Total recall: myth and memory

This exhibition interweaves contemporary art with works from the Mercer Gallery’s permanent collection, finding new connections between artists from the past and present and creating fresh dialogues between art works.

Five northern artists have been invited to exhibit alongside selected works from the Harrogate Art Collection to present perspectives from our own time and communities. Sally Barker, Ka Bird, Jill McKnight, K Walker, and Hang Zhang each bring different media that expand the scope of the exhibition.

The exhibition includes favourites from our permanent collection including John Atkinson Grimshaw’s Silver Moonlight, along with new acquisitions such as a series of prints by Caroline Walker which will be displayed for the first time thanks to the Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery who have supported to the costs of framing.

Total Recall responds to the unprecedented uncertainty of our era with works that explore the flux of time and the fleeting nature of memory.

These artists raise questions about how we view everyday objects, how we engage with experiences and how we remember the past. Visual and emotional links between their works mimic the experience of human existence, where following the thread of one memory can unleash unexpected connections.

We would like to thank guest curator Joe Nickols, and the invited artists for taking part in this exhibition. We are grateful to Harrogate Decorative and Fine Arts Group and to The Arts Society for supporting our project with young people. Our thanks to the Friends of the Mercer Art gallery.