Our Latest Collaborative Project
A Message from MADE IN BED’s Sofia Bellisomo, Project Director
As we all know, the past months have been filled with transformations and uncertainties, our world has changed, and our lifestyles have had to adapt accordingly. However, the art world has not stalled, indeed the initiatives that have been put into practice have been numerous, perhaps even more than expected. We, students at Sotheby's Institute of Art, have also decided to support these activities and make our contribution in this field. Therefrom, the Program Director of the MA in Contemporary Art, Juliet Hacking and Jeffrey Boloten, Course Leader of the Semester Program, have endeavoured to establish a partnership with Photo London Academy, in advance of the rescheduled fair opening in Gray’s Inn Gardens in Frieze week in October.
The Photo London Academy is a dynamic platform that embraces the enthusiasm for photography of all the amateurs. In response to the global pandemic, the Academy has launched several digital components, including an online magazine, talks, and the Connect project. In particular, Photo London's e-magazine highlights creative processes and promotes the artworks of selected guests. As can be read on the Photo London Academy website, ‘The magazine focuses on personal anecdotes, stories and behind-the-scenes materials, typically those unseen on the main stage of physical art fairs and exhibitions. We have created an exciting editorial programme beginning with contributions from our Masters of Photography, as well as leading photography artists and curators and collectors’.
In regard to the SIA project, it has been led by Helen Ho - who is a specialist in Contemporary Art, Head of VIP Relations for the fair, and an alumna of the Institute – and Sofia Bellisomo – a current SIA student enrolled in the MA in Art Business. However, the whole collaboration has been possible thanks to the collaboration of other eight students – Andriani Raouna, Costanza Nizzi, Dongmin Kim, Finn Theunis, Greta Meregalli, Lucy O’Meara, Paloma Chavez, and Vienna Kim – who, along with Sofia, have attended a 7-week Elective on Photography and its Markets. Together, they have been involved in the creation of a special SIA edition of the magazine which will be published on the 19th June 2020. The 7th issue has been accurately curated by the students which have engaged with a number of established and emerging photographers from all around the world – some of whom will be represented at the fair, like Sameer Tawde. Along with a mixture of articles and photographs, readers will have the chance to read several interviews. In fact, Andriani, Dongmin, Lucy, Paloma, and Sofia were successful in getting in contact with the artists they wrote about, including Philip Butler and Abigail Hunt. The other students have conducted outstanding research of diverse other photographers whose results have been embedded within their articles – which are accompanied with very informative and interesting videos realised, partly, by the artists themselves.
Therefore, we suggest you keep an eye on this initiative and immerse yourself in the interesting readings proposed by our students. In the meantime, check out the issues that have been published so far and get inspired!