Omicron forces Shoreditch gallery to postpone first ever artist residency

Much-loved Shoreditch gallery Autograph has announced the postponement of its first ever artist residency amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

The Rivington Place institution announced in December that painter Thompson Hall would take up the three-month position this month.

However, due to the ongoing prevalence of Covid across the UK, Hall’s residency is now expected to start later in March.

Hall has been selected by the gallery to help him develop his artistic practice.

He has created large-scale acrylic paintings and pastel drawings over the course of the pandemic to explore his everyday experiences and emotions.

His work makes use of ‘spontaneous’ and vibrant colours and patterns, and he is interested in the impact that Covid and the resulting lockdowns have had on his immediate surroundings, as well as on social change, inequality, and marginalisation.

The residency is as an ‘open-ended opportunity’, with no expected outcome of Hall’s work; rather, the artist will be given the opportunity to let his work be guided by what inspires him over the course of his tenure at the gallery.

Hall will still take up the residency on 7 March, with the new end date on 31 May.

The gallery continues to host exhibitions and events, with its current display, Care | Contagion | Community — Self & Other ending on February 12.

Poulomi Basu’s Fireflies, a free exhibition, is set to begin on 4 March.

Meanwhile, a variety of events, including the RPS Awards Talk Series, will take place online.

For more information, visit autograph.org.uk.