From Naples to Norwich, print collaboration ‘BALLOT’ raises political questions

An artistic collaboration that draws together 52 limited edition prints by academics, students and artists on the theme of “BALLOT” went on show in Naples before heading to Norwich. Taking its cue from recent political uncertainty across Europe, the collaborative print portfolio project was completed in June 2017 and opened in Naples as part of the SURVIVAL festival at the city’s Contemporary Art Museum on September 23rd, before opening at Nunnsyard Gallery in Norwich in October. The director of Cork Printmakers, Valerie Byrne was invited to open the show. The project was a collaboration between Norwich University of the Arts, Print to the People Norwich, CIT Crawford College of Art and Design Cork, Cork Printmakers and Limerick School of Art and Design.

The completed box of prints at BALLOT, made as an edition of five, contains an essay by NUA Professor Neil Powell questioning the historical and cultural context of the subject, in addition to a general introduction to the project and an index of all the work produced. NUA’s Course Leader in Fine Art, Carl Rowe said that the project had an immediate impact within the academic and creative professional sphere, having been exhibited along with a paper and presentation at the FIRSTEDITION print symposium organised by Cork Printmakers earlier this summer. BALLOT was also featured in ‘new art highlights’ on Axisweb in July 2017.