Across the past year, Grand Union has collaborated with MA students from the University of Birmingham’s Art History and Curating course to produce a programme of work entitled ‘Comfort Near Me’.
‘Comfort Near Me’ explores practices of comfort within Grand Union’s community. By working with studio artists and the Minerva Group, the programme aims to encourage sharing comfort found not just in physical places, but in intangible forms.
This programme is comprised of a newly commissioned film revealing ways in which Grand Union studio artists Roo Dhissou, Sarah Taylor Silverwood, and Nilupa Yasmin create comfort within their studios; a workshop hosted by Nilupa Yasmin with the Minerva Group stitching together personal narratives of comfort to make a unified artwork; and an immersive installation inside Alberta Whittle’s Bothy, bringing together these components. The programme is accompanied by a small publication designed in collaboration with Sofia Niazi.
For May’s Digbeth First Friday, join the student group in the Bothy (Minerva Garden) to see the installation, watch this newly commissioned film and write up some reflections on the connections formed between people and the conversations sparked.
