Gender, disability, home, nationhood, environment, mental health, industrialisation and social injustice

My hope for Season 2 is that by sharing the challenges that face us all, we can feel more able to cope. I hope we can raise spirits, of course. And also raise the magnificent spirit of protest.

For me, the artists of Season 2 are saying ‘we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore’. You might be feeling the same way.

~ Martin Firrell, Creative Director ~

That's a wrap: Watch the highlights

The Season 2 wrap film. Filmed by Rob Hill, Edward H Spreull, Fluxx Films, David Bewick and Louise Mather. Edited by Patrick Bethell.

Can artists help decode what’s going on?

11 timely and powerful artworks responded to the theme ‘The State We’re In’ on thousands of billboards and outdoor digital screens across the four nations of the UK.

The exhibition ‘The State We’re In’ spanned towns and cities, freely available to millions of people for 4 weeks: from London to Glasgow to Manchester, Southampton and Cardiff. 

Seven artworks were selected from almost 1,300 works submitted to our global, public open call. The Gallery also commissioned four new artworks. The works were created in diverse mediums including photography, illustration, oil painting, collage and digital printing.

The Gallery is a new kind of cultural institution, a major gallery without walls, created by Artichoke in collaboration with Public Artist Martin Firrell. It is the result of a unique partnership with the UK Out-of-Home* industry including the industry leaders, Clear Channel and JCDecaux. Our mission is to make art accessible through bold and unafraid exhibitions that appear as part of people’s daily lives.
 

*The term Out-of-Home refers to any visual advertising media found outside of the home, including on-street billboards, digital screens, bus-shelters and train stations.

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Over 130 million

views

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11 artists

commissioned

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Over 1,250

applications

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Over 2,900

sites across the UK

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The Guardian

Media Partner

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110 young people

across 12 community workshops

Artists

Becca + Clare

What We Do | View Bio

Dola Posh

Care | View Bio

Hugh Malyon

Forced into a ‘TickBox’: an Acceptable Method of Gaslighting? | View Bio

S Mark Gubb

Profit and Self | View Bio

Bobby Baker

GROSSLY UNDERVALUED DOMESTIC PRODUCT | View Bio

Trackie McLeod

NOW! That’s What I Call Anxiety | View Bio

HEYDT

Last to inherit | View Bio

Natasha Klutch

Rue The Waves | View Bio

Richard Woods

A house upside down | A house on its side | View Bio

Sarah Maple

Let Them Eat Nothing | View Bio

A photo from a schools workshop in Cardiff for Season 2 of The Gallery. A group of young people sit in a classroom with piles of art supplies on their work stations. They are creating artwork in repsonse to the theme
Cardiff Workshop with Fio and Cara Walker, The Gallery Season 2, 17 January 2022. Photo by Beth King

The Gallery is for everyone

Each biannual Gallery season sets out to nurture and develop artists at all levels; giving them a platform and guidance on producing art in the public realm.

Season 2 introduced our new Learning and Participation programme which engaged with young people across the UK. We’ve been lucky enough to work with young people throughout Northern Ireland and Wales.

This programme highlights the power of art in public space and provides inspiration and guidance for creating your own impactful public artwork.

Learn about the history of art in public space and create your own impactful artwork! Take part with our interactive video: thegallery.org/participation

Thank you to our Season 2 partners and supporters

A billboard of CRY (2022) by Allyson Packer overlooking a busy road at night. A barren landscape. A freight train can barely be seen in the distance. A road sign in the foreground reads 'CR Y'.
CRY (2022) by Allyson Packer. The Gallery, Season 2, 2023. Produced by Artichoke.

Contact

To find out more about joining The Gallery’s growing network for Season 3, please get in touch: Development@artichoke.uk.com