Cultivate returns to Dalston and that beautiful basement known as BSMT Space in late September.

In March it was Debaser and slicing up eyeballs, on September 22nd it will be Debased. Another gathering of pro-active artists and a maximalist exercise in cross-pollination. A room alive with contemporary painters, so-called street artists, performers, print makers and more….

Watch this space…. Opening on Thursday evening and then a short sharp shock of a show through the weekend and closing on Sunday, no messing about, just artists, walls, people and doing it ourselves and our terms.  Artist line up coming soon, watch this space….

Cultivate is still very much about artists coming together and making things happen rather than being exploited at art fairs and paying endless fees just to e.mail an image that might if you’re very lucky end up with you maybe actually taking part in a show. Cultivate is about creating an alternative environment for both artists and those who enjoy exploring art

Had an interesting series of e.mails from an artist last night (that carried on this morning), complaining about some kind of ridiculous exploitation at an art fair and I guess kind of expecting us to shout about it while he keeps his head down and carries on paying fees just to submit an e.mail and argue that it is all part of the process for an emerging artist   Don’t ask us to do your shouting for you if you’re not prepared to say no to these things, I really don’t see why I should be the one blacklisted by galleries and curators while you go on working with them, there really needs to be a loud and vocal united stance against these things and every single time an artists takes part in one of these things it adds to the problem. If you’re willing to take part in these artfairs who charge you £40 just to plug in a light or these so-called competitions and opens that require you pay a fee just to submit an e.mail or to be in a book called something like the Hundred Hottest Emerging Artists in London or some stupid thing like that then you can’t complain when they dream up there next way to exploit you….

Debased will be the follower up to March’s Debaser group show, we’re inviting fellow artists now and yes those of us actually physically taking part in the show with art actually physically hanging on the actual walls will come together and share the costs on a non-profit making basis (gallery rent needs to be paid). This particular show will be by invite only, a carefully curated show, this it is not an open call show. There will be more open calls shows from Cultivate later in the year, and yes open calls do have a valid place, one thing we will never ever do is charge people a fee just to submit an image to a selection process via e.mail.  Frankly if you are willing to pay those fees then you are part of what is a major problem.  Artists need to unite and make things happen themselves, they need to unite and say no, they need to come together and put on exciting shows that people want to come to.. See you in the basement in September…. watch this space.  (sw)

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