University News Last updated 25 September 2018
A unique project will give people across the West Midlands the chance to swap an item for a piece of bespoke artwork and help inspire the creation of another artistic creation.
The Swop Shop scheme will be hosted at Birmingham’s iconic Selfridges department store and invite members of the public to swap an object for a piece of art crafted by MA students at Birmingham City University’s Birmingham School of Art.
Items which are swapped will then be used as the inspiration for a new piece of custom art to be created by those working on the project.
Among the pieces of art on display are pieces influenced by the political impact of Margaret Thatcher’s government and Brexit, as well as works inspired by personal stories and journeys.
Visitors to the Birmingham department store will be able to view the works and have the option to exchange one of their own possessions in order to take the artwork home with them.
The project was first run at the Tate Liverpool where students initially created a piece of art which was displayed in the gallery.
Artwork was then swapped with members of the public for objects varying from keyrings and tea cups, to a pair of trainers and an ostrich egg.
Those items have since served as the inspiration for the pieces on show in Selfridges and Swop Shop is now offering people in Birmingham the chance to take part in the project.
Beth Derbyshire, Course Director for MA Arts and Project Management, was a driving force behind the creation of the project.
She said: “Artists draw their inspiration from a range of different areas and Swop Shop is about putting that into practice and engaging the public in these creations.
“Swop Shop will not only facilitate the sharing of personal stories, but also these encounters between people will make participants and the public rethink what do we mean by value, worth and meaning through these transformed objects, their histories and the conceptual intervention of artistic practice
“It is also a unique opportunity for members of the public to get their hands on a piece of bespoke art and become part of a project which will be continuing to develop over the coming months.”
Swop Shop will be open at Selfridges until Sunday 30 September.
After leaving Selfridges Swop Shop will move on to a new location where others will be given the opportunity to get involved in the project and take home their own piece of art.
The project comes as Birmingham City University begins its BCU 175 celebrations, which recognise 175 years since the institution’s foundation as the Birmingham Government School of Design.
For more information on the project visit: www.bcu.ac.uk/swopshop