Culture24's new project for Museums at Night, Connect10

Many of my readers may have noticed my unadulterated love for Museums at Night.  Museums at night time! Brilliant! You can’t not love it.   I’ve just discovered that Culture24 have a new and exciting Museums at Night project called Connect10.  So you know connect4 the game where you have to outsmart your opponent to get 4 yellow discs in a row? Yes? Well its nothing like that.   Connect10 matches ten contemporary artists with ten museums and galleries for a series of special one-off Museums at Night events over the weekend of 18th, 19th and 20th May 2012.

The ten artists Culture24 have lined up are absolutely brilliant! And what’s really exciting is that any museum can pick an artist, and what they would like that artist to do in the museum!  Some of the most exciting artists in the UK let loose in museums sounds like messy paradise to me.  There’s even a couple of my favourite artists on the list; Bompass and Par! They have made  chocolate fountains willy wonky style in a shopping centre, a jelly lake on top of Selfridges and did some amazing stuff for the Wellcome Collection’s Dirt exhibition.  Not to mention they made a walk in cloud of gin and tonic. Oh yes they did!

Can you imagine them in your museum? Making some wonderfully weird collection based culinary concoction? Yes? Then apply! Apply now (and invite me!).  Or if they aren’t your thing what about  taxidermy? Or short stories? Or photography? Or how about an inspiring sculpture or installation?  The options are endless.
There’s more details on the Culture24 site but here’s a list of all the artists; have a peak and see which artist you would like, and think “hmm… what would be fabulous is if they could do THIS in my museum”.  Please apply, Please please please. For me.  It looks like its going to be excellent Museums at Night 2012.

• Claire Barclay, futuristic Scottish sculptor whose carefully balanced installations have been exhibited in Tate Britain and Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery.
• Bompas & Parr, the Jellymongers, create spectacular culinary experiences ranging from architectural jellies to lakes of cocktails.
• Ryan Gander, provocative installation artist whose Artangel commission in a Hoxton warehouse provided clues for visitors to solve a mystery.
• Jon McGregor, award-winning novelist and short story writer, author of If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things and Even The Dogs.
• Polly Morgan, contemporary taxidermist whose poignant installations have been collected by Kate Moss.
• Terry O’Neill, fashion and rock photographer renowned for iconic images of Hollywood stars and bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
• Martin Parr, Magnum documentary photographer whose pictures tell stories of leisure, consumption and communication.
• Simon Roberts, landscape and documentary photographer who spent a year crossing Russia and was Official Artist of the 2010 General Election.
• Bob & Roberta Smith, sign-painter, activist and installation artist who uses text on recycled signs and floorboards.
• Susan Stockwell, creator of beguiling installations, drawings and films commenting on globalisation and colonisation, often using recycled materials.