Whilst literature, films and music form the fabric of my understanding, I have never allowed art to wield the same influence; I’ve simply avoided it. However, on Thursday 25th April I broke this trend, visiting the Make This Space exhibition in the centre of Cambridge and realised how much I’ve been missing out.

Running from the 25th-28th April, Make This Space was the brain child of a group of History of Art students interested in exploring the nature of ‘space’. Although ‘space’ is an all-encompassing term, this exhibition aimed to explore the different ways art exists in various spaces - from architectural models to a blank easel - and how individual’s are placed within it. Additionally, Make This Space attempted to, and succeeded in pushing the conventions of the standard gallery experience, creating a space that was open to all and centred on a viewer’s experience. 

One of the exhibition’s main attractions was its unstuffy atmosphere. The room had the feel of a casual get-together, helped by the bottles of Sol on offer and the brilliant use of music. Rather than stilted conversation and awkward silences, this was a space that was open for chatting, laughing and appreciating art with friends. For an exhibition preoccupied with space, the gallery space had to convey this interest. Turning a former furniture store into an inclusive, un-intimidating environment, the broad glass front made the gallery feel less like a sterile white box and more like an invitation for people walking past outside to get involved. 

Interaction was a major part of the exhibition. With pieces designed to encourage involvement, guests did not simply observe, they crafted their own works also. Easels dotted around the gallery encouraged patrons to draw whatever they liked using the idea of space as inspiration. With a washing line spread across the room displaying people’s efforts, deep philosophical pieces and playful scribbles were displayed alongside each other in a way that encapsulated the ethos of the display; it was irrelevant how ‘good’ the drawings were, the emphasis was on the thrill of seeing your work beside accomplished and emerging artists.

There was more to the exhibition than simply atmosphere, and the success of the evening mainly rested on the pieces that were on offer. Here the multi-disciplinary approach was fundamental. Photography, poetry, sculpture and cartoon strips were displayed in the same space, creating a sense of equality between the varieties of art forms.

Suzie Olzack’s ‘Distort’ immediately drew my attention. Olzack’s piece was a sculpture constructed out of bended mental onto which refracted rays on neon light shone. The work owned its space and was unavoidable due to the light’s brightness; it demanded attention. Although you wouldn’t want to stare it at for too long (it was a bit painful on the eyes), the piece revelled in its visual appeal and, as the first piece I viewed, set my expectations high for the rest of the exhibition. 

Kate Addis’ ‘All Our Treasures’ was one of the most personal and tactile pieces. In an intimate corner of the gallery, her work featured small, seemingly inconsequential objects attached to labels. Each label provided background information about an object. This feature addressed another important element in the exhibition, in that the information was not forced upon you. Choosing to read the tags added significance to each object, a significance which moved beyond the small space they occupied in the corner of the room. Objects such as a tiny switch were brought to life after reading the tag (the object was a light switch from a child’s doll house). A small metal medal was in fact an Ethiopian bravery medal, awarded to Ethiopian resistance fighters during the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935-1936. This quiet, small-scale section of the exhibition stood out because of its simplicity. Emphasising human stories and experiences, the piece focused on people, the spaces they occupy and the stories that fill those spaces. 

Make This Space entirely fulfilled its ambitions. It offered a contemporary, audience-focussed exhibition which fought against the conventions of the traditional art gallery experience. The opening night saw around 500 people visit the exhibition, a brilliant achievement for a group of students who took the initiative to bring student art to everyone.