JULIANKNXX AND SEKAI MACHACHE TO CREATE BOLD NEW ARTWORKS IN LIVERPOOL AND ABERDEEN IN FIRST ROUND OF JERWOOD ART FUND COMMISSIONS
Two ambitious new commissions, supported through the inaugural round of the Jerwood Art Fund Commissions, will see two of the UK’s most exciting contemporary artists Sekai Machache and Julianknxx create new works that will enrich UK public collections and inspire conversations about cultural identity, history, and belonging.
The University of Aberdeen has been awarded funding to commission a new tapestry for the Sir Duncan Rice Library in collaboration with Zimbabwean-Scottish visual artist Sekai Machache and Dovecot Studios, the world-renowned tapestry studio in Edinburgh. The work will draw inspiration from the University’s extensive collections which span Scottish history, archaeology, science and global cultures.
Tate Liverpool, in partnership with the International Slavery Museum, has received funding to commission Chorus in Rememory of Flight – Liverpool (2028), a groundbreaking multidisciplinary installation by poet, filmmaker, and visual artist Julianknxx. The work will explore the complex experiences of Black communities in European port cities, weaving together poetry, film, music, and performance.
A new partnership between Art Fund and Jerwood Foundation - Jerwood Art Fund Commissions - provides critical support for museums and galleries to commission early to mid-career artists. The programme aims to further artists at pivotal stages in their careers, while enriching public collections through new contemporary art, ensuring they remain dynamic and representative of contemporary society.
The commissions build on Jerwood Foundation and Art Fund’s long-standing, shared commitment to fund new art and highlight the transformative power of collections in keeping museums vibrant spaces of engagement, learning, and artistic ambition – an essential role amid growing economic challenges.
Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said:
“Commissioning contemporary artists to create new work brings a fresh dynamic and perspective to museum collections. In today’s challenging economic landscape, dedicated support for commissions is more important than ever. Art Fund is delighted to be working in partnership with Jerwood Foundation to support these two ambitious inaugural commissions, which will inspire audiences in Aberdeen and Liverpool with powerful and thought-provoking storytelling. "
Lara Wardle, Executive Director and Trustee, Jerwood Foundation, said:
“I am delighted that, in the first year of Jerwood Foundation’s partnership with Art Fund, two exciting and bold commissions by Sekai Machache and Julianknxx will be realised. Through Jerwood Art Fund Commissions museums and galleries can bring ambitious projects to fruition, which will enrich our national collections and provide crucial support to early and mid-career artists. This important partnership with Art Fund underlines Jerwood’s ongoing commitment to support excellence in the arts in the UK.”
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