Spacex was a contemporary art organisation, located in

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

, between 1974 and 2017. It was founded in 1974 by John Butler as an artist co-operative. Its programme spanned installations, performance, photography, sculpture, painting, film and video. Its learning programme focused on helping visitors of all ages to explore and engage with contemporary art. Spacex ceased activity at the end of 2017 with the formal closure of the charity.

Origin and aims

Spacex was located in a converted 19th century warehouse, midway between

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...

and Exeter quayside. It was established in 1974 by an artists’ co-operative. The original purpose was to offer affordable studio and exhibition space to local artists. In the early 1990s, Spacex became a registered charity and a publicly funded space showing contemporary art free of charge. Collaboration was at the heart of Spacex. The gallery's role in working with innovative local, national and international artists has been recognised by the

Arts Council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...

. Historically Spacex has put on 5-6 exhibitions a year, but in the 2010s it began to adopt a more diverse approach which includes more events and more flexible use of the space by artists.

Learning programme and events

Spacex' programme encouraged engagement with the latest developments in contemporary art through commissions, projects and activities. Work also took place outside of 45 Preston St through artist-led projects, events and research. In addition to organising events such as these, Spacex had a significant learning programme, working with students of all ages from local schools and further/higher education institutions.

Selected artists

* Sean Lynch: The Weight of the World 14 May-2 July 2016. * Mathew Sawyer: White Male, 36 Years Old, Average Height, No Pets, Out of Shape and Anxious, 17 May–12 July 2014. * Scott King: De-Regeneration, 4 October–22 November 2014. * Anne Eggebert, Matthias Einhoff, David Ferrando Giraut, Polly Gould, Marja Helander, Uta Kogelsberger, Abigail Reynolds, Almut Rink, Emily Speed and Louise K Wilson - Topophobia (2012) * Blast Theory (2011). Bless Practice. * Salvatore Arancio (2011). An Arrangement of the Materials Ejected. *

Paul Rooney (artist) Paul Rooney (born 1967 in Liverpool) is an English artist who works with music and words, primarily through installations and records. He studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art. In the late 1990s his art practice shifted from painting to ...

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Bellevue
(2009) * Random Acts of Art (2010). * Theo Jansen (2010). Ventosa Siamesis. * Emily Wardill (2009). Game Keepers Without Game. * Simon Pope (2009). Carved From Memory. *

Laura Kikauka Laura Kikauka (born 1963, Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian installation and performance artist. Kikauka is known for her sculptural installations and performances incorporating found objects and electronics. Career and work Kikauka is known for ...

(2009). Celebration of Failure. * Andre Stitt (2008). Substance * Christiane Baumgartner (2008). Solaris * Geoffrey Farmer – The Last 2 Million Years (2008) * Dawn Mellor (2006). Vile Affections. *

Mika Taanila Mika Taanila (born 1965 in Helsinki) is a Finnish film director and Visual arts, visual artist. His films can be categorized somewhere between the traditions of classic documentary film-making, avant-garde and video art. His most notable films ar ...

(2005). Hotel Futuro * Phyllida Barlow (2005). Scape.Phyllida Barlow Review

Art daily, May 2005

References

External links

Culture24 entry

Bing attractions entry

List of exhibitions, projects and events at Spacex since 2002
{{coord, 50.7201, -3.5335, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:GB, display=title Buildings and structures in Exeter Art museums and galleries in Devon Tourist attractions in Exeter 1974 establishments in England 2017 disestablishments in England