Joanne Coates' Baltic Exhibition Middle of Somewhere Reframes Rural Narratives
Joanne Coates, a visual artist, is showcasing her exhibition Middle of Somewhere at Baltic, which runs until 17 November 2024. This exhibition confronts the perceptions surrounding rural areas in the UK, delving into themes of rurality, concealed histories, and social class disparities through diverse media. As the recipient of the 2024 Baltic Vasseur Arts Award, Coates utilizes her background as a working-class artist and engages with rural communities. Her 2022 series, The Lie of the Land, presents portraits of working-class women from Northeast England alongside objects that symbolize their identities. The exhibition also addresses the effects of industrial extraction on communities and land, linking historical feudalism to modern challenges, particularly for rural young women grappling with housing issues and political exclusion.
Key facts
- Joanne Coates' exhibition Middle of Somewhere is on view at Baltic until 17 November 2024.
- Coates won the 2024 Baltic Vasseur Arts Award.
- Her series The Lie of the Land (2022) collaborates with 12 working-class women from Northeast England.
- Objects in the series, like a brass horn and writer's pen, reflect identity and class histories.
- Coates' practice addresses rural inequalities, extraction histories, and working-class experiences.
- Daughters of the Soil was a year-long commission with The Maltings and Newcastle University's Centre for Rural Economy.
- Coates is also part of the touring exhibition After the end of History.
- She is developing new performance work and a project on pigeon fancying with a Historic England grant.
Entities
Artists
- Joanne Coates
- Diana Bestwish Tetteh
- Sally Shortall
Institutions
- Baltic
- Aesthetica Magazine
- The Maltings
- Newcastle University
- Centre for Rural Economy
- Institute for Creative Arts Practice
- Historic England
Locations
- United Kingdom
- Northeast England
- Berwick-upon-Tweed