Rose Finn-Kelcey's Spiky Conceptualism Celebrated in Northampton Homecoming Show
A new exhibition at Arts Collective in Northampton, housed in a £5m retrofit of historic municipal offices, celebrates the late conceptual artist Rose Finn-Kelcey (1945–2014). Born on a nearby farm, Finn-Kelcey spent the 1970s onward in London creating feminist pranks, installations, performances, videos, and photography. The show includes documentation of her 1972 work 'Power for the People,' where she hoisted two punny flags on Battersea power station that were taken down after complaints from wealthy Chelsea neighbors. Another photo shows swinging saloon bar doors installed in a Texas park as dividers. The work 'House Rules' features two LED displays with scrolling instructions and restrictions, critiquing societal control. Her exploration of spirituality is represented by a rug of a Vatican stamp with God wearing an eyepatch and blobby yellow sculptures based on Playmobil grain sacks. The standout piece is 'It Pays to Pray,' a functional vending machine that dispenses poetic prayers for 20p. The exhibition runs until 1 August.
Key facts
- Rose Finn-Kelcey was born in 1945 and died in 2014 from motor neurone disease.
- The exhibition is at Arts Collective in Northampton, a new £5m art centre.
- Finn-Kelcey's 1972 work 'Power for the People' involved two flags on Battersea power station.
- The flags were taken down after complaints from Chelsea residents.
- The work 'House Rules' uses LED displays with scrolling instructions and restrictions.
- The piece 'It Pays to Pray' is a vending machine that dispenses prayers for 20p.
- The exhibition includes a rug of a Vatican stamp with God wearing an eyepatch.
- The show runs until 1 August.
Entities
Artists
- Rose Finn-Kelcey
Institutions
- Arts Collective
Locations
- Northampton
- London
- Battersea power station
- Chelsea
- Texas
- Vatican