Approved: 22.03.2014

Peter Grego

Artist, Curator

Approved: 22.03.2014

Focusing on tensions arising between concepts of individual identities and that of a national identity, my work explores how such ideas emerge. It encompasses a range of media, in a practice that engages with problems of nationality, location, identity, and historical memory.  Projects have been developed and exhibited nationally in the UK and internationally in North and South America plus several European countries. 

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Artist Statement

Focusing on tensions arising between concepts of individual identities and that of a national identity, my work explores how such ideas emerge. It encompasses a range of media, in a practice that engages with problems of nationality, location, identity, and historical memory.  Projects have been developed and exhibited nationally in the UK and internationally in North and South America plus several European countries. 

Since 2008, my work has focused on an extended project with artists based in Bordeaux and Birmingham. This Anglo/French exchange of ideas and exhibitions began in 2008 when five artists from the UK started an interchange with a number of French artists who are based in south-west France. In 2010 the group was invited to exhibit at the 6th Art Chartrons Festival in Bordeaux, which resulted in the exhibition Dialogue; the name and rationale was subsequently adopted by the group. In 2012, a six month period of development took place at the Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham as part of the project, Allotment. This involved eighteen international artists. Through an ongoing exchange of ideas, conversations and objects via post and Skype, those involved made a number of visual responses, which, in turn, became a catalyst for further interaction resulting in a continually changing exhibition over the six months.

A further exhibition recording responses opened at Rugby Museum and Art Gallery in 2014. The exhibition entitled Apporter sa pierre à l’édifice/Bring to the table, saw the French and British artists curating their own ideas which focused on a common interest in culturally specific phrases and idioms. In 2015, a further collaborative venture led to a number of site-specific works being created at Cairnhill in the French region of Poitou-Charente, for the Rendez-vous aux Jardins Festival.

Solo exhibitions have recently included, in 2014, an exhibition of prints at Maison Municipal Frugès-Le Corbusier. The prints related to the writings of Le Corbusier and to his work at Cité Frugès in French town, Pessac. They referenced, in particular, his publication, Urbanisme (1925).  

Over the last decade my curatorial work has included exhibitions in the UK and Europe. During this period I was also the Director of the International Project Space, Birmingham (2002-2012). 

In 2016, I curated, and exhibited in, the exhibition Dialogue:Déraciner at mac Birmingham. This was a seven artist collaboration, the latest iteration of the ongoing dialogue. It opened up, amongst other things, themes that make associations with borders, mapping, historical references between France and the UK and the movement of people and objects. The physical distance between the artists continues to enrich this project and the journey each thought and action makes reaffirms the idea of cross-cultural exchange.

Since 2017 I have organised and curated exhibitions for Galerie Mayci, Birmingham.

 

CV & Education

PETER GREGO

Curriculum Vitae

 

55 Valentine Road

Birmingham

B14 7AJ

Email:            [email protected]

     

 


Employment

2012:                        Artist and Curator

2017-2022               Curator: Galerie Mayci, Birmingham

2002-2012:              Director: International Project Space, Birmingham. 

                                 http://www.internationalprojectspace.org

1986-2012:              Birmingham City University; Deputy Head, School of Art. 

 

Personal practice in print, video, photography and the organisation and curation of contemporary visual arts exhibitions.

 

 

Selected Exhibitions

2023

At a Distance: La Halle, St Aubin sur Mer

Tynygraig: Colin Howkins:  Curated exhibition for Aberystwyth Art Centre

2022

Semblance of Order:  Rugby Art Gallery and Museum

Miniprints:  Maria Gaete Gwynne: Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

Getting On: Anne Crews: Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

2020

Markets: last days:  Tom Ranahan  Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

2019

Human Nature/Nature Humaine  Forum des Arts et de la Culture, Talence, Bordeaux

Threads: Shaheen Ahmed  Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

Re-Cast: Sharon Baker  Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

Face or Flight: Pamina Stewart  Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

Home/Town:  David Warren  Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

2018

Morrocan Journey: Chris Marshall   Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

Findings: Sue Tuckett   Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

Tierra Firme: Marian Edwards  Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

Union and Garden:  Colin Howkins  Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

2017

Rendez-vous aux jardins   Charente, France 

Silk Route:  Victoria Linehan   Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

