A pop-up art fair is touring the UK this summer from the back of a converted horsebox.
The brains behind this mobile art enterprise is the appropriately named Horsebox Gallery. The lorry will be making an appearance at a number of polo, racing and country events throughout July and August, with the aim of attracting people from all walks of life that wouldn’t necessarily take an interest in modern art.
“We want to bring people together who wouldn’t normally meet and promote the idea that traditional, representative art and modern, conceptual art are worthy of equal respect,” said Emma North, one of the co-founders of the gallery.
The gallery, which Emma said “brings a degree of edginess to rural and sporting themes” has around 30 artists on its books and each exhibition is tailored according to the venue it drives to.
As well as offering art from the back of a lorry, the Horsebox Gallery is running the Contemporary Equine Art Fair at Wandsworth Museum in south-west London on 13-27 August. In celebration of the horse today there will be an exhibition of artwork, alongside horsey fashion, films, educational workshops for children and books.
“There will be work from several different artists with sculptures, photographs and paintings, all on the subject of horse,” said Emma.
Just one of the artists on display is Susan Leyland from Lancashire, who has lived in Florence for nearly 40 years. She has been passionate about horses for as long as she can remember and was given her first pony aged four, by her grandfather who was a vet.
“My school years were spent away from home but as well as studying I particularly enjoyed painting and horse riding,” she said. “After working in the fashion industry and then later as an English language teacher I became a riding instructor and taught horse riding for fourteen years. Then, in 2000, I decided to dedicate my time to sculpture, combining my two loves – horses and art.”
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