In Translation: In-Situ and Art of Small Talk
- Chantal Oakes
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
This text was commissioned in partnership with Corridor 8. We invited writer Chantal Oakes to reflect on the In Translation exhibition at Nelson Library in 2024, that was the culmination of the international exchange residency between Nelson and Islamabad and a dialogue between In-SItu and Art of Small Talk.
Sample text: In February 2024, Zehra Aziz (Art of Small Talk, Islamabad) spent a month in-residence in Nelson, Lancashire, on a Charles Wallace Visiting Fellowship to explore how In-Situ instils art in everyday life in Pendle and see how their methodologies might help Art of Small Talk promote art and creativity in Islamabad, Pakistan. From In-Situ, the connection was established by Calum Bayne, a previous member of the team, and developed by Zoya Bhatti, a current producer, and the outcome of the visiting fellowship led to the In Translation Residency, funded by the British Council in Pakistan, that took place between August and October 2024.
In-Situ and Art of Small Talk chose four artists to take part, two from Lancashire, Zara Saghir and Jamie Holman, and two from Pakistan, Mehr Javed and Rabeya Jalil. The work involved exchange visits in both countries, online and in-person discussions on creativity and practice, as well as engaging with community groups and making art together at each location. The research findings of the project are now being collated through dialogue and reflected on.
I visited Nelson Library on 18 October 2024 to see the small show of the work the four artists had created during the residencies and attend a panel discussion about the project. While it was evident the artists were exhausted at the project’s end, having only recently landed in the UK, I did get the chance to hear their first impressions of the experience through quick chats before the presentation.
