First time Open House, Preludes – curated by Lea Belz-Koeling – provides a platform for early career artists, a source of inspiration and hope for what the future may hold.
Nagasaki Dog – Preludes
Hi Lea – This is the first time Preludes has taken part in the Open Houses – how did you choose your name?
‘Preludes’ is the name of one of my favourite poems by TS Eliot. Though the themes of the poem don’t have too much relation to the work in the open house, I chose it as I wanted to focus on exclusively young, emerging artists. The word ‘Prelude’ implies the precursor to something that is yet to come, reflecting the work of an artist that is in the first few years of their career. It feels like a hopeful name, creating a sense of excitement and aspiration for what the future will hold.
Photo: Lea Belz-Koeling
You are a group of young and emerging artists – can you tell us a bit about the group?
I chose the artists from both my close friends, and creatives in my wider network. It felt important to me to focus on young artists and celebrate a youthful voice, platforming early career artists for whom it is often difficult to find opportunities to exhibit work. I know this as a young artist myself, and I think it is so important that we create these opportunities for each other.
Artist: Zephaniah Pakpahan
All the work is very different from each other – including textile design, painting, printmaking, photography and more – though a common theme throughout is an essence of playfulness and joy in the creative process. All the artists have either a connection to Brighton, or Bristol, or in many cases both of these vibrantly creative cities. There seems to be a strong bond between the arts worlds of the two places, which was a dynamic I wanted to embrace as an aspect of the work on show.
Artist: Lea Belz-Koeling
Would you like to say a bit about your own work?
My background is in photography: I grew up in Brighton, and then studied Photography at UWE in Bristol, where I have continued to live since I graduated. My personal work is rooted in art photography as a medium to explore social and political theory. I enjoy making beautiful images, but the process in which I make them often includes a lot of reading and writing and thinking conceptually in order to feel ready to create.
Photo: Lea Belz-Koeling
Recently, I have become more interested in curation as a creative medium. I found that Preludes was ultimately a curatorial project for me, and found choosing the different work and arranging it so that it all felt natural together in a space a very rewarding practice. I look forward to working on more projects like this (and hosting an open house again!).
Photo: Lea Belz-Koeling
You are also hosting a programme of workshops and music nights – can you tell us a bit about this?
I wanted Preludes to be interactive and engaging, and create a sense of community. When you are going around and seeing the art at the Open Houses, you naturally get inspired seeing all the different things that people are making, so with the workshops I wanted to provide an avenue to channel that inspiration, allowing people to engage actively. Each weekend we have a different medium to explore, from collage to cyanotypes to printmaking, and the workshops are set up so that anyone can just wander in and get involved for as long as they would like – with cake and hot drinks on offer while they do! The workshops are being designed and run by the featured artists, which is valuable experience in itself, especially for those who have not done it before.
Photo: Lea Belz-Koeling
Additionally, we are having live music nights in the living room every Saturday evening from 5:30, after the Open House has closed for the day. Again, all the acts are young musicians. I think this is a nice way to bring a group of people together to enjoy sitting in a space and just look and contemplate the art around you. Once again, it encourages that social and interactive dynamic within the space.
What is the Comfy Club?
Comfy Club is a southwest-based arts collective who explore themes of nostalgia, childhood and friendship through the lens of the contemporary femme experience. They run workshops and events in Bristol and Bath, and have designed a workshop that we are running as part of Preludes.
Photo: Lea Belz-Koeling
What are you most enjoying about hosting an Open House?
I’m excited to be creating a space in which my peers and their work feel celebrated, and creating a platform where we can all feel proud of the work we have done. I hope that the house can be a place where everyone who visits can feel inspired and find joy in creativity
Artist: Lea Belz-Koeling
Visit: Preludes at
133 Preston Drove, Brighton, BN1 6LE
No.19 on the Fiveways trail