The Waiting Room

Artists

Gabrielle Eber

Hannah Delahay

Hersilia Leoca

Jennifer Nieuwland

Marcy Richardson

Raoul Coombes

Scott McCracken

Sue McQueen

This exhibition draws inspiration from the concept of 'heterotopia' introduced by French philosopher Michel Foucault. This exhibition, featuring eight artists who met during the Turps Off-Site Programme 2022-2023, explores the transformative nature of waiting spaces and their relationship to our contemporary world.

Foucault defined 'heterotopia' as spaces that disrupt the norms and continuity of everyday places, creating a unique and separate realm removed from ordinary time. In the context of 'The Waiting Room,' this concept invites visitors to reflect on the historical and imagined uses of exhibition spaces, especially those that were never intended as destinations but rather as transitional spaces between others.

In the past, the waiting room represented a time for pause, reflection, and contemplation - a space where anticipation, cogitation, and impatience coexisted. However, today's waiting room has evolved into something entirely different. Our devices accompany us everywhere, leaving no room for rest or genuine anticipation. The pace of life has accelerated, and the art of waiting is vanishing. In an era of constant connectivity and instant gratification, the concept of waiting has been reshaped.

For some of the artists it serves as fertile ground to explore liminality and the fluidity of transitioning between spaces and thresholds. Others delve into the experiential aspects of the physical body and the emotions evoked by being in a 'waiting room' setting.

For more information, please email thewaitingroomnw3@gmail.com.