Dear Photographer,

You are invited to our upcoming event THE HOMELESS GALLERY - more information can be found below. Unfortunately registration for this event had to close earlier than expected due to the high amount of submissions we have received over the past weeks. However, we would love to see you at the event!

Dates and Location
Practical Information
The Concept
Terms of Participation
Registration

DATES AND LOCATION

12 - 15 September 2008

Friday 12 September, 10am - 9pm: hanging of the exhibition Saturday 13 September, 12pm – 10pm: open to public, private view 6-10pm Sunday 14 September, 12pm – 6pm: open to public Monday 15 September, 10am – 8pm: open to public, take down exhibition 5-8pm

Basement Gallery
Shoreditch Town Hall
380 Old Street
London EC1V 9LT

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

- It is free to participate, in return you need to do a bit of DIY in terms of hanging and invigilation. To participate, all you need to do is to fill in the participation form (by which you agree to our Terms of Participation) and turn up with your hanging gear and bags of enthusiasm!

- Friday 12 September: HANGING OF WORKS (10am - finished by 9pm) As there is no curator, you will need to choose your own space and hang your own work. Therefore, please make sure you bring your tools and hanging equipment, and everything else you might need.

- Saturday 13 September: opening of the exhibition to the public, Private View 6-10pm. As we expect a lot of people to come down during the exhibition, we need your contribution towards the invigilation.

- Monday Sep 15 September: TAKE DOWN OF WORKS (10am - finished by 8pm) The gallery will be open to the public all day, so you may start taking down your work in the evening or late afternoon. Everything must be off the walls by 8pm. After this time, the organisers reserve the right to dispose of the works left in the space.

- There is no theme and no limitation as to the amount or size of the works you hang, but please be conciderate to other participants.

- Since its inception in 2002, the Homeless Gallery has had 46 editions worldwide, including UK and Australia. If you want to find out more, please read on about the concept of the Homeless Gallery.

THE CONCEPT (excerpt from http://www.galeriabezdomna.art.pl/en)

Galeria Bezdomna originated in Poland, hence the Polish name, but has also run under the title Homeless Gallery and Galeria Vagabonde. Since its inception in 2002 there have been 46 editions world wide, including UK and Australian editions.

The idea for the Homeless Gallery was born in the minds of two well known Polish photographers - Tomek Sikora and Andrzej Swietlik. It is homeless, because it has no permanent address. It appears for a short while, after which it disappears, only to reappear again in a completely different place. It appears wherever a place becomes available to give photography a home for a short while.

The concept of organising the Homeless Gallery is extremely simple. First we look for a good location (empty factories, buildings awaiting redevelopment, or any other suitable place). Then we arrange with the owners if, and for how long, we can have an exhibition in the chosen place. It is important that the space is loaned to us for free, for the simple reason that the Homeless Gallery functions with absolutely no funds. Next, through the grapevine, we send information to potential participants. Where possible we use the mass media to spread the news.

The whole idea of the Homeless Gallery is that there are no entry criteria. What is eventually shown during an exhibition depends solely on the participants own self-censorship. We do not select the participants. Anybody can show their work, be they star photographers, professionals, those just starting out in photography, students and amateurs. We do not select the work either. We have no demands as to subject, technique, format, or number of photographs shown. The photographs themselves can be displayed in gilt frames or just be prints stuck to the wall.

On the day chosen for the opening all the participants arrive with their photographs and an assortment of equipment needed to hang them - hammer nails, double sided tape, wire, etc. etc. Everybody finds a piece of wall for themselves (or ceiling, or floor) and hangs their work. We like to see all unconventional forms of display - during the first edition in Warsaw, photographs were hung off ladders, steel frames, on bathroom tiles, stair bannisters, or were simply placed in potato crates. When the hammers fall silent and everything is ready, then comes time for the opening. At the agreed time all the participants arrive with their personal guests. Everybody, if they so wish, can bring something to treat their guests with. And then comes the general integration.

For the entire duration of the exhibition, the participants take turns to watch over the gallery. Everyone must find time to take his/her turn at looking after their own - and the other's - work. Before the opening we also call for volunteers to clean up the gallery. On the final day of the exhibition we hold the closing ceremony - a repeat of the opening. After that, everybody takes down their work and returns home with their photographs.

The Homeless Gallery exists to enable everybody to show their work publicly - those who for various reasons would have no chance otherwise to show their work to the world. It is for those who can't afford a prestigious gallery, and for those who would never even think of doing so. For those who are students, or are just entering photography, it's a chance to be noticed. For professionals it's a chance to show some of their more personal work that never finds it's way into their commercial portfolios. For amateurs it's a chance of showing their work to people other than just their family and near friends. For those who are shy it's a chance to pull out those photographs hidden away in drawers.

The idea of the Homeless Gallery is to be a showcase as well as a cyclical photographic event. Coming to the gallery means that everybody can see what's hot in the world of photography. They can meet the authors and talk with them, and maybe even buy a photograph. For the photographers themselves it's a chance to get to know each other, thus further integrating the photographic environment. On top of that, we also invite all sorts of musicians, dj's, mimes and other independent artists to show themselves during our exhibitions.

(excerpt from a text by Tomek Sikora, Warsaw, Poland, Nov 2002. For more information, please visit: www.galeriabezdomna.art.pl)

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION

1. I accept that I have to sign the Terms of Participation before the hanging of the works takes places. The installation of the works has to be finished by 9pm on Friday 12 September.

2. I accept any legal consequence relating to the works submitted, and in consideration of my works being displayed in the Homeless Gallery I agree to indemnity the Homeless Gallery and it's agents against any claim, allegation or action arising from the acceptance and display of my works in the Homeless Gallery. I understand that the Homeless Gallery takes all care, but no responsibility for any loss or damage to my works submitted for display in the Homeless Gallery.

3. I accept that a condition of showing my works in the Homeless Gallery is that I am solely responsible for the collection and removal of my works on the closing day of the Homeless Gallery, and accept that if my works are not removed by myself or my agents by 8pm on Monday 15th of September, Polish deConstruction reserves the right to dispose of the works left in the space.

4. I agree to the use of any of my submitted works for the informative or promotional purposes of the Homeless Gallery and Polish deConstruction without charge. I understand that any works used as such will be credited to the author.

5. I agree to the use of my personal data for the purposes of Polish deConstruction and I agree to receive e-mail information regarding the Homeless Gallery and future events by Polish deConstruction. PdC respects private data and will not pass on any of your details to third parties. If you wish to be removed from the PdC mailing list, please send an email to pdc@polishdeconstruction.org with 'remove from mailing list' in the subject line.

REGISTRATION

Unfortunately registration for this event had to close earlier than expected due to the high amount of submissions we have received over the past weeks. However, we would love to see you at the event!