Facilitating and Multi-tasking
Generator Projects Committee
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The first artist-led space opened in Scotland, was the now famed Transmission based in Glasgow. Soon there was an artist-led space in every major Scottish city. This included the opening of Generator Projects in Dundee in 1996. Image of 'Self-Organised' published by Open Editions.
Extensive embodied research into what a contemporary artist-led space once was, is now, and what it could be.
The first artist-led space opened in Scotland, was the now famed Transmission based in Glasgow. Soon there was an artist-led space in every major Scottish city. This included the opening of Generator Projects in Dundee in 1996. Image of 'Self-Organised' published by Open Editions.
In late 2012, Holly joined the Generator Committee. Generator Projects is an artist-led space facilitated by a rolling committee of artists. Following her interest to practice within the context of Dundee and researching the artist’s role within a design-focused city, Holly took on the role of Chair person in 2014 and co-director primarily working with Kirsty McKeown, James Lee, Katherine Murphy and Yvonne Billimore.
Together, they curated all aspects of the gallery space, initiated GENERATORpublications, created the structure for Take-Over programmes by other curators and constructed Collective Space with artist, Henri Meadows. We also worked extensively with other artist-led spaces in Scotland, the U.K. and parts of Europe.
In addition to the anticipated roles of facilitaing such a space, Holly tamed eighteen years worth of administrative bedlam. As an artist, she became skilled in book-keeping, chartiable law and property negotiations.
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In addition to the anticipated roles of facilitaing such a space, Holly tamed eighteen years worth of administrative bedlam. As an artist, she became skilled in book-keeping, chartiable law and property negotiations.
Beyond extended negotiations and administrative challenges, 26 exhibitions and 44 events over a two-year period were programmed.
The programme reflected and acted upon how curation could become a tool over-time for creating movement from one way of working to another. The exhibitions focused on economy, functions of space and futures. The work also focused on stimulating critical discussion around artistic practices within a sector through creating space for peerage.
Artist-led spaces in Scotland were inspired by the 1960's art movement of self-organisation to counter the growing strong hold of a capitalist driven art market. However, over time they have begun to be incorporated as a ‘rut in the ladder’ that emerging artists and curators supposedly can climb to aid ‘making it as an artist’. During 2013, the artist-led spaces of Scotland came together to challenge this trajectory and reinstate the alternative roles of artist-led space - to push the boundaries of what we understand art to be.