Ant Hamlyn
Click the play button to hear the audio that accompanies the artists’ work at Leicester City Takeover.
Ant Hamlyn
(UK, B. 1993 Northampton).
Lives and works in London
@anthamlyn
Hamlyn's works delve into our relationship and fluctuating enthusiasm towards contemporary life. Working across a pollination of handmade and digital making processes his works regularly have anthropomorphic elements that work with metaphor, technology, illusion and timing to create moments of anxiety, awe and surprise through material and visual obscurity.
Alongside exhibitions in New York, Moscow, London, Melbourne and Beijing. Ant has built installations for the Zabludowicz Collection, FACT, Victoria and Albert Museum, Saatchi Gallery, Royal Academy and more recently 'B L O O M' at Daisy Green Collection on the Grand Union Canal, Paddington.
Relocating to London in 2017, he represented the UK and UKNA at the BJCEM Biennale in Tirana. He was one of the 2018/19 winners of the prestigious Red Mansion Art Prize and is currently published in Aesthetica Magazines '100 Contemporary Artists 2020' printed Anthology. Many of his works are held in private international collections. His studio is currently in West London. This year (2021) he was shortlisted for the Mark Tanner Sculpture Award. Hamlyn is also a co-director at Bad Art Presents.
He studied Ba Fine Art at Liverpool Hope University (2012-15 )and Ma fine art Chelsea College of Art (2016-17) after receiving the Cecil Lewis scholarship.
THE BOOST PROJECT
As part of the National Biennale: Derby 2016, Hamlyn's interactive, living installation explores how social media allows us to live within an alternate reality; one in which we can easily attain a heightened sense of belonging, or a fleeting state of appreciation. The inflating orb aims to emulate the acceptance and self worth we can feel after receiving ‘likes’ on our posts or pictures online.
Each time the orb is followed, receives a like, or is tagged with #theboostproject it gradually increases in size until it reaches its peak. If ignored, it begins to subtly deflate over time and fade into the background of our lives.
You can boost the orb through:
Twitter: @BoostUKYA, #theboostproject
Facebook: The Boost Project
Website and Live Feed: www.theboostproject.biz
Co-commissioned by FACT and Hope University through their Graduate Production Residency. Produced with support from FACTLab.
UKYA PROJECTS:
National Biennale: Derby 2016
UKNA City Takeover: Leicester 2022
