Your Art, Unlocked

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, writer and critic Gemma Tipton visits the Ulster Museum in Belfast to unlock a sculpture by artist Alice Maher made using a very surprising material. Picture a small girl’s party dress. It isn’t frilly or fancy. There is, maybe, something a little 1950s about it. There are no sequins or cartoon unicorns on this frock. Instead, it is made entirely of bees. Now that you know this, are you thinking about honey or about stings? Join Gemma as she chats to Alice about her fascination with bees and her interest in women’s bodies, and listen to Anna Liesching, Curator of Art at the Ulster Museum, explain the challenges of looking after this fragile object. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Producers: Imelda Barnard and Maria Clara Montoya Music credits: Bumblebee by Art Flower, Free Music Archive (CC0 1.0)

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, journalist, author and editor Holly E. J. Black visits Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery to unlock a remarkable collection of Japanese prints that transport us to Japan’s ‘floating world’. The extremely popular collection of Japanese ukiyo-e at Blackburn includes intricate, colourful woodblocks by the likes of master artists Hiroshige and Hokusai. But how did hundreds of these prints end up in a town in Lancashire? Holly tries to answer this question by talking to Anthea Purkis, Curator of Art at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, who tells us about the origins of the collection, while printmaker Adrian Holmes gives some sense of the detailed work that goes into making a woodblock print. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Producers: Imelda Barnard and Maria Clara Montoya

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, art historian, writer and educator Melissa Baksh visits Pallant House Gallery in Chichester to unlock a subversive sculpture by artist Nina Saunders. This object resembles a dustpan but it’s covered in a rich red and gold fabric, and it appears soft rather than sturdy. It feels both familiar and strange – but what exactly is it and what era does it belong to? Turns out it has a lot to do with the Victorian designer William Morris and his belief that ordinary household objects should be both useful and beautiful. Melissa talks to Nina about her love of Morris and why she can't stop transforming furniture, while Miriam O’Connor Perks, curator at Pallant House Gallery, explains how this unsettling sculpture came about. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Producers: Imelda Barnard and Maria Clara Montoya Music credits: Gitano Waltz by Art Flower, Free Music Archive (CC0 1.0)

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, artist and researcher Adéọlá Dewis visits the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea to unlock a very personal work by Welsh and Ghanaian artist Anya Paintsil. The background of this unusual portrait looks to be made from a rug and there’s an image of a figure stitched together using different fabrics and materials – including real hair. The sitter isn't a well-known person but instead a member of the artist's family, and she's crying, holding a toy duck! Join Adéọlá as she chats to Karen MacKinnon, Curator at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, about how Anya’s work challenges Welsh identity and hear Anya herself explain the thinking behind her tactile, tapestry-like creations. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Producer: Imelda Barnard Sound editor: Chris Sharp Music credits: Pacing, Ketsa, Free Music Archive (CC BY 4.0); Ketsa, Kinship, Free Music Archive (CC BY 4.0); Gagmesharkoff, Downpour, Free Music Archive (CC BY 4.0); Ketsa, No One Asked Free Music Archive (CC BY 4.0)

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, curator and art historian Natalie Rudd visits the campus at the University of Warwick to unlock a puzzling outdoor sculpture by Laura Ford. This is a hybrid creature, part human, part cat. What is it doing here and why does it look so preoccupied? Join Natalie as she tries to answer these questions by chatting to Sarah Shalgosky, Principal Curator at the University of Warwick, and Laura herself, who explains the origins of this strange creature – and her wider love of children’s stories. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Producer: Imelda Barnard Sound editor: Chris Sharp Music credits: Dances and Dames, Kevin Macleod, Free Music Archive (CC BY 3.0); Backed Vibes Clean, Kevin Macleod, Free Music Archive (CC BY 3.0)