Nil Desperandum
Contemporary artists respond to the legacy of John Knill
Knill House, St Ives, Uk
Nil Desperandum brings together a group of local and international artists to pay tribute to the legacy of John Knill, the late Mayor of St. Ives and the building's former resident. Knill was born in Cornwall in 1733, becoming a well respected, if somewhat eccentric, customs officer and mayor of St Ives, In 1782 he commissioned the building of the Knill Mausoleum in St Ives. In his will Knill bequeathed the town a sum of £25 for a celebration and procession to take place every five years. The people of St Ives have faithfully fulfilled this legacy since 1801.
The artists were asked to provide work in response to the legacy of John Knill, whose family motto Nil Desperandum (Never Despair/Do Not Despair) is the title of the exhibition, and in whose former home the exhibition will take place. Some of the artworks take a direct influence from the history of Knill, other artists have produced work which explore more universal concepts of ritual, tradition and storytelling.
Nil Desperandum also includes Cornwall based artists Ann Haycock and Ally Mellor who are joined by a range of national and international artists including Slovenian artist collective BridA, (Sendi Mango, Jurij Pavlica, Tom Kersevan) and Finnish artist Therese Sunngren. In the words of curator Sally Noall, "It's really exciting to be able to provide a platform to show the work of Cornish artists alongside those working elsewhere in the UK and Europe. It's a valuable opportunity to view local artist's work in a wider context and a chance to experience international works that have not been exhibited in Cornwall before."
Other exhibiting artists are: Oliver Braid, Rita Heck, Anna Howarth, Doug Jones, Hayley Lock, Randy Richmond, Lois Wild and Charlotte Young. The resulting exhibition combines diverse practices, from sculpture to moving image and paper cutting, to produce a show that confronts our attitudes towards tradition and folklore and explores the blurring lines between historical fact and fiction.
Nil Desperandum is co-curated by Sally Noall and Phil Rushworth. The use of Knill house has been kindly donated by Scott Lovelock, the current lessee.
