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Folkestone art gallery Strange Cargo bidding to bring Turner Prize winner Gillian Wearing to town for Museums at Night project

Folkestone art company Strange Cargo is in the running to host another prestigious name from the art world – but needs your help.

After a hugely successful exhibition and campaign hosting American artist Spencer Tunick 12 months ago, the company is again trying to hold an event as part of the Museums at Night festival.

Folkestone will be going head-to-head with Margate’s Turner Contemporary alongside galleries in Nottingham, Swansea and Croydon to host British artist and former Turner Prize winner Gillian Wearing.

Strange Cargo is bidding to bring Turner Prize winner Gillian Wearing to Folkestone. Picture: Maureen Paley
Strange Cargo is bidding to bring Turner Prize winner Gillian Wearing to Folkestone. Picture: Maureen Paley

The scheme encourages galleries to throw open their doors at night to bring in higher audiences.

Strange Cargo is now on the shortlist again for the Museums at Night 2015 theme called ‘Connect!’

Wearing has been on the art scene since the 1990s and won the Turner Prize in 1997.

Her style is described as ‘editing life’ using photography and video to learn people’s views and explore the imbalance between public and private life.

She has proposed a live karaoke event where members of the public are invited to sing and became part of the artwork.

Spencer Tunick and Strange Cargo's Brigitte Orasinski at last year's Museums at Night exhibition in Folkestone. Picture: Paul Amos
Spencer Tunick and Strange Cargo's Brigitte Orasinski at last year's Museums at Night exhibition in Folkestone. Picture: Paul Amos

If successful, Strange Cargo plans to use two spaces for this participatory piece at its headquarters in Cheriton and nearby pub The Royal Cheriton.

It hopes to intertwine the gallery space at The Factory in Geraldine Road with the pub in Cheriton Road.

Hundreds of people visited Strange Cargo’s old gallery space in The Old High Street last May when Spencer Tunick invited people to bare all as part of the ‘Scope Out’.

He photographed every volunteer individually on the beach at The Warren before presenting them in a small backlit scope. Dozens more joined the opening night and visited the exhibition throughout its run.

Voting is now open online here and closes at 8pm on Saturday, May 16. Simply hit the link and select Strange Cargo from the list on the right hand side.

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