m2(at)15

10th - 27th May 2018, at APT Gallery

m2@15 was a retrospective exhibition celebrating 15 years of a unique gallery space. In 2003 Julia Manheim and Ken Taylor incorporated a 1m2 window gallery into their newly converted milk depot in Peckham. Since then over 80 artists have shown work in the m2 Gallery, which presents a 24 hour accessible, rolling programme of six exhibitions a year.

To acknowledge this endeavour and the continuing success of the gallery, Julia, Ken and curator Sarah Goodwin selected 32 previously exhibited artists to come together to present an enticing multi faceted exhibition at the APT Gallery in Deptford from 10 to 27 May 2018. Many of the artists responded to this invitation by making new work, others showing recent pieces for the first time in the UK.

Curating a show with such a myriad of artist personalities, and diversity of textures, forms and techniques, was an absorbing and challenging task. If a current of connection evolved its to illustrate the collective enthusiasm of these artists, knitted together by their involvement with the m2 Gallery. Individual works covering a broad range of mediums, processes and materials spoke both independently and in relation to one another. The exhibition moved between the monumental and miniature, hard structure and soft abstraction, the intimate glance and the long gaze. Repeating shapes of metre square dimensions, a (loose) criteria for submitted work served to punctuate the space and direct the viewer through the exhibition.

This group of artists has a vast range of skills, expertise and international exhibiting experience; all making the ordinary appear extraordinary. Work included photography, installation, ceramics, video, sculpture, painting, glass, jewellery and performance.

The exhibition was accompanied by a fully illustrated colour publication which is available on application. An evening of Pecha Kucha presentation and performance events took place on Monday 21 May during the show.

Exhibiting Artists

All photographs courtesy of Peter Abrahams and Anthony Coleman