11 Collaborations #2

The Matriarchive is a showcase and celebration of the work created during a practice-led research project undertaken by Rachel Maloney during her fellowship with the V&A Museum Research Institute (VARI) in partnership with the University of Brighton. Rachel’s fellowship outlined a practice-led research project entitled looking for the matriarchive that aimed to investigate and re-frame the female narrative of domestic photographic materials from the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) collection held in the V&A archives. The intention was to uncover, and work with, materials that represented the often-marginalised memories and experiences of women in the home.

The project was paused during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and then adapted for online delivery, ensuring it could still encompass research participation and collaboration within the new restrictions. Navigating ways to keep the research project moving forward during the national lockdowns led Rachel to explore her own family collections in connection with those of her research participants during one-to-one online research workshops. The results of these workshops have been curated into a book (similar to a family photograph album) that will be displayed in the gallery space for visitors to look through and engage with. This exhibition period will also include a series of talks and events which may be held in-venue or online – details to follow on this webpage. Two moving image pieces will also be on display showcasing 16mm film work created in 2020 during the pausing of Rachel’s project.

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Events Programme:

Private View: The Matriarchive
Thursday 2nd September & Friday 3rd September 2021, 4 – 7pm
Each 30 minute slot includes an exhibition tour with the artist and a free goody bag!
Book here.

Online Talk: ‘the doing and the unfixing of family photographs’
Thursday 9th September 2021, 4.30 – 5.30pm
Please join us for this in conversation between Annebella Pollen (Reader in the History of Art and Design, University of Brighton) and Rachel Maloney (V&A / University of Brighton Research Fellow 2019-2021). This event will be held online but will be hosted live from the gallery space of Rachel’s exhibition ‘The Matriarchive’ and will be chaired by Polly Wright from Brighton CCA. Find out more and book here.

Workshop: Making the private public
Saturday 11th September 2021, 2 – 3.30pm
This workshop invites artists, curators, writers and collectors to attend and in person event led by Rachel Maloney within the gallery space of her exhibition ‘The Matriarchive. An informal discussion and sharing of family photographs / objects will be used to facilitate conversation, questions and challenges that practitioners face when using their own, or other peoples, family collections in their work, writing, art and practice. Find out more and book here.

Each event is free to attend, all welcome.

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Rachel is an artist and researcher whose recent project ‘looking for the matriarchive’ was completed during a research fellowship in partnership with the University of Brighton and the V&A Museum Research Institute (VARI). Rachel’s research and art practice centers around personal memory and domestic practices of collecting and archiving, particularly of photographic materials. She currently works as a Technical Demonstrator in Photography at the University of Brighton after gaining her MA in Photography in 2015. Find out more here.

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This is project #2 of Dorset Place x 11 collaborations – a new series of projects and work responding to the university as a site for experimentation and learning. Admission is free and open to all.

Dorset Place is Brighton CCA’s project space and hosts a series of short projects and exhibitions by emerging artists, organisations, curators and students. With a fast changing programme, the space is an exciting platform for experimentation, collaboration and engagement with new ideas and voices. Dorset Place allows us to be responsive, initiating and supporting projects which stand alone or connect to our wider programme. The space is offered free of charge with curatorial, marketing and limited technical support.

6 Dorset Place
Brighton BN2 0JG