/sLab in the City

Shop windows in Sunderland city centre will come alive with film, sound, sculpture and performance in a bid to bring contemporary art to street level.

Sunderland’s digital media lab, /sLab, will present a variety of work by a diverse selection of artists, in shops and public sites throughout The Bridges Shopping Centre and Joplings department store in the Sunniside area of the city centre.

The art works focus on various themes including northern culture and familiar city sights and sounds. Entitled /sLab in the City, the project will run during normal shop opening times from February 19 to March 2.

The project, which involves a mix of emerging and established artists who are currently based in the north east region, has been sponsored by Sunderland City Council and supported by the University of Sunderland, Debenhams, The Bridges Shopping Centre, Joplings and Sunderland Football Club.

Organiser Victoria Maddison, 32, of High Barnes, said the project was about getting contemporary art into the public domain. The Sunderland based project manager graduated from Sunderland University with a Masters degree in Curating last summer.

She said: “/sLab has been doing some great work with international residencies but for this project we wanted to be able to give it more of a local focus and link the university with local businesses and the general public.

“It is about inciting diversion and surprise for the passerby in situations where people do not necessarily expect or invite an artistic encounter.”

A preview event, which will include a tour of the work, will take place on Thursday February 19 at 5pm outside Debenhams.

The artists featured are Cecilia Stenbom, CIRCA’s Sam Watson, Adam Phillips and Michael Gardiner, Michelle Goulder, Sophie Beresford and Jennie Brennan & Sarah Rumis of NOVEMBER.