Edinburgh Fringe Q&A: Sam Chapman

Tell us about the visual arts programme this August. What’s on and what can visitors expect to see?

We have an incredible programme of exhibitions and public art across 13 gallery spaces throughout the building and in the courtyard. It was a delight this year to award our courtyard commission to Susa Maule whose successful proposal and resultant installation perfectly encapsulates the theme of transformation, a motif informed by our motion to preserve Summerhall and its arts programmes.  

In the Meadows and Corner Galleries we present FLUX by Helen Denerley, an artist who’s work breathes life into scrap metal. Denerley is renowned for Dreaming Spires, her monumental giraffes located at the top of Leith Walk and as a continuation of this public art, the work shown in this exhibition examines our relationship with non-human animals and provokes contemplation on evolution. Also shown in this exhibition are her exquisite chess sets and a haiku sphere created in collaboration with 19 poets. 

In the War Memorial Gallery, throughout the month of August, Calum Colvin will paint directly onto a meticulously constructed set built from a collection of objects to reveal a final image which, once photographed, becomes an artwork in its self. This live process allows audiences to engage with the artist and the artwork and be witness to the creation of the completed work. The title of the exhibition, This Living Hand eludes to the themes it addresses; the role of the artist in this age of technology. 

It is not often that we discover an artist whose work spans both Fringe performance and visual art exhibition and so it is a real treat to work with and exhibit the work of polymath Sam Kissajukian. His exhibition Paintings of Modernia is intrinsically linked to his show 300 Paintings. Mental health is a critical theme throughout Kissajukian’s work which explores the mental states experienced by those living with bipolar disorder.  

Hard Art occupies the basement galleries and presents a candid snapshot of the Washington DC Punk scene in 1979 through photography by Pulitzer Prize winning Lucian Perkins and text by Alec Mackaye. It is a raw poignant insight into a significant cultural movement.   

Photograph from Hard Art; image courtesy of Summerhall

Can you give us an insight into how you go about curating the programme? What do you look for in terms of potential exhibitions?

My personal taste plays a large role in the decisions behind selecting and developing exhibitions. I like to be challenged and I like to build interesting and beautiful spaces and so it is important to me to give Fringe-goers unexpected treats and to create an atmosphere that speaks to creativity and imagination that hopefully adds to their overall experience at Summerhall. Particularly at this time of year it is important to consider audiences and how they might respond to what they see in the galleries and around the building and deliver a programme that is diverse and appealing to a wide range of people.  

I am interested in supporting and presenting work by artists whose work achieves height in both concept and skill. I want to show audiences something exciting that they may have never seen before and I want to deliver exhibitions that provoke contemplation and conversation.  

What do you want people to take away from visiting the exhibitions at Summerhall?

I would like visitors to experience something magical at Summerhall, to be surrounded by creativity and to be excited, challenged and inspired. 

Why is it important that visual arts are part of the wider Fringe programme?

The Edinburgh Festivals are a celebration of creativity in all it’s forms and it is important that the visual arts are included. In particular at Summerhall, where the visual arts is integral to the year round cultural offering, it is vital that this creative field is represented during the Fringe. It is also an opportunity to offer exhibitions to an alternative, international, captive audience, over the month of August more than 200,000 people come through the Summerhall doors and it is a delight to present these exhibitions and installations to them. 

What’s the best way to support the visual arts programme at Summerhall going forwards?

At this time of transformation for Summerhall we are looking to the future and fighting to preserve the cultural offerings that are so important to our local, national and international community. The launch of Summerhall Arts, an independently governed charitable organisation, that looks to develop and continue the work of Summerhall was a pivotal moment in building this future. On the verge of securing a home for at least the next three years, within our beloved building, we look to you for your support, come buy tickets for our Fringe shows, have a drink in our courtyard and donate to Summerhall Arts. (Donate here).  

The exhibitions run at Summerhall until 20 September, 11am-5pm daily, free.