Jane Frere : Building the Ark
MERZ made a visit to Jane Frere‘s studio with artist Olga Lapteva and designer Anna Seisian from Ukraine. We encountered Jane’s ‘elephant in the room’ created especially for COP26. We were talking about war: all wars. The average west-world human contributes ten tons of CO2e per capita per annum into the atmosphere. If we are... Read More
Ginny Krueger : a wee locket
Ginny Krueger is the November artist in residence at MERZ. When travelling Ginny works with inks while at home in the US she focuses on encaustic, a mixture of beeswax, resin and pigment. Ginny will be exhibiting her work at MERZ on 3rd December under the title ‘a wee locket’.
Hsin-Yu Chen : MERZ media consultant
Hsin-Yu recently graduated from the University of Portsmouth. As part of her stay at MERZ Hsin-Yu has been devising marketing strategies to interest Mandarin speaking graduates in the UK. Following their education overseas students are able to stay in the UK for up to two years and Hsin-Yu has highlighted the opportunities residencies offer for... Read More
Jane Frere : 10 years of Summerhall model
Jane Frere introduces the elements of her ’10 years’ model which due to Covid was not shown at Summerhall. MERZ is hoping to show the model at the Museum of Model Art sometime in 2023.
Cat Robertson : Artist in Residence at Merz Elterwater, during KS75
During the Summer of 2022 Catriona Robertson was artist in residence at Merz in Elterwater. In 2019 Cat had been the first artist in residence at MERZ in Sanquhar, in a project supported by Creative Scotland. Here Cat introduces her recent residency work responding to both the devastating winds that caused much damage at Merz... Read More
Schwitters’ Army Reunion
In September 2022 the Schwitters’ Army Reunion celebrated the archive of 202 collages collected during Ric Kasini Kadour’s residency at MERZ in early 2020. A blue plaque was unveiled on the wall at MERZ. The Schwitters’ Army collection is housed at MERZ and is available for viewing and research, while an exhibition is planned for... Read More
Untitled (2022)
A ten minute film based on footage found in Kurt Schwitters’ former lodgings in Ambleside. Premiered at the reunion of the Schwitters’ Army at MERZ, Sanquhar on 10th September 2022.
Nicholas Milkovich : The Next Virus
Working with Cabell Glancy’s sounds Nicholas Milkovich explores how synthetic materials can correspond to the ‘man made – or induced – viruses that the world has recently become inflicted with.
Olivia Irvine & Isabelle Bonzom : Fresco at MERZ
Olivia Irvine and Isabelle Bonzom outline the processes and techniques involved in the recent fresco painted at MERZ by Olivia under Isabelle’s guidance.
Glòria Coll Domingo : Poet in Residence
Glòria Coll Domingo is a Catalan poet and musician in residence at MERZ. Her work as a poet has been awarded several prizes: Amadeu Oller for unpublished young poets, Miquel Martí i Pol from University UPC and recently this year the prestigious Jocs Florals, a contest with centuries of history. Glòria has published, so far,... Read More
Jennifer Printz : Artist in Residence
Jennifer Printz has been in residency at MERZ since mid-June arriving from Miami, Florida, USA with funding from Florida International University where she is an assistant professor of studio art. Bringing photographic imagery printed onto Washi, thin Japanese paper, Jennifer worked on a series of mixed-media drawings carefully laying down graphite and coloured pencil to create... Read More
Daniel Printz : Writer in Residence
Daniel Printz has been finishing his latest novel, “Nuances of Death in Real-Time” while in residence at MERZ throughout late June and July. The book focuses on the very bold but often contemplated subject of death. In this video, Daniel discusses the book’s three merging storylines that approach the theme of mortality from various viewpoints... Read More
Lisa Hall : Sound Artist Residency
Lisa Hall arrived at MERZ for her two week residency with a heavy wheeled suitcase and a smallish rucksac: the suitcase carried a panoply of sound recording, manipulation and playing equipment. In this clip Lisa outlines some of the research as well as practical projects she’s been working on at ZIPStudio and Tadpole on the... Read More
Olivia Irvine : Work starts on the fresco at MERZ
Olivia Irvine has begun work on her fresco at MERZ. Working with her mentor Isabelle, Zoomed in from France, Olivia started preparing the rough-cast coats of plaster. This work ahead of a week’s residency with Isabelle in July. This short clip outlines the process involved.
Anna Seisian : Clothing Designer
Arriving recently from Ukraine, Anna Seisian is a clothing designer and maker living for the meantime at MERZ. Anna designs and makes clothes and will be setting up her business in Sanquhar with the help of local trades and support of A’ the Airts community arts centre. Anna is looking for outlets for her clothing... Read More
WORLD COLLAGE DAY 2022 : MERZ
World Collage Day at MERZ offered the opportunity for curator Denise Zygadlo to bring to Scotland an exhibition from Ireland. Empty Columns: a place to dream was conceived by Ric Kasini Kadour for a festival in the mid Ireland town of Birr. With the local community arts centre in Sanquhar MERZ provided an outlet for... Read More
Olga Lapteva : Artist in Residence
Recently arrived from Ukraine, Olga Lapteva has been working in ZIPStudio on a painting of the St Brides Parish Church in Sanquhar.
Photography in Place Residency at MERZ
CALL TO ARTISTS Photography in Place Residency A week-long, in-person residency at MERZ Gallery in Sanquhar, Scotland designed for artists working with photography who seek to engage with place in their practice. Using the rural community of Sanquhar, Scotland as a laboratory, artists will spend a week making artwork; learning about the place, its people,... Read More