This summer we present three concurrent exhibitions.Francis Offman and Nicole Bachmann present their first solo exhibitions in a UK gallery. Concerned with the experiences of migration, their work references their lived experiences as well as those of communities.

Francis Offman: Economics of PaintingFollowing the acquisitions of Untitled (2020 – 2022) for the University of Warwick Art Collection, Bologna-based, Rwandan artist Francis Offman will make several new abstract paintings for his Mead Gallery exhibition. 

His canvases tell stories of friendship, conversation and travel. 

Offman’s collaged surfaces are textured with found materials he collects from various locations, some of which are gifted to him by other artists, friends or trades people. Others have a relationship to colonial history, in particular the use of coffee – a beverage widely associated with many European countries, yet it isn’t grown anywhere on the continent.

Nicole Bachmann: There are tides in the bodySwiss artist Nicole Bachmann has been commissioned to make a new film that considers the body as a site of knowledge. 

Bachmann is interested in language and its development across time. She works with trained dancers and performers who use movement and voice to ‘embody vocabulary’ and create new meaning, away from Eurocentric and patriarchal models. 

This new film is set across two locations in Kent and Spon End in Coventry.

This exhibition is generously supported by Pro Helvetia, The Swiss Arts Council; Migros Kulturprozent and Erna und Curt Burgauer Stiftung. 

Activate/Assemble/Amplify What is the creative future for the children and young people of Coventry? 

Our Youth Leadership Collective will interrogate this question in a curated, interactive exhibition that amplifies their voices and explores their vision for themselves and their city. This will be a discursive space where ideas spill across the gallery, encouraging dialogue, interaction and responses from audience members. 

The exhibition will share artworks and performances made throughout the year as part of our Youth and Schools projects and extends the ideas prevalent in the works of Francis Offman and Nicole Bachmann.

Summer Exhibition OpeningThu 2 May 6pm – 8pm 

Free, drop in

We’re excited to invite you to the opening of our summer exhibitions. Join us to be amongst the first to experience our new commissions and exhibitions. Explore three compelling exhibitions delving into themes of displacement, belonging and youth perspectives. Through video, painting, and written works, immerse yourself in thought-provoking reflections on local and global issues.

Speeches and Performance 6:30-7pm & exhibition 6-8pm. 

BSL tour: Explore with  Oliver JaminSat 15 Jun 2pm

Free, drop in

Join artist Olivier Jamin for a Deaf-led BSL tour of our Summer Exhibition offering insight into the artworks from a Deaf Artist’s perspective.

Yoga in the Gallery with Ray CluerMon 20 May & Mon 10 Jun 12-1pm
£6

Rejuvenate your mind and body with Yoga in the Gallery led by Ray Cluer. Open to all levels. Book your mat today.

Francis Offman and Nicole Bachmann in ConversationWed 19 Jun 6:30-7:30pm
Free, booking essential

Join Francis Offman and Nicole Bachmann as they discuss their shows, their practice, and the themes emergent from our Summer Exhibitions.