Looking east

Meekyoung Shin - Ghost series

Plymouth is bouncing back after British Art Show 7 with another ambitious multi-site exhibtion Sinopticon. The exhibition is based on the 17th century notion of chinoiserie, a western construction of a fictitious orient, often expressed through decorative arts and household goods. (Willow pattern plates are the best-known example.)  The exhibition is billed as chance to explore issues such as value and taste, replication, stereotyping, racism, trade, authorship and the exotic.

I particularly liked the work at Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery which, apart from looking absolutely luscious in the recently refurbished galleries, throws new light on the museum's own collections. A highlight was Meekyoung Shin's Ghost series 2009-2011, a collection of exquisite glass-like vases fashioned entirely from soap. The work filled the whole gallery space with a scrubbed-clean, institutional aroma and drew interesting contrasts between the work of craft with the work of cleaning, holding the permanence of glass and ceramics against material that can just be washed away.

Sinopticon 28 April - 7 July 2012, various Plymouth venues www.sinopticon.org