Mike Nelson reflects on his time at Reading and his recent exhibitions in this months Artforum
When I was a student at Reading University I was very interested in the experience of eastern cultures, in particular those of the Islamic world. I made work retracing the lineage of designs, such as those from the Arts and Crafts movement, back to their eastern influences. I often found a rebounding dialogue between them. This was the beginning of my interest in the construction of identity and “otherness”, as well as an understanding of my position in that—not only as a European, but also more specifically as a British person.
Mike Nelson, ‘M6’ (photograph), 2013. Courtesy Eastside Projects.
artreading.org 