Join Nottingham Contemporary’s curators to discuss the key concepts and ideas presented in our two Summer season exhibitions.

In Gallery 1, we are presenting And the soul is for the birds, the first European institutional solo exhibition of the late self-taught Brazilian artist Francisco da Silva, known as ‘Chico da Silva,’ or simply ‘Chico’. Chico’s paintings were a glimpse into an immense non-hierarchical cosmology that was fuelled by the artist’s own imagination, mythology and folklore. Depicting sea creatures swimming on the currents of outer space, and fantastical creatures vividly painted in hallucinatory battles or stretching their jaws agape to consume smaller creatures, Chico’s works call attention to the interconnectedness of everything.

In Galleries 2&3, we are presenting Physical Culture, the first institutional solo exhibition in England by Lithuanian artist Augustas Serapinas featuring a large-scale sculptural installation. The exhibition will invite audiences into a hybrid space of activity - performance space; drawing studio; and gym - featuring fully operational metal fitness machines with jesmonite sculptures replacing conventional weights. The work will be activated with a dynamic live programme punctuating the exhibition season; where local fitness groups will be invited to participate in exercise classes in the galleries; students from local universities will be invited to partake in life drawing classes; and community wellbeing groups will be invited to host mixed ability sessions and holistic workshops.