Relational was founded in 2001 by curator Zoë Shearman.

Relational is curator and co-ordinator of the overall Anti-Bodies programme. Anti-Bodies is a curatorial network and programme that explores different attitudes to the body. The partners are based in the south west of England: Arnolfini, Bristol; Kurator, Plymouth; Plymouth Arts Centre; ProjectBase, Cornwall; and Spacex, Exeter. Anti-Bodies is scheduled to run until 2012. It is supported by Arts Council England and granted the Inspire mark as part of the Cultural Olympiad. http://www.anti-bodies.net

Relational is also commissioning a series of projects as part of Anti-Bodies. The first of these is a animation work developed for multiple platforms by Melanie Jackson (UK). International Fauna can be seen online from 19 April 2010 at Animate Projects; Vimeo; and Anti-Bodies; and downloaded from i-Tunes. A screening will take at Picture This Bristol (UK) on May 8th 12-5.30pm, with a discussion involving the artist; writer Stephen Beasley; and Gary Thomas, co-director of Animate Projects at 2pm. International Fauna is commissioned by Relational and produced with Picture This and Animate Projects.

Recent projects include Craftivism, presented at Arnolfini Bristol (UK). The project responded to the resurgent interest in craft as it relates to socially-engaged art practices. This Arnolfini/Relational project was curated with Geoff Cox, Associate Curator of Online Projects, Arnolfini and Ann Coxon, Assistant Curator, Tate Modern (2009-2010). http://www.craftivism.net

Other recent projects include Far West Metro, also a partnership with Arnolfini, which took place at The Mall Bristol in Broadmead shopping centre. The project provided a unique interactive shopping experience and explored consumer and cultural relationships produced by the shifting of the economic centre of the world towards the East (2008). http://www.farwest.cn

Relational curated series of artists’ interventions as part of Human Cargo for Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery (UK). This major exhibition brought together contemporary art and current museum practices. The artists’ projects reflected critically upon the different histories of slavery and our relationship to contemporary slavery through everyday consumerism (2007).

Further information on these and other projects can be found on the News and Projects, and Archive pages of this site.

In 2010, Relational gratefully acknowledges support from Arts Council England.


    • Sweatshop, Lisa Cheung & Wessieling, Plymouth Museum, 2007.