Ben West investigates the growth in unusual exhibition venues — from brothel to butcher’s shop
The economic downturn has forced many of us to rethink how we operate. This is especially so in the arts, an area that has always struggled for funding, and where cuts are inevitably huge considering all the hospitals and schools we need to keep afloat — not to mention a sparkling new Olympic village to complete.
Last month the government announced that it wishes to make cuts to the arts of 25 per cent over the next four years. However, in many areas, until now at least, tightened budgets have not been overly discernible: for example, you may have seen a slightly thinner programme in theatres, or fewer films in production in an already overcrowded marketplace. Yet in the area of visual arts a little revolution has been under way.
While subsidised exhibition spaces are vulnerable to swingeing cuts, commercial galleries struggle even more.
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