Making New Worlds: Li Yuan-chia & Friends

Li Yuan-chia (1929-1994) has had a profound impact on the history of British art and conceptual practices, yet his contribution to the art world and the networks he created– from his emigration to London in 1965, to his experiments with museum-as-artwork in the 1970s and ‘80s – have yet to be explored widely. This exhibition will draw parallels between Li’s LYC Museum and Art Gallery in Cumbria, and Kettle’s Yard, both places motivated by a shared belief in the inseparability of art, friendship and home. Artists across generational and geographical borders, many of whom exhibited at the LYC and Kettle’s Yard, will be brought together, including Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Winifred Nicholson.

Li Yuan-chia Untitled, 1993, Unique hand-coloured photographic print. 24.6 x 20 cm. Image courtesy of the Li Yuan-chia Foundation © Li Yuan-chia Foundation.

The exhibition retraces Li’s commitment to fostering creativity, his interest in play and his investment in new ways of being in the world. Through the LYC, Li showcased Roman artefacts, works by major figures of British modernism, local artists and contemporary practices including kineticism, land art and video. The LYC’s children’s room provided a place for young people to experiment with art making, while craft workshops played host to communities of making. Much like Kettle’s Yard, the LYC also had a library, a garden, and spaces to socialise, transforming how we encounter art.

All information can be found at www.kettlesyard.co.uk/events/making-new-worlds-li-yuan-chia-and-friends/