Call for Art: Our Place in the Seven Heavens

‘Our Place in the Seven Heavens’

Curated and Produced with Becky Nuttall as part of the 2019 English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark Festival

The Moon is distant from the Sea –

And yet, with Amber Hands –

She leads Him – docile as a Boy –

Along appointed Sands –

Emily Dickinson.

Torre Abbey stands along Torbay’s appointed sands and within the Abbey’s galleries are the beautiful cartoons of The Planets, including the goddess Luna, by Edward Burne Jones, a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

In Torbay the pull of the moon controls the tides “with amber hands” and forms our extraordinary UNESCO Geopark, sustaining our fishing and tourism industries - amongst our local businesses is Arundal Astronautics, bridging the distance between us and the stars.

The planets, or the Seven Heavens in medieval cosmology, inspire poets and artists. In this exhibition visual artists, poets and the community are invited to submit works, stories and contemplations on this theme to contribute to a collective response to our unique situation.

Submissions

Through a selective call for art in 2019, creative and personal reactions are sought for curation into a collective response. Alongside this, reflections from resident communities will be invited to offer provocations and stimulus to inspire this creative production and form a part of the final collection.

It is the intention of the project to encourage a reflection on the impact of a landscape and atmosphere many may take for granted and through this apply a focus onto our UNESCO Global Geopark status and encourage awareness of and engagement with this designation.