MASS is a unique exhibition presented as part of the Artist Open Houses during the Brighton Festival 2008. Curated by Brighton artists shardcore and Sam Hewitt, MASS will be the single largest collection of contemporary portraiture in Brighton. MASS will be held in Clermont Church, Preston Village, Brighton and will feature a congregation of life-sized figures 'seated' in the pews of the church. shardcore and Sam have invited applications from artists from Brighton and beyond, and have enlisted twenty eight artists willing to create work specifically for the installation.

Both established and upcoming artists have responded to the brief and are producing a wide range of work from 'traditional' portraiture to 'street art'. MASS operates both as a showcase of talent, and as a subtle commentary on the changing role of the Church in 21st Century Britain.

The exhibition will feature performances from local poets and orators who will 'preach' to the congregation at 3pm each Saturday.

About shardcore:

shardcore's subjects are often scientists, philosophers and intellectuals, investigating the nature of stature and legacy, reputation and posthumous reward. Recently the majority of his work has been in the form of painting, and an ongoing series of video works featuring the general public, entitled 'the shardcore inquisition'.

http://www.shardcore.org

About Sam Hewitt:

Sam Hewitt has been living and making art in Brighton for fifteen years. He is currently best known for painting Brighton street-scapes. These scenes often counterpoint a sense of light, colour and beauty with a feeling of aloneness and the brutal passage of time.