art


FOR THE LOVE OF LAURA ASHLEY MOMA Machynlleth Until Wed 6 Sept


Laura Ashley brought life to the Welsh cottage textile and fashion industry, making it the globally recognised brand that it is known as today. Setting up her first home and workshop in Machynlleth in the


up in Merthyr Tydfil, Ashley’s pioneering spirit attributed to the phenomenal success that followed, as well as the unwavering dedication and hard work of her co-workers, those of whom were firmly rooted in the heart of the Montgomeryshire farming community.


early 1960s, having grown


Originally founded in London – the teenage Ashley had been relocated there during WWII – since 1961, Machynlleth and nearby Carno and Newtown became integral to the global success of the Laura Ashley brand. Now, the Heritage Hub 4 Mid Wales plans to delve into the foundational history of the famed seamstress, her husband Bernard and their workers.


The exhibition – organised by the founder of the hub, alongside dedicated volunteers who once worked for the Ashley family – pays homage to the visionary couple and the unsung heroes of the Laura Ashley business in the MOMA’s Sculpture Space.


At the heart of the exhibition is a testament to the skill and artistry of the Machynlleth Laura Ashley Bridal Studio & Factory’s seamstress – the pièce de résistance being a wedding dress


she meticulously crafted over 30 years ago, recently discovered at an Oxfam shop in Witney Oxon, of all places. The dress will be centrestage for the event, accompanied by a specially commissioned pixel portrait quilt of Ashley herself.


Admission: FREE. Info: moma.cymru EMMA WAY


GOLDEN LAND Elysium Gallery, Swansea Fri 14 July-Sat 9 Sept


Also known as Gwlad of


between Welsh and Finnish artists set up by Maija Helasvuo and Marja Bonada, of Finland and Wales respectively. The title refers to the home county of Finnish artists association Ars-Hame, famous for its golden pastoral fields. Given Swansea’s Elysium has similar aims – providing space and community for local artists – it’s a partnership that runs deeper than simply exchanging artistic ideas.


and Kultamaa, this is the 10th anniversary


Aur a collaboration


Of the nine Finnish artists displaying work in Swansea, Maija Helasvuo is perhaps the most prominent: sitting on multiple national art boards and getting one of her large bronze sculptures on permanent display in Ylisoutaja Square City, Joensuu. She’s joined by a multidisciplinary mix of makers, including Anssi Taulu, who will be showing screen prints of his 2013 Organic City installation [pictured], a large-scale structure made from boxes, carpet and light. Filled with intricately carved, hanging cardboard towers, the inside mimics the stalactites of a cave.


HANNAH COLLINS 30


Admission: FREE. Info: elysiumgallery.com


GONDWANA Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay


Mon 3 July-Sun 13 Aug


This durational event invites you to immerse yourself in Australia’s Daintree Rainforest, the oldest in the world. Spanning an expansive 1,200 square km, this wonderland teems with rare flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth.


The latest BOCS installation at the WMC, VR projection experience Gondwana aims to transcend the boundaries


you to traverse a vast, explorable landscape where possibilities


of reality,


boundless. Ancient trees, rugged mountains and serene beaches make up a dynamic ecosystem that adapts to shifting weather patterns and seasons. Yet, beneath the surface, there’s a sobering truth: Gondwana is an artistic rendering of climate data projections going up to the year 2090, where the rainforest slowly succumbs to degradation.


inviting are


However, it’s also a beacon of hope. Through audience participation, the rainforest gains resilience, offering solace against the imminent decline. Each showing presents a unique experience to meditate on the fragility of Earth’s ecosystem.


Admission: FREE. Info: wmc.org.uk EMMA WAY


OREN PINHASSI:


FALSE ALARM Mostyn, Llandudno Until Sat 7 Oct


Where the boundaries between humanity, nature, and the constructed environment dissolve into each other, this exhibition curated by


and Kalliopi


SLATE:


A DIFFERENT VIEW National Slate Museum, Llanberis


Until Sun 31 Dec


respectively a director and associate curator at Mostyn – showcases Israeli sculptor Oren Pinhassi’s creations. Meticulously crafted from sand and plaster, they reveal an intricate dance between life and death, transformation and collapse.


Alfredo Cramerotti Tsipni-Kolaza –


The thought-provoking sculptures within this exhibition, on at Mostyn for three months, are totemic figures, positioned on welded steel skeletons. While they are reminiscent of ancient artefacts, they are also infused with the anticipation for something new.


These handmade sculptures include the installation I Would Talk About The End, which sees the logic of mourning reinstalled as a site of renewal. Through these pieces, Pinhassi invites the public to consider our mortality and past failures, while urging us to imagine what kind of world we could inhabit.


Admission: FREE. Info: mostyn.org EMMA WAY


A material you’ll be very familiar with from gift shops to kitchen tables, this photography exhibition will offer a fresh perspective on the renowned slate landscape of north-west Wales, with photographs chosen by a judging panel.


A visual journey capturing the beauty of this World Heritage Site, awarded in 2021, aerial shots reveal the grandeur of the quarries and towering slate mountains crafted at the hands of quarrymen, as well as a sense of nostalgia in the dilapidated barracks and intricate machinery. Curated from a competition jointly organised by Wales Slate and the National Slate Museum, Slate: A Different View will encompass over 200 photographs grouped into three themes.


‘Monumental’ showcases the epic aspects of the slate landscape, while ‘Innovative’


the trailblazing nature of the industry. Then, ‘Community’ encapsulates the essence of the slate communities, immortalising the unique individuals and places that contribute to their vibrant spirit.


captures


Admission: FREE. Info: museum.wales/slate EMMA WAY


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