Mark Sladen leaves the ICA
Sorry to hear that Mark Sladen is to leave the ICA. Sladen has been the ICA’s Director of Exhibitions since the beginning of 2007, and has been responsible for solo shows from Enrico David, Rosalind Nashashibi, Loris Gréaud and Billy Childish (which is currently showing), and group shows including ‘Poor.Old.Tired.Horse’, ‘Double Agent’ and ‘Nought to Sixty’, an ambitious survey of emerging artists in the UK.
According to yesterday’s press release: ‘His position has been made redundant within a review of the ICA’s organisational structure’ – David Thorp, who has been working with the institution as an external consultant since last year, will be advising on the ICA’s artistic programme until further notice.
According to a piece just posted by Charlotte Higgins on the Guardian website, Sladen told bosses that he would only reapply for his position if the ICA’s director, Ekow Eshun, resigned. ICA staff have apparently taken a vote of no confidence in the director. According to an unnamed staff member: ‘The results of the vote were suppressed, and whatever the official line on this, this is manipulation. Ekow Eshun made it clear that to reveal the results of the vote would be an act of sabotage, that the ICA would suffer from such information being out there.’
This restructuring is unfortunately timed, given that the ICA has just received 1.2 million from Sustain, an emergency fund organized by Arts Council England to help arts organisations affected by the recession. For more, read JJ Charlesworth’s detailed (and prescient) analysis of the ICA’s finances, posted on the Mute website three weeks ago.
We wish Sladen all the best with future projects.
Sorry to hear that Mark Sladen is to leave the ICA. Sladen has been the ICA’s Director of Exhibitions since the beginning of 2007, and has been responsible for solo shows from Enrico David, Rosalind Nashashibi, Loris Gréaud and Billy Childish (which is currently showing), and group shows including ‘Poor.Old.Tired.Horse’, ‘Double Agent’ and ‘Nought to Sixty’, an ambitious survey of emerging artists in the UK.
According to yesterday’s press release: ‘His position has been made redundant within a review of the ICA’s organisational structure’ – David Thorp, who has been working with the institution as an external consultant since last year, will be advising on the ICA’s artistic programme until further notice.
According to a piece just posted by Charlotte Higgins on the Guardian website, Sladen told bosses that he would only reapply for his position if the ICA’s director, Ekow Eshun, resigned. ICA staff have apparently taken a vote of no confidence in the director. According to an unnamed staff member: ‘The results of the vote were suppressed, and whatever the official line on this, this is manipulation. Ekow Eshun made it clear that to reveal the results of the vote would be an act of sabotage, that the ICA would suffer from such information being out there.’
This restructuring is unfortunately timed, given that the ICA has just received 1.2 million from Sustain, an emergency fund organized by Arts Council England to help arts organisations affected by the recession. For more, read JJ Charlesworth’s detailed (and prescient) analysis of the ICA’s finances, posted on the Mute website three weeks ago.
We wish Sladen all the best with future projects.
