Exhibition: Hall of Fictional Space. Wall painting by Catrin Huber at the British School at Rome

Hall of Fictional Space. Wall painting by Catrin Huber at the British School at Rome

Private View: Thursday, 31 March 2011, 6:00-9:00 pm
Exhibition: Friday, 1 April - Saturday 16th April 2011
Opening times: Tuesday-Saturday, 4:30-6:30 pm or by appointment

Catrin Huber is interested in the relationship between imagined painted and actual architecture, and in how wall paintings can re-negotiate role and function of rooms and buildings. Her exhibition at the British School will combine wall painting with drawings of imagined spaces. For Hall of Fictional Space she imagined bringing together a diverse group of painters from ancient Roman Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis. The imagined group had an animated argument about wall paintings for the 21st century. The fruit of this debate will be a wall painting that responds to the arguments made, and to the specific characteristics of the foyer at the British School at Rome. The exhibition space is located under architect Edwin Lutyens' grand façade at the British School. In contrast to this bright and spacious outdoor area, the exhibition space evokes a cool, subterranean chamber which is transformed by Huber’’s wall painting.

Catrin Huber lives and works in London. In 2008, an Abbey Fellowship at the British School at Rome enabled her to deepen her relationship with ancient Roman painters and their work. Huber has exhibited in Great Britain (e.g. Barbican Centre London, Sartorial Contemporary Art London) and internationally (Akademie Schloss Solitude Stuttgart, Kunstverein Wilhelmshöhe Ettlingen, RMIT Project Space Melbourne). She has won numerous awards, residencies and scholarships from bodies including the DAAD, the Royal College of Art (John Crane Travel Award) and the County Baden-Württemberg (Cité Internationale des Arts Paris). Huber studied painting at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe and the Royal College of Art London.

Catrin Huber è interessata al rapporto tra architettura immaginaria dipinta e architettura esistente, e al modo in cui le pitture murali possono rinegoziare ruolo e funzione di stanze ed edifici. La sua mostra presso l’Accademia Britannica unirà pittura murale e disegni di spazi immaginati. Per ha immaginato di riunire un gruppo eterogeneo di pittori romani di Pompei, Ercolano e Oplontis. Questo immaginario gruppo ha una animata discussione sulla pittura murale nel XXI secolo. Il frutto di questo dibattito sarà un dipinto murale che risponde alle argomentazioni sviluppate e alle specifiche caratteristiche del foyer dell’Accademia Britannica. Lo spazio espositivo si trova sotto la grandiosa facciata dell’Accademia, progettata dall’architetto Edwin Lutyens. In contrasto con questa luminosa e spaziosa area esterna, lo spazio espositivo evoca una fresca camera sotterranea che viene trasformata dalla pittura murale di Huber.

Catrin Huber vive e lavora a Londra. Nel 2008 una Abbey Fellowship all’Accademia Britannica di Roma le ha permesso di approfondire il suo rapporto con i pittori dell’antica Roma e il loro lavoro. Huber ha esposto in Gran Bretagna (fra l’altro al Barbican Centre di Londra, e alla Sartorial Contemporary Art, Londra) e all’estero (Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stoccarda; Kunstverein Wilhelmshöhe, Ettlingen; RMIT Project Space, Melbourne). Ha vinto numerosi premi, residenze e borse di enti tra cui DAAD, Royal College of Art (John Crane Travel Award) e il Land Baden-Württemberg (Cité Internationale des Arts, Parigi). Huber ha studiato pittura alla Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste di Karlsruhe e al Royal College of Art di Londra.

Hall of Fictional Space
The British School at Rome Via Gramsci 61, 00197 Roma 

+39 06 326 4939 www.bsr.ac.uk