Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2012: Commissioned Works and Independent Spirit

The Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art ran from April 20 to May 7, 2012, showcasing commissioned works and exhibitions across the city. Jeremy Deller presented "Sacrilege," an inflatable Stonehenge bouncy castle that critiqued British cultural reverence for the Neolithic site. Karla Black installed "Empty Now," a large mound of sawdust and face makeup at the Gallery of Modern Art, accompanied by a hanging tape piece called "Will Attach." The Glasgow School of Art commissioned sculptures by Folkert De Jong. At 42 Carlton Place, Merlin James curated "Ever Since I put Your Picture in a Frame," featuring paintings by Alex Katz, André Derain, Walter Richard Sickert, Alfred Wallis, James Castle, Richard Walker, Stephen McKenna, Clive Hodgson, Joel Tomlin, Julie Roberts, James Hyde, Tony Swain, and Joe Fyfe. The Modern Institute displayed notebooks and artworks by Paul Thek, along with Michael Wilkinson's "Dresden" exhibition at their Aird's Lane space. Galleries at 6 Dixon Street included Mary Mary, showing Lorna Macintyre's sculptures referencing Brancusi, and Kendall Koppe, presenting framed works by Emory Douglas with a wall painting by the artist. Graduate students organized "Stay Vector, Stay!" in an Albion Street storefront, featuring Justin Stephens, G. Küng, Dunja Herzog, Scott Rogers, and Sarah Rose. The festival emphasized commissioned works and museum-quality exhibitions, maintaining distance from commercial art fair models.