100 Views of Birmingham:  Mike Allison   Curated exhibition for Galerie Mayci

2016

Dialogue/Déraciner      Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham

Dialogue/Déraciner 2   La galerie Metavilla, Bordeaux

2015

DRAC   Site-specific installation at Rendez-vous aux jardins, France

2014

Dialogue 4  Rugby Art Gallery and Museum

Cairnhill     Site-specific installation at Cairnhill garden, Charente, France

Allotment  Maison Municipal Fruges-Le Corbusier, Pessac, Bordeaux

2013/2014

Birmingham Printmakers: 30 years of printmaking 1983 – 2013

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

2012

Dialogue 3  Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham

2011

Dialogue 2  Oxford Brookes University, Oxford

2010

Dialogue 1  Halles de Chartron, Bordeaux

2009

Re-Place  The Works Gallery, Birmingham

2008

Heartlands  The Light House Gallery, Wolverhampton

Nature Morte: Le Hangar en Bois Gallery, Bordeaux: Art Chartrons Festival

The Art of Birmingham 1890 – 2008  Waterhall Gallery, Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery            

2006/2007

Lost  (4 artist show) Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile

2005

The True-Born Englishman (solo show) Ekeby Qvarn Art Space, Uppsala, Sweden: 

Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham

2003/2004

True Stories  (4 artist show) Wolverhampton Art Gallery:  Museu de Arte Contemporânea, São Paulo, Brazil:  The Waterhall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

2001/2002

Out of Order   Museo de Barjola, Gijon, Spain:  Rugby Art Gallery and Museum: Soldertalje Kunsthall, Sweden

1999

Displaced  Centro Cultural, Borges, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museu de Arte Contemporanea, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Binary Propositions  Lahti City Gallery, Lahti, Finland; Bond Gallery & B16 Gallery, Birmingham
Messages Goethe Institut, New York, USA;  Kuppelhalle der Dresdner Bank Gallery, Leipzig, Germany;  Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery;

1998

Arcade 2  Picture Gallery, Novosibirsk, Siberia
Prints in Focus  Birmingham Museum and Art Galler.
Displaced  Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile

1996/97

9x9x9  Hochschule für Grafic und Buchkunst Gallery, Leipzig; Lanchester Gallery, Coventry University

 

Curation

2013/2014

Birmingham Printmakers: 30 years of printmaking 1983 – 2013

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

2011

Transitions  Valère Chanceaulme(Fr), Nicolas Julliard(Fr), Véronique Lamare(Fr),

Francis Viguera(Fr).  Article Gallery, Birmingham City University.

2005

Grey Cultured Cells  Adam Lowe (UK/Spain), International Project Space

2004

Nourishing Ability  Gema Ramos (Spain), International Project Space

Exchange Values; images of invisible lives  Shelley Sacks (UK), International Project Space

2003

Encircle  Anders Ronnlund (Sweden), International Project Space

2002

Identity  Lasse Lassheikki, Jukka Lehtinen, Anne Rossi-Horto, Hannu Tampio, (Finland) International Project Space

2002 

After September 11: Images from ground zero Joel Meyerowitz (USA)

International Project Space

1999/2000 

Messages Goethe Institute, New York, USA. Kuppelhalle der Dresdner Bank Gallery, Leipzig, Germany; Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

1999 

Binary Propositions  Lahti City Art Gallery, Lahti, Finland; Bond Gallery & B16 Gallery, Birmingham

1998/1999 

Displaced   Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile; Centro Cultural Borges, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museu de Arte Contemporanea, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Overseas  In collaboration with Ernesto Munoz, Curator: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile.

 

Conferences

April 2001   

Co-organiser with artist, Maria Gaete Gwynne, of a Visual Arts Symposium, part of the Annual International Conference of the Society for Latin American Studies. The symposium was organised in conjunction with conference hosts Birmingham University. Speakers included: Francisco Brugnolli, Director of the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago and Vice Rector of the School of Fine Art at the University of Chile; Martin Grossman, Sao Paulo University; Beatrice Milhaezes, Brazilian artist who had her first UK solo show at Ikon, Birmingham concurrent with the conference; Maria Gaete-Gwynne, Chilean born, UK based artist; Katia Garcia-Anton, Director of the Museum of Modern Art, Geneva. Speakers explored constructions of Latin American identities within globalised visual cultures.

 

Publications

Printmaking Today: Volume 22 No.3. Autumn 2013

 

Collections

Aquitanis, Bordeaux, France. Arthur Anderson Collection. Hyatt Regency International. Eversheds, Wells, Hind Solicitors. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Worcester Museum and Art Gallery.