New pop-up art space opens in Chester city centre

ARTLAB at ōH has arrived in a previously empty commercial unit at 20 Bridge Street Row West, with guest visual artist, illustrator and author, Mark Wigan, as the venue’s activator.

Located directly above the award-winning ōH Concept Store and Chester Design Foundation and atelier studio, the 17th century building – owned by Chester Race Company – is an 850 sq ft alternative gallery, multi-faceted project and event venue.

It was transformed by ōpenhōme – a development company with a philanthropic, as well as commercial, purpose – in just six weeks, during which the building’s interior has been unpeeled to reveal the many layers of its history over the centuries. The space will continue to run as the ARTLAB at ōH until the end of 2024.

Chester-based and internationally renowned artist, Mark Wigan, is the first ‘activator’ of ARTLAB at ōH and will collaborate with other guest artists and curate a programme of events during his month’s tenure.

Mark’s work explores the relationship between personal memory, sub-cultures and social histories. His work is exhibited throughout the world and his paintings and drawings are held in both private and public collections.

Lecturing in art and design for over 20 years, he led the BA (Hons) and MA Illustration courses of Camberwell College of Arts and is the author of five books on illustration published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

He said: “It’s ironic that pop-ups, as we know them, today originated in New York City – where so much of my work has been influenced and inspired by – where a wall covered with rare graffiti art was unearthed during the renovation of a building.

“The act of ‘rediscovery’ of these historic layers in Chester are – like in NYC – an honest representation of a particular time in the city’s story. And I’m delighted to be part of that continuing journey as activator of ARTLAB.”

Mark’s temporary exhibition – titled ‘Art by the Metre’ – which represents a new departure for his work by creating paintings inspired by interpersonal connections to places, urban walking, maps, arbitrary routes and the psychogeography of Chester, by taking a line for a walk on long rolls of canvas and paper that hang around the walls of ARTLAB at ōH.

His artwork is priced from £200 for a multi-media drawing on paper, up to £4,000 for an original acrylic on canvas piece. All of the profits from ARTLAB at ōH will be reinvested into the ōH Design Foundation through its mentorship programme for creatives, as well as essential equipment for the designers’ atelier studio.

In addition to being a temporary gallery space, the venue can also be rented for £50 per hour for product launches, exhibitions, performance works, film screenings and photoshoots.

Following the initial activator event, Monika Swindells will, as executive creative director at ōH, curate the overall space collaborating primarily with local independent artists.

She said: “The UK has witnessed a pop-up revolution, particularly since the pandemic. These temporary installations have become powerful tools in creating immersive encounters, fostering collaborations and authentic human connection.

“Pop-ups can of course be utilised by established and international artists such as Mark, however, our intention is to make the space less formal than a ‘white wall’ gallery and offers opportunities for new artists – pushing the boundaries for experimental and unconventional works, as well as fostering a spirit of kinship and community.”

The mission of the ōH Chester Design Foundation, an entrepreneurial community interest company is to support the growth and development of the creative industries in the city – both start-ups and scale-ups – so that a sustainable place on Chester’s high-street is a genuine reality and migrating to Liverpool, Manchester or London to progress is optional, not conditional.

For more information, visit www.ohfoundation.uk/artlab-at-oh