Connected Grounds exhibition explores the intricate web of connections between community and environment, showcasing a vibrant group of emerging artists across Boscombe and Dorset. Delving into themes of migration, memory, and the deep roots that connect us to multiple lands, the exhibition uses a myriad of mediums to reflect the plurality of cultures and connections that shape our lives as fluid foundations. Through threads of nature and ecology, this showcase and public programme celebrate the regenerative power of creating spaces for well-being (as a form of resistance in challenging oppressive systems). By embracing playful techniques that capture the fluidity of movement and reverberating resonances, the artworks reflect the dynamic interplay between global majority experiences and the complexity around them, underscoring the importance of each individual’s story within the rich tapestry of our shared existence.
The Connected Grounds exhibition emerged from the Access BEAF Resident Artists Programme, which ran from December 2023 to October 2024. This programme featured Access BEAF residents Monica Bonomo, Anne Charbel, Carmel De’Lisser, Mahtab Grimshaw, Sharon James, Prajvi Mandhani, Adilson Naueji, Huda Osni, Nicholas Teo, Elizabeth Walker and Karina West, a group of artists from the global majority practising in Bournemouth and Dorset. The programme also included associate artists Jessica Ashman and Raju Rage, who served as mentors and guided the residents throughout their journey. Both Ashman and Rage, who are based in London, are sharing commissions alongside the resident artists in the exhibition.
‘roots n routes’ Raju Rage
engraving print on astrophysics radiograph paper, engraved shoes, recycled objects
Connected Grounds is collectively curated by BEAF and the Access BEAF Resident and Associate Artists.
BEAF Resident Artists: Monica Bonomo, Anne Charbel, Carmel De’Lisser, Mahtab Grimshaw, Sharon James, Prajvi Mandhani, Adilson Naueji, Huda Osni, Nicholas Teo, Elizabeth Walker and Karina West.
BEAF Associate Artists: Jessica Ashman and Raju Rage
Access BEAF is a BEAF Arts Co Project
Supported by Paul Hamlin Foundation and Arts Council England