12-19 May 2018

Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK

Photography by Gavin Conwill and the artist.

Imprints of Passing Time was an exhibition of monotypes and performances by Bettina Fung that contemplates the value of non-doing as opposed to the modern day lifestyle of haste, efficiency and productivity. Fung questions the idea of progress and the culture of overworking and draws attention to slowness, idleness and aimlessness by exploring what doing nothing entails.

Using actions that are overlooked or deemed as unproductive as means of artistic production, Fung performed these actions over a specific duration of time on paper with a layer of printing ink underneath. The resulted prints were created either from the body imprinted onto the paper or lifted from the image formed on the layer of ink. Consequently, these prints captured the time spent and actions taken. Selected monotypes from the exhibition could be viewed in the 2D Works section of the website.

For the whole duration of the exhibition, the gallery was transformed into an active space of making, where live monotyping was carried out daily. Commencing with the performance of 365 at the exhibition opening and followed by Dwellings a long durational performance that lasted 5 days and was adapted from I am tired with you. Documentation of both performances are below.

Additional events – art review evening, artist talk and discussion on doing nothing also took place over the course of the exhibition.

The exhibition was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

365 @ Imprints of Passing Time exhibition opening

11 May 2018

Photography by Surface Gallery volunteers.

Dwellings

12 - 18 May 2018

A large scale and collective monotyping act that could be considered as a ritual to resist society’s competitive, goal oriented and achievement obsessed tendencies. Over five days of the exhibition, the artist did nothing for an hour on a sheet of paper with a layer of printing ink underneath. All were welcome to join her on the paper.

Photography by Gavin Conwill and Surface Gallery volunteers.

Dwellings aftermath:

Photography by Gavin Conwill and the artist.