectives.

Before the exhibition's closing, artist Adam Cole and I joined Sophie Risner and Peer Sessions' Kate Pickering and Charlotte Warne Thomas for a safe space group critique. The crit provided an inclusive and secure environment for discussing in depth how the work is received and positioned within a gallery context. With nearly an hour allotted to discuss each work, I was pleasantly surprised by the attentive responses, generating thoughts that will lead me through postgraduate study and beyond. As accomplished artists and academics, this opportunity allowed for the generation of constructive feedback and sparked an open dialogue regarding contemporary issues in the world of arts and culture.

students sitting in a gallery having a crit — **image credit: Peer Sessions**

In the coming days, I will also receive personal feedback from the selection committee, which I hope will provide insight into how the work is initially received and processed — a crucial aspect of a socially engaged practise that extends beyond the studio. I hope that the feedback from industry professionals will prepare me to engage with painting publicly and critically in a broader art context. This year's exciting selection panel included Joe Hill, Director of Towner Eastbourne Gallery and host of this year's Turner Prize; Tim A. Shaw, Co-Founder of Hospital Rooms, London; Minna Ellis, current Central Saint Martins Sabbatical Officer at Arts Students' Union, filmmaker and performance artist; and Kim Hughes, current Camberwell College of Arts Sabbatical Officer at Arts Students' Union, with a background in Fine Art.

My involvement with Xhibit encouraged me to share my practise in a variety of contexts beyond the studio and championed my continued progression as a professional artist.

For more details on Xhibit and the exhibiting artists, here is a link to this year’s catalogue

My experience of Xhibit with my painting, Fifteen Love

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