Nottingham artists show years of change at BACKLIT
BACKLIT’s EDITION26 exhibition pairs older and newer works from Nottingham artists, as the gallery itself enters a new chapter after buying its Ashley Street home.
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Sneinton-based gallery Backlit is in the final days of its EDITION26 exhibition. The exhibition showcases works from its collective of members, each member showing a piece they created before 2024 and one after, giving a "then and now" perspective shift. Backlit itself has had its own before-and-after moment, after purchasing their building from City Council in March 2025.
It is often difficult to see how much one has changed from year to year. Progress with talents might come slowly. Relationships grow day by day, rarely blossoming overnight. Encompassing interests of one week might be forgotten about months after. The dual pieces on display in the gallery try to put those changes in perspective. Some artists have wild swings in style or materials that they use, whilst others show only subtle variations. The "quality" of each artist's art is not the most interesting change on display, but rather which ideas are clung to and which are moved on from. These are the resonating ideas.
Backlit have been through their own set of changes in the past two years, moving from tenant to building owner. Nottingham City Council has been selling a number of their properties, including Emmanuel House and Peggy's Skylight. Alfred House was given a market value of £625,000, which the gallery mobilised to raise funds for. The Arts Council donated £480,657 and Garfield Weston Foundation donated £150,000, as well as other large donors plus fundraising events.
The gallery said it intends to increase disabled access. Currently, there is a lift to reach the "Project Gallery", although toilets are not accessible with a wheelchair due to narrow doors. For help with lift access, it's recommended to call ahead first.
There are only three more days to attend the free exhibition on Ashley Street. There's no need to buy a ticket. The gallery is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from midday until 4pm.
