Arnolfini
16 Narrow Quay
Bristol
City of Bristol
BS1 4QA
England
Website
Box office and general enquiries
Education and group visits
Hires and hospitality
Telephone
Box office and general enquiries
0117 917 2300
Kate Robinson- Hires and hospitality
0117 917 2313
Fax
Box office and general enquiries
0117 917 2303
Arnolfini is a contemporary arts organisation in Bristol that attracts half a million visits a year.
In a fantastic waterside location at the heart of Bristol’s harbourside, Arnolfini is one of Europe’s leading centres for the contemporary arts, presenting innovative, experimental work in the visual arts, performance, dance, film, music and events, accompanied by a programme of educational activities. Five exhibition spaces, a theatre/cinema auditorium, Reading Room and Light/Dark Studios are housed in the Grade II listed, fully accessible building. The converted warehouse also contains one of the country’s best arts bookshops as well a café bar.
Arnolfini is open six days a week with free admission to the building, exhibitions as well as a stylish, lively café bar.
Venue Type:
Gallery
In the visual art programme Arnolfini presents international developments and emerging trends through one-person and group exhibitions, commissions and projects. The programme draws attention to important British artists at an early stage of their career and presents timely exhibitions by major international artists.
The live art and dance programme, with its mix of highly visual, often provocative and non-narrative productions, offers one of the most exciting perspectives on contemporary performance and dance in the UK. Arnolfini is committed to commissioning new work to enable artists to develop their practice and to experiment.
In Arnolfini's cinema you'll find a distinctive programme of independent film, featuring a range of cinema including themed seasons, artists films, special festivals, film/music events and arthouse titles.
The learning and interaction programme continues to develop projects with partners old and new, supporting teachers and groups to get the most out of our activities. Arnolfini also programmes and hosts a range of talks, events, courses and local festivals.
Arnolfini will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2011. It was established in 1961 by Jeremy and Annabel Rees above a bookshop on the Triangle in central Bristol. Its policy then is still relevant today: "to seek out challenging, often controversial and sometimes relatively unknown artists and performers and to provide a vital showcase for their work." Arnolfini's move to Narrow Quay in 1975 proved a catalyst in attracting other businesses to the then neglected dockside; the revitalised waterfront is now a focal point for Bristol's social and cultural life.
Keep an eye out for updates on anniversary celebrations, there are some really special events in the pipeline.
Collection details
Photography, Performing Arts, Music, Fine Art, Film and Media, Design
Jutta Koether: Seasons and Sacraments
A selection of new and recent works by one of the most important artists working with painting today. Koether is known for crossing over into performance, music and text, working with musicians such as Kim Gordon and Tom Verlaine
Suitable for
- Any age
Susanne Kriemann Modelling (Construction School)
Often based on photography, Susanne Kriemann's work is concerned with the power of archives. Her works look at specific examples of documentary images, from early photo history to surveillance cameras, and how they shaped our understanding of reality. With playful and inventive moments, the artist suggests a reading of pictures that asks for their meaning in the present
Suitable for
- Any age
Ian Hamilton Finlay
An overview of works by one of the most prominent post-war artists in the UK, accompanied by interventions from contemporary artists and writers
Suitable for
- 14-15
- 18+
- 16-17
- 11-13
Ian Hamilton Finlay
This exhibition will present works, with a special focus on his printed projects, by Iam Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006), one of the most prominent post-war British artists. Finlay was a poet and artist. His sculptures, stone works and neon sings combined language and landscape, and expaned the idea of how words can be used and distributed
Suitable for
- Any age
Yorgos Sapountiz: The Protagonists
Yorgos Sapountzis will create an imaginary park of public sculptures in the galleries of Arnolfini
Suitable for
- 7-10
- 14-15
- 18+
- 11-13
- 16-17
Mayfest
‘Few festivals sizzle quite so deliciously as Mayfest, which always succeeds in feeling both very local and completely universal.’ The Guardian
Where
Arnolfini
16 Narrow Quay
Bristol
BS1 4QA
Admission
The Oh Fuck Moment £10/ £7
Ontoerend Goed £12/ £9
Chris Goode & company £10/ £7
Floating Ballast Seed Garden
An introduction and welcome to the artwork with Aldo Rinaldi, the Senior Public Art Officer for Bristol City Council
Suitable for
- Any age
When
5:30-7pm
Floating Ballast Seed Garden
An introduction and welcome to the Floating Ballast Seed Garden artwork with Tom Trevor, the Director of organisers Arnolfini
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
11.30am-1pm
Story Hunt
An adventure to the Floating Ballast Seed Garden with International Storyteller Cassandra Wye
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
£5/£3 (free for under-12s), booking required. 2.30pm-4pm (5.30pm-7pm June 22)
Comedy Double Bill: Tony Hawks and the Ugly Animal Preservation Society
Join one of Britain's best-loved comedians for a screen of the film of his book, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis followed by questions and answers and a session with six comedians
Suitable for
- 7-10
- 18+
- 14-15
- 11-13
- 16-17
Admission
£9.50. Screening at 2.30pm, comedy at 6pm
Floating Ballast Seed Garden
An introduction and welcome to the artwork with Kasha Small, of the University of Bristol Botanic Garden
Suitable for
- Any age
When
11:30am-1pm
On Listening
A form for people to meet and listen to, share and discuss music. Sessions are themed around an aspect of Arnolfini's current programme
Suitable for
- 18+
When
From 6:30pm
An Evening of Fast Food
Eight speakers get ten minutes each to dish up an evening of fast food and look at how we fix our broken food system
Suitable for
- Any age
When
From 8pm
Admission
£8.50
Tony Juniper: What has Nature ever done for Us?
