The 21st century is rife with distractions. Commuters are bombarded with multicoloured information on their way to work, the fluorescent signs of junk food shops catch our attention late at night when our stomach growls and most of us end each day lay wide awake in bed; our brain in overdrive as we try to forget the overwhelming amount of information we are force-fed everywhere we look. These distractions are obvious, they are commercial and merely a by-product of a capitalist society, which leaves us to conclude that the most subtle distractions come from a seemingly invisible force; the internet. This incredible yet invasive invention seeps into our everyday life, to such an extent that this modern world would not look the same without it.

Catching Flies is an immersive exhibition exploring the theme of distractions. We will raise the questions; what are the consequences of being constantly distracted?  Can we function efficiently whilst simultaneously being distracted? How much does the omnipresent internet have to do with this and is a lot of what we see on the subject scaremongering? How great of an escape do distractions provide? And, Is it even possible to find respite in such frenzy?

The MA Curating students present their exciting new exhibition entitled ‘Catching Flies’ to open on 7^th June at the Studio 3 Gallery at the University of Kent. The exhibition will run until 31^st  July and includes an array of artworks from historic prints to video art, mixed media canvases and Social Media art. The artists participating range from the highly regarded Benedict Drew and Ross Sinclair, to talented students from the recently closed down Fine Art course from our own university, as well as students from other art schools throughout the South East area.

The theme of the exhibition is distractions, with each artwork exploring different narratives surrounding the subject, whether it is in regards to the distractions we face through social media, the use of art as a distraction from reality or simply a musician being distracted from his practice.

This exhibition is the result of a collaborative process and would have not been made possible if it weren’t for the amazing contribution of the following artists; Alexander Benjamin, Maria Bogatyreva, Megan Boyle, Flora Bradwell, Benedict Drew, Martyna Piskorz, Cristián Fernández Ocampo, Michal Raz, Connor Sansby, Ross Sinclair, Orfeo Taguiri and Magdalena Zoledz & Tomasz Litra. In these diverse group of artists, everybody deals with distractions in their own individual ways, each exploring issues regarding technology, aesthetics and how habitual these have become within our collective consciousness.