Art and the Public Realm Bristol

Future Perfect is an area wide public art programme curated and developed by curator/commissioner team Theresa Bergne and Jes Fernie. Building on the Hengrove Park public art programme (a series of permanent commissions for the Hengrove Park), this two year programme is being develop in close dialogue with the Hengrove and Stockwood Neighbourhood Partnership.

Over the last six months the curators have organised a series of events to engage local residents in a conversation around their aspirations for the area and the broad range of possibilities for contemporary art commissioning. This research informed the final strategy which has now been agreed by the Art Steering Group.

Events have included an upclycing workshop in Hengrove by artist / designer Martino Gamper; talks by Matt Stokes and The University of Local Knowledge (Suzanne Lacy); and a tour of existing public art in Bristol, such as Jeppe Hein's Follow Me at the Royal Fort Gardens; Hew Locke's Ruined in Brunswick Cemetery Gardens, and Martin Parr's new series of photographs at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple Secondary School. The curators also took a group of local residents to London for a studio visit with Martino Gamper.

As part of the programme of intiatives, Martino Gamper was commissioned to create a portable display structure - An Archive of Ideas - which will tour various venues in Hengrove over the next year, engaging people in a dialogue about the art commissioning programme, relaying information about other commissions, and displaying work by a group of local documenters.

The Archive of Ideas is one of of five commissions to be realised under the Future Perfect programme. Artists for the remaining four will be announced in early 2013.

If you would like further information on the scheme or to read a copy of the Future Perfect strategy, please contact: hellohengrove@gmail.com

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Field Art Projects

Field Art Projects was founded by Theresa Bergne in 1999 with a clear understanding of what makes a successful and popular arts event and an interest in the way artists interact and create work in response to the public realm.

Theresa Bergne has over a decade of experience of working with public organisations, private companies, developers, architects, festivals and venues.  She has worked on numerous high profile projects as a curator and programmer, such as the landmark art programme for Barts and the London's Breast Cancer Unit at the West Wing.  Theresa also spent twelve years running the public art programme for the Canary Wharf group as well as curating and producing a series of independent programmes and commissions.

Jes Fernie