Immersive exhibition is coming to Lincoln venue

Opening on Saturday, February 8, at The Collection & Usher Gallery, Electric Fence is Lincolnshire-based contemporary artist Annabel McCourt’s first homecoming exhibition following an international tour.
The Usher Gallery, in Lincoln. EMN-200701-140820001The Usher Gallery, in Lincoln. EMN-200701-140820001
The Usher Gallery, in Lincoln. EMN-200701-140820001

Taking over the temporary galleries in the Usher Gallery, the Electric Fence was originally commissioned by Hull 2017 UK City of Culture and is a thought-provoking sculpture, inspired by homophobic hate speech and utilising innovative audio technology to create an immersive and haunting experience.

This exhibition presents the Electric Fence in an exclusively new format - encouraging visitors to see and interact with the work in a new way.

Alongside the Electric Fence, the gallery is showing a neon work by Annabel, titled Happy Hour in the Harmful Factory, which references her wider concerns around feminism, class and popular culture.

The exhibition will also showcase the outcomes of a series of workshops run by McCourt throughout 2019, in which participants were encouraged to ask Annabel about her practice and contribute stories to the Electric Fence, which will also be displayed on a purpose-built website.

Finally, there will be a new set of flags, titled Flying the Flag; designed by McCourt and housed on top of the Usher Gallery as part of the exhibition.

Exhibition officer, Jenny Gleadell, said: “This is a great opportunity for The Collection and Usher Gallery to work closely with local artist Annabel McCourt to showcase the Electric Fence in a new light and to bring it back to Lincolnshire after touring internationally.

“We are really excited about not only showing an innovative installation that uses audio technology in our galleries, but also about this opportunity to fully engage in the vibrant and importance discourse around LGBTQI+ identities and communities through our arts programming.

The exhibition is free, although donations are encouraged.

For more on The Collection and Usher Gallery, visit www.thecollectionmuseum.com