Glasgow International 2006

From 19 April - 1 May Glasgow International will host the city's curated and commissioning Festival of Contemporary Visual Art under the curatorship of Francis McKee for a second year.

Glasgow International aims to support the city’s visual arts sector in a number of ways by

attracting new money to increase investment in the visual arts commissioning new work by the city’s artists supporting the growth of the city’s profile as a major international centre for visual arts by attracting artists of international standing to the city attracting artworld professional – curators, writers, collectors to the city encouraging and supporting grassroots activity by emerging artists attracting visitors and increasing audiences for the visual arts

Francis McKee, Curator, Glasgow International 2006 said: ‘The first year of Glasgow International was realised with the goodwill and support of the city’s art community. Now in its second year, that goodwill has been sustained and it has become clear that the Festival is being shaped by the city’s unique arts infrastructure – the mix of grassroots organisations, small galleries, independent artists, the larger spaces and the city’s rapidly changing urban landscape. ‘It is fitting, then, that this year’s Festival reflects the work of artists based in the city as much as it highlights international work from abroad. Many exhibitions have been specifically commissioned for Glasgow International while others highlight works that are being shown for the first time in Scotland.’

A cross section of this year’s programme features:

New video works and drawings by Gary Rough in the main gallery at Sorcha Dallas as well as a commissioned offsite neon installation 'Who is everything' A curatorial development and networking event 'Curating Context' at the CCA

Tel Aviv based artist David Adika exhibiting at Q! Gallery. Glasgow Sculpture Studios presents new work by Anne-Marie Copestake and A. R. Lamb. A two day synposium aimed at stimulating practices and critical appreciation associated with electronic and digital media arts.

The Work of Patti Smith at The Mitchell Library curated by Ben Harman of the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow Ross Sinclair's solo show at CCA 'Real Life Painting' - in parallel to Sinclair's exhibition, CCA will present a one day synposium on painting. One of Ireland's emerging young painters Isabel Nolan in one of Glasgow's newest spaces, The Stud!o. A new site-specific large scale sulpture by Miami based artist Mark Handforth.

Latest update Of the people who attended, 27% came from outside Glasgow but within Scotland, 20% came from the ‘rest of the UK’ and a further 7% came from overseas, generating £549,000 of economic benefit for Glasgow. The festival is made possible through partnerships between Glasgow’s visual arts network and the city’s numerous arts venues, the funding partnerships between Glasgow City Council and EventScotland, Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, Glasgow: Scotland with style and in association with UZ Events.   Following identification of the need for more time for research and for the  commissioning of more ambitious exhibitions, it was announced that Glasgow International will become a biennial event with the next one taking place in 2008.