Image: Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
The Royal West of England Academy will open its 173rd Annual Open Exhibition on Saturday 12 September, bringing more than 500 artworks by 381 artists to the Bristol institution. Described by the academy as its largest event of the year, the presentation ranges across sculpture, video, ceramics and print, as well as other contemporary art forms.
The scale of the open exhibition gives the academy a wide field of practices and makers rather than a single-medium focus. The Annual Open is presented not only as an opportunity to view art, but also as a celebration of the participating artists. Alongside the exhibition, the academy is introducing opportunities to meet artists behind the works, take tours and explore the galleries after normal hours.
Tuesday Late Opens will run every Tuesday from 5pm to 8pm until 2027, with one-off events scheduled during the year. A British Sign Language gallery tour on 3 October will be led by Emily Rose from a Deaf perspective. Delivered in BSL, the tour will select and explore a variety of works from the Annual Open.
The first Saturday artist-led session, also on 3 October, will examine works in the exhibition. It will be led by RWA Academicians Alice Kettle and Jemma Appleby and Jessica Lloyd-Smith.
Mohammad Barrangi is this year’s invited artist. The internationally acclaimed artist and former Paralympian will present new work, ‘1001 Nights’, in the 173rd Annual Open, marking his first exhibition in Bristol.
