Three Men in a Boat

Three Men in a Boat took artists in Nottingham aboard the Nottingham Princess River Cruiser. Taking Jerome K. Jerome’s witty account of three friends on a boating trip as inspiration, Hinterland selected a group of three artists at a time to take a day trip with curator Jennie Syson who led them on an adventure that meandered through canals, locks and the River Trent itself.

Whilst navigating the waterways, the artists on board were encouraged to talk about the work they make and what they think of changes and developments to the Nottingham art scene. When alighting the boat, artists were encouraged to explore the land that lies next to the river which makes up the geographical hinterland and meet people who live and work in that area.

Through taking the Jerome’s idea of being absent from one’s normal everyday activities and therefore able to concentrate more thoroughly on one task – the artists encountered a change to their normal surroundings and were required to respond to a transitory environment surrounding the waterways, which inevitably changes as the boat travels along the river. The river itself also provides neutral surroundings which enabled conversations to flow easily.

Artists on the trip were Ellie Harrison, S Mark Gubb and Mik Godley.