Ikon Gallery
2011-2016
I worked in the Programming Department at Ikon for 5 years, during which time I organised more than 50 exhibitions and associated events. Starting off as Exhibition Assistant, before progressing to Exhibitions Manager where I worked closely with Ikon’s Director on the research, planning and delivery of their internationally respected exhibition programme.
Focusing mostly on the presentation of solo exhibitions of world leading contemporary artists, the exhibition programme also included historical exhibitions, international tours and collaborations and the occasional group show. I was lucky enough to work on the 50th anniversary programme in which we presented Ikon’s Icons, highlights from the gallery’s 50 years in the intimate Tower Room space featuring works by Julian Opie, Yinka Shonibare, Cornelia Parker and Ian Emes, a highly ambitious exhibition by Korean artist Lee Bul, and As Exciting As We Can Make It, a survey exhibition of Ikon’s programme in the 1980s.
Images - Top of page: Stuart Whipps. Above, left: Andrew Jackson. Above, right: Marcin Sz. Below: Stuart Whipps.
As well as organising exhibitions in the main gallery, I also worked on offsite presentations and events including a walking commission with Hamish Fulton on the site of the forthcoming HS2 terminus, a Choral Evensong performed by the choir of St Philips Cathedral in Birmingham conceived by Roger Hiorns, a film programme in a disused shop of the now defunct Paradise Place and Birmingham: A Magic City, a collaborative exhibition at the Liverpool Biennial alongside other Birmingham-based organisations in the We Are Eastside consortium.
Publications were a major feature of the exhibition offer at Ikon and I had the opportunity to work on over 20 catalogues with artists including Hurvin Anderson, Nedko Solakov, Fiona Banner and John Flaxman.
“I worked closely with Jenine on my survey exhibition Scroll Down and Keep Scrolling at Ikon Gallery in 2015, which included over 200 works and an 800 page catalogue. Jenine was integral to the smooth running of the project from start to finish. Her attention to detail, organisational skills and work ethic are brilliant.
It was a delight to work with her.”
— Fiona Banner
Grand Union
2011-2015
I was Associate Curator at Grand Union, a professional development programme giving young curators the opportunity to organise a series of exhibitions and events.
During my time with Grand Union I curated 4 exhibitions including Torsten Lauschmann’s Before the Revolution, Bob Parks’s And The Heaven’s Cried and Marcia Farquhar’s Larger than Life. These exhibitions were accompanied by an active programme of events and collaborations including a screening with LUX, a radio broadcast with Bob Parks on Resonance FM and a ritualistic bonfire at Edible Eastside to mark the closing of Marcia’s exhibition.
Image - Left: Patrick Dandy.
Bob Parks’ exhibition attracted local media attention in which the Sunday Mercury brandished the lead image on its front page alongside a story claiming we condoned violence against the elderly. The art press loved it, with Morgan Quaintance reviewing it for Frieze in which he claimed it to be the most arresting solo exhibition he’d seen in 2013. I also had the opportunity to initiate a solo exhibition with Emma Hart which took place after my placement had come to an end. I was lucky enough to return and work with Emma on the installation of big MOUTH and nominated her for the Paul Hamlyn Award Foundation award which he later won.
I spent 3 years on the Board of Directors during which time Grand Union sealed its reputation as a leading contemporary art space in the Midlands, gaining further endorsement from the Arts Council England by securing National Portfolio status.
Compton Verney
2010-2011
My role at Compton Verney was to support the exhibitions, collections and education teams. I worked on a seasonal programme of exhibitions, events and publications. I had delegated responsibility for managing the collections image bank, processing image requests and arranging photography for newly acquired art works. I worked on the planning and delivery of some fascinating exhibitions including Alfred Wallis and Ben Nicholson, Stanley Spencer and the English Garden and What the Folks Say, a project pairing items from the Folk Art collections alongside items in Compton Verney’s collection. While working with the gallery, I had the opportunity to accompany items of the collection on a number of international courier trips, overseeing their installation in Paris and Brussels.
VIVID
Haroon Mirza:
The Last Tape
2010
On returning to the West Midlands from living in London, I was selected to take part in PARTICIPATION, a residency at VIVID (now Vivid Projects) in Birmingham. Following on from this, I approached the gallery about hosting an exhibition I had in mind with Haroon Miriza. I secured funding from the Henry Moore Foundation and commissioned Mirza to make a new sculptural installation and film. The film was made in VIVID’s former garage location on Heath Mill Lane and featured Richard ‘Kid’ Strange enacting the part of Krapp in an ode to Joy Divisions Ian Curtis and Samuel Beckett’s one act play Krapp’s Last Tape. The Last Tape later went on to be including in Mirza’s presentation in the British Art Show 7 at The Hayward Gallery.
Internships
2006-2009
While studying at Goldsmiths I took the opportunity to volunteer and apply for a number of internships, as well as working on group projects as part of my MFA in Curating.
In 2006-2007 I undertook a 6 month internship at the South London Gallery in which I worked on the John Armleder exhibition About Nothing: Works on Paper 1962 – 2007. This was a baptism of fire for exhibition administration as I helped to compile a database of works on display which numbered almost 1000. Later in 2007-2008 I gained another internship at Tate Modern working on major retrospectives of Juan Muñoz and Mark Rothko. I also worked on a small display of work by Mika Rottenberg. I worked with colleagues from the MFA Curating programme to co-curate projects at The London Art Fair, Zabludowicz Collection, Zoo Art Fair and LUX.