We are thrilled to announce the selection of artist Bill Balaskas to create a permanent building front installation for our recently renovated iconic 19th-century building. Balaskas was chosen in a public vote event, after being shortlisted by a professional jury including Dr Marianna Tsionki (Curator, Leeds Art University) and Nicola Hood (Contemporary Art Curator, Harris Museum) alongside our Director, Or Tshuva. We expect to unveil the new work in spring 2024.
422 Arts Director Or Tshuva said: “We are thrilled to be working with Bill Balaskas and thank all our neighbours, volunteers and curatorial advisors who participated in the selection process. Bill is a renowned artist and educator, whose works have been exhibited in multiple public spaces and internationally acclaimed museums, and we are truly honoured to collaborate with him on this exciting project. After meeting local residents and learning about our neighbourhood, Bill put together a thoughtful proposal that celebrates the history and architecture of our building and allows our community to be meaningfully engaged in its creation process.”
Artist Bill Balaskas said: “I am deeply honoured to have been selected for this commission directly by the members of a truly vibrant and diverse community. I am looking forward to working with people across Longsight and Ardwick, and with 422 Arts staff over the next few months to create a work that will encapsulate the spirit of the community and the rich social history of the neighbourhood.”
Bill Balaskas (b. 1983, Thessaloniki, Greece) is an artist, theorist, and educator working between London, UK and Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country, Kamberri (Canberra), Australia. With initial studies in economics, he holds a PhD and an MA from the Royal College of Art. Selected exhibitions: Whitstable Biennale (2022); Stegi Onassis Foundation, Athens (2021); Stanley Picker Gallery, London (2019); State of Concept, Athens (2019); EMST National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (2018); Kalfayan Galleries, Athens (2017); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (2016); Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo CA2M, Madrid (2015); Les Chiroux, Liège (2015); BOZAR, Brussels (2014); John Hansard Gallery, Southampton (2014); Le CENTQUATRE, Paris (2014 ); Transmediale, Berlin (2014); TENT, Rotterdam (2014); 4th Thessaloniki Biennale (2013); Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh (2012); British Film Institute, London (2010); National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta (2007); and Les Abattoirs, Toulouse (2007). Selected lecture-performances and lectures: Australian National University, Canberra (2023); Musée du Louvre, Paris (2021); Cork Opera House (2019); Warburg Haus, Hamburg (2017); Oxford University (2014); 11th Sharjah Biennial (2013); Tate Liverpool (2012); and Victoria & Albert Museum, London (2010). His most recent books are ‘Fabricating Publics: The Dissemination of Culture in the Post-truth Era’ (Open Humanities Press, 2021), and ‘Institution as Praxis: New Curatorial Directions for Collaborative Research’ (Sternberg Press, 2020). Balaskas is Director of Research, Business and Innovation at the School of Arts of Kingston University, London.