Wastework is the third and final iteration of an exhibition which began as The Waste Makers on Cornucopia Street at Newhaven Art Space in 2022 before travelling to The Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins.

All three exhibitions explore waste and how we might interpret, rework and re-examine it. How do we arrive at waste? Is it matter out of place? What is the difference between dirt and waste? And what might digital waste be? Focusing on restoration and rehabilitation the show presents diverse artworks from North America, India, and the UK, representing the globalised nature of waste. The work from Compound 13 lab, for example, has been made inside the informal settlement of Dharavi, Mumbai, which recycles 80% of Mumbai’s plastic.

The exhibition continues to accrue new works and takes on new configurations in each space exploring how longstanding artistic practices such as collage and assemblage can glean new perspectives on waste studies and the politics of disposability.

Ian Dawson (curator) is an artist, sculptor, lecturer and researcher. He is director of the Critical Practices Research Group at Winchester School of Art and convener of the Materials Lab at the University of Southampton.

You can visit the exhibition 12:00 – 17:00 Tuesday – Friday and 12:00 – 16:00 Saturday until 15 April 2023.