SPIKE ISLAND, BRISTOL.- The exhibition Nanoq: Flat Out and Bluesome, which began this February 27th,  presents a certain spectacle; a collection of ten taxidermic polar bears brought to Spike Island from museum and private collections throughout the UK. The bears remain a legacy of over two hundred years of enterprise and attitudes with which, in many ways, we are now uncomfortable. The amassing of these bear specimens has been accomplished, by the artists, through negotiations over three years. This extended period of research has achieved a fascinating network of contacts and specialists, these include those concerned with public museum collections with all the scientific and educational priorities and the private owners who have stories to tell of exploration and adventure.  The collection of bears shown at Spike, now removed from their usual interpretive ambience and the inflection of the museum, are open to reassessment; audiences are invited to consider their relationship not only to the animals themselves, but to the history of their collection and presentation. This remarkable project has attracted sponsorship from Click Systems Ltd who are supplying specialist cases to house the bears, as well as investment from Arts & Business who support relationships between business and the arts.
Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir and Mark Wilson’s work is orientated towards site specificity and the processes of research and discussion. In this project their role is that of the non-specialist entering into a world of specialists. The show at Spike, Nanoq: Flat Out and Bluesome, punctuates, as far as we can see, a museological enquiry that could continually unfold. The two artists have been collaborating since 2001; their work, characteristically rooted in the north, explores issues of history, culture and the environment in relation to the individual and his/her sense of belonging or detachment. Their most recent projects use the relationship between humans and selected animals as a springboard to posit questions on cultural and individual location in an uncertain nature/culture relationship.
Spike Island is a centre for the research and production of contemporary visual art. Its growing programme combines production and presentation through a series of residencies and fellowships, exhibitions and talks. Housed in the 60’s built landmark Brooke Bond building on Bristol’s harbourside, it includes over 70 studios, an expansive exhibitions space and workshop facilities.
Spike Island would like to thank:- Arts and Business, The Henry Moore Foundation, Arts Council South West, Arts Council England, Oxford Exhibition Services, ISTEX textiles and Click Systems for all their support throughout the project.