Lynda Morris’s Dear Lynda exhibition and archive, shown at CHELSEA space in July 2012, is now opening at BQ in Berlin. The show was initiated by Matthew Higgs at White Columns in New York then came in a new version to CHELSEA space followed by shows in Dundee and Norwich. The brilliant image of Lynda on the Berlin invitation is by David Lamelas from Filmscript 1972

Matthew Higgs once very kindly gave CHELSEA space a great write up in Artforum when he named our exhibition Frank Sidebottom: CHELSEA space is Ace! as number 3 in his top ten exhibitions of 2007. Read the Review HERE. Frank’s creator, the late Chris Sievey, has posthumously been in the news recently because he is to be the subject of a feature length documentary Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story by Steve Sullivan which is currently in production and is being supported by donations from the Frank-loving public.

When Gustav Metzger came to the Frank Sidebottom show at CHELSEA space he said “someone - the Arts Council - should be giving this man a lot of money”, clear recognition from the inventor of Auto Destructive Art, though finances certainly were a problem for Chris Sievey even if his inventiveness knew no bounds. We wish Steve Sullivan well with this film project which will give new insights into the life and work of a rare creative talent.

Some might argue that Frank Sidebottom’s inventions were not quite as beautifully engineered as some of the motorcycles seen on the Parade Ground outside of CHELSEA space this week.

The International Journal of Motorcycle Studies have been holding a conference on Motorcycle Cultures with an exhibition co-curated by textile designer and biker Caryn Simonson and Space Station Sixty Five gallery.

The conference was conscious of its location citing the Ton Up Boys who would congregate around Chelsea Bridge and they also kindly referenced two CHELSEA space exhibitions: Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter and Ready Steady Go! Scooter Style and Urban Dreams. See more images of the CHELSEA space Ready Steady Go Ride Out and Rally from our exhibition archive Here

Engineering encompasses many things but few artists have used it so inventively as Richard Wilson. CHELSEA space is delighted to announce that our next exhibition is entitled Richard Wilson: No Formulas and looks at Wilson’s preparatory works for completed commissions and proposals for as yet unrealised projects. The show opens with a private view on September 17th and runs until the 26th October 2013. This show will also be an opportunity to reunite with Jane Won from the De La Warr Pavilion who curated the exhibition Shin Azumi & Norman MacLaren at CHELSEA space in 2007.

Preparatory work, process and creative thinking will also be a part of an exhibition we are working on for early next year entitled Almost Bliss. This installation will be a contemplation on the filmmaker, writer, artist, and activist Derek Jarman and will include his working notebooks for what was to eventually become his seminal film Blue.

Almost Bliss runs from the 29th January 2014 until March 15th 2014 and coincides with Derek Jarman’s birth date (31st January 1942) and the 20th anniversary of his untimely death from AIDS related illness on 19th February 1994. It is expected that there will be many Jarman related events, exhibitions, and screenings nationally and internationally during this time and CHELSEA space is co-operating with Kings College London, ICA, Whitechapel, BFI, James Mackay/Luma Foundation, Tate, FLAMIN, Exeter University, Thames and Hudson and others to co-ordinate and share information about what will be happening.

This is not the first time that we have referenced Derek Jarman’s Blue as we first showed the Bliss notebook in our 2006 exhibition Turtle: An Anarchic Salon , however, in the 2014 Almost Bliss installation it will be possible to see all of the pages of the Blue notebooks and examine more fully Jarman’s working practices, understand the creativity involved in the production of these handmade volumes, and their importance to Derek Jarman’s construction of his films.

The Almost Bliss installation will also act as a reading room for the new Thames and Hudson publication Derek Jarman’s Sketchbooks which is launched in the autumn and is edited by our good friends artist Stephen Farthing and filmmaker Ed Webb-Ingall. This new book contains beautiful facsimile pages from a wide range of Jarman’s exquisite handmade journal/scrapbook/sketchbooks and will further enhance the understanding of the books we will be focussing on at CHELSEA space.

CHELSEA space is incredibly grateful to Derek Jarman’s partner Keith Collins for his support for the Almost Bliss installation which will also make reference to two previous installations - Peter Fillingham’s Blue rooms for the 1999 exhibition Stimuli at the Witte de With in Rotterdam, and Mark Wallinger’s 1994 installation for the Rear Window curated project Every Now and Then at Richard Salmon Gallery, London. The title of the installation refers to the word Bliss etched by Derek Jarman on a small piece of glass on the cover of one of his Blue notebooks and to the title of the 1990 album Almost Bliss by Simon Fisher Turner who worked on the soundtracks for many Derek Jarman films including Caravaggio, The Last Of England, The Garden, and Blue.