Tony talks about the "natural services" which keep the economy going, and which we take for granted until they suddenly switch off
Suitable for
- 18+
When
From 12:30pm
Admission
£7.50
Discussion Double Bill: Beyond (Party) Politics and Beyond (Eco) Campaigning
Two independent mayors, two former Directors of Friends of the Earth and the current UK Director of Greenpeace reflect on what the future holds for politics and environmental campaigning
Suitable for
- 14-15
- 18+
- 16-17
Admission
£7.50
George Clarke: Amazing Spaces
Channel 4's George Clarke (Restoration Man, George Clarke's Amazing Species) discusses how architecture can transform our everyday lives
Suitable for
- Any age
When
From 12:30pm
Admission
£7.50
Alice Roberts: Sruvivors of the Ice Age
BBC presenter Prof Alice Roberts discusses the lives and extinctions of the megafauna which roamed Ice Age America and Eurasia, with behind-the-scenes insights from the filming of her latest BBC series, Survivors of the Ice Age
Suitable for
- 14-15
- 18+
- 11-13
- 16-17
When
From 12:30pm
Admission
£7.50
Hub of the World: A Historical Tour of Bristol's Past
Boat tour led by Dr Richard Stone from the University of Bristol. This boat trip will take you back to Bristol's sea-faring past, evoking a world of great ships, wooden cranes and a bustling harbourside
Suitable for
- Any age
When
5:30-7pm
Admission
£5/£3 (free for under-12s). Booking required
Family Film Screenings
Family film screenings linked to the exhibitions and events at Arnolfini. Visit arnolfini.org.uk and the venue's Facebook page for full details
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
£3 (free for accompanying adults). 10am-12pm
Talk and Book Launch: Tue Greenfort and the Feeder Canal Sand Martin Colony
Meet and hear from artist Tue Greenfort about his recent project for Bristol, which involved the creation of a roost to encourage the growth of a small Sand Martin colony on Bristol's Feeder Canal
Suitable for
- 18+
When
6:30-8pm
Reading Art and...the Public
A series of informal meetings intended to introduce participants to key themes in contemporary art theory. In response to Yorgos Sapountzis' current exhibition, this session will be focussed on art in the public realm
Suitable for
- 18+
When
From 6:30pm
Family Film Screenings
Family film screenings linked to the exhibitions and events at Arnolfini. Visit arnolfini.org.uk and the venue's Facebook page for full details
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
£3 (free for accompanying adults). 10am-12pm
Boat Tour
An introduction and welcome to the Seeds of Change artwork, uncovering the botanical background to the Ballast Seed Garden with a University of Bristol Botanic Garden guide
Suitable for
- Any age
When
6:30-8pm
Drawing Resource Exchange
An event for artists, tutors, teachers, students and drawing enthusiasts. Share ideas and freshen up your range of skills by contributing a five-minute drawing activity
Suitable for
- 18+
When
10am-1pm
Admission
£20 (includes all materials)
Family Film Screenings
Family film screenings linked to the exhibitions and events at Arnolfini. Visit arnolfini.org.uk and the venue's Facebook page for full details
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
£3 (free for accompanying adults). 10am-12pm
We Are Family
Drop-in sea shanties and folk songs
Suitable for
- Any age
When
1-5pm
Admission
Drop in to the Light Studio and Dark Studio. Boat trip 4.45pm-6.15pm
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