CityLife

Re-Use, Objects of Virtue

NEXUS Café has always been one to exhibit those lovely little installations that are just dripping with hidden meaning, and true to form, Re-use: Objects of Virtue doesn’t upset the trend.

But, without that degree in the Arts you could be forgiven for not instantly philosophising over the seemingly random collection of twinkling keys in the window. Well shucks: of course it’s an exploration of keys as carriers of security and freedom, in a life filled with constant loss. As the key (fanargh) piece in the installation, Debbie Adele Cooper’s work does benefit from the counterpart photographs which further reiterate her point, saving the dangling keys from a fate worse than mistaken decoration.

From other contributing artists, Thomas Evans certainly displays a skill for material manipulation with a painstaking collection of woven mats recycled from reams of music manuscript. His work is genuinely meaningful to the exhibition: his objects begins as one thing, but are reinterpreted into new and creative ideas.

Charlie Rockliffe’s photography promised to be a genuinely nostalgic tribute to a grandparent’s possessions. Unfortunately, the Nexus staff couldn’t remember where it had been hung. It could have been the piece that inspires a generation of enviro-friendly artists.

If you find it, let us know…