Frank Cohen exhibition to launch Shrewsbury’s new Museum & Art Gallery

An exhibition of select works from Frank Cohen’s internationally-acclaimed collection of contemporary art is set to launch the new Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, which opens its doors to the public on Tuesday 1 April 2014.

The show features artwork by the likes of Tracey Emin, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Damien Hirst and Charming Baker, as well as pieces from rising stars of the art world, championed by Cohen.

The exhibition will be the first to land in the spectacular main gallery space overlooking the town’s market square. This will be an entirely new offering for Shrewsbury, which is seeking to establish itself as a venue dedicated to showcasing bold and thought-provoking contemporary art collections.

The Frank Cohen exhibition leads with an animal theme, with the pieces chosen for the way they resonate with the museum’s historic collections.

Perhaps the most striking works include:

• ‘The Big Kiss’ by Chinese artist Chen Lei, capturing a funny, romantic yet deeply political encounter between a young boy and a giant polar bear;
• ‘I Know I Know I Know’ a neon installation by Tracey Emin based on a teenage argument between the artist and her mother, and:
• ‘Geococcyx Animatus & Canis Latrance Animatus’ by Korean artist Hyungkoo Lee, which sees a chase scene between the cartoon skeletons of Coyote and Road Runner playing out across the gallery space.

Other stand out artworks include early video installations by Bill Viola, a canine resin cast by YBA Abigail Lane, bronze animal masks by rising star Charming Baker, documentary photographs by Roger Ballen, Damien Hirst’s ‘Relationships’, and a portrait of Frank Cohen himself by Jake & Dinos Chapman.

Works by John M Armleder, Jagannath Panda, Tomoaki Suzuki and Tania Kovats also feature.

The Frank Cohen exhibition will remain open until Monday 30 June.

Speaking about the project, Cohen said:

“As a collector, there is great pleasure in acquiring artworks but there is also great satisfaction in being able to share, so that others may discover and enjoy these works as I have. I have welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery as I sincerely believe that, where possible, collections like mine should support regional ambitions in making access to great art possible.”

Adrian Plant, museum exhibitions officer with Shropshire Council, said:

“Charles Darwin is Shrewsbury’s most famous former resident and his influence can be felt throughout the historic collections. Each artwork in the Cohen exhibition in some way touches upon the connection between human beings and the animal world, and questions how much we can really know about history.”

Tina Woodward, Shropshire Council’s deputy Cabinet member for visitor economy, said:

“I’m delighted that the exciting Frank Cohen collection will be the first exhibition at the new Museum & Art Gallery.”

Owned and managed by Shropshire Council, and five years in the making, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery has seen the town’s Victorian Music Hall and the 13th century Vaughan’s Mansion become the focus of a ground-breaking restoration project to form its new home. The project has relocated the existing museum to a larger space, whilst the gallery is a completely new addition.

Visitors to the museum will find themselves on a journey of discovery that starts in the time when mammoths roamed, unlocking stories from across the entire county of Shropshire; stories of discovery and engineering creativity that influenced the world.

The entire collection has been re-imagined for a modern audience, with exhibitions exploring subjects from geology to natural history via art, archaeology and costume.

For more information visit www.shrewsburymuseum.org.uk.

Further information

Frank Cohen

Manchester-born Frank Cohen is the founder of The Home Improvement Company, a UK-wide chain of DIY stores. He began collecting art in the UK in the 1970s, became a patron of the Young British Artists (YBAs) in the late 1980s and now collects artwork from all over the world. He is thought to have over 2000 pieces in his collection. In April 2013 Cohen, together with fellow collector Nicolai Frahm, opened his first London exhibition space, The Dairy Art Centre.

Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery – a brief history

The Shrewsbury museum collection has found its home in several different locations in the town throughout the past 200 years. Most recently it was located at Rowley’s House, before the decision was made in 2006 to move over to the site of the old Music Hall and Vaughan’s Mansion. Enabling work began in 2009 and the building’s complexity resulted in the project taking almost five years to complete.

Opening times

1 April – 30 September, daily, 10am – 5pm
1 October – Easter, Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 4.30pm

Funding

The project has been funded by Shropshire Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, the European Regional Development Fund, the Art Fund, the Walker Trust, and the Friends of Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.