Granderson Lab is a project of Alice Yard, a contemporary art space and network, based at 24 Erthig Road, Belmont, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (since January 2020). Alice Yard is administered and curated by architect Sean Leonard, artist Christopher Cozier, writer and editor Nicholas Laughlin, and designer Kriston Chen, with the help of an evolving network of creative collaborators. Since 2008, Alice Yard has run a residency programme hosting artists, curators, and other creative practitioners.

The States of Confinement Art exhibition is the result of an ongoing conversation with Alice Yard /Granderson Lab and with artist Christopher Cozier over the past few years, on capacity building within the Caribbean region in the field of curatorship; contemporary art in Trinidad & Tobago and accessibility /democratization of Art and Culture in general.

While planning this show, in a year of social / physical distancing, a number of things were critical: finding 1/ a space sensitive to contemporary and experimental art practice rather than the commercial side of art; 2/ one that would fully understand and accept the spontaneous evolution of idea/s ie. “how” an idea could happen vs. limitations of “why or what”;
3/ a location that would naturally be open and welcoming to a wider community, especially in the context of this project, which set out to explore the confinement experience – as a collective, shared one.

Discussions leading up to this show with Chris Cozier over the past 4 months – whose input as supporter, and advisor has truly been invaluable – made it clear that Granderson fit this criteria: ideologically, aesthetically, spatially.

Previously a longstanding printery in Belmont Trinidad & Tobago, Granderson Bros Ltd. (now) Granderson Lab is an open, minimalist set up, space a l’etat brut. Due to its location, on Erthig Road in Belmont (popular urban neighbourhood in POS), Granderson Lab continues to maintain a proximity to the local community, with residents of Belmont – randomly stopping by, as well as artists who, in a very organic way, come into to work on a range of projects year round such as Moko Somokow during Carnival, stilt walking, toof press)…

My cultural work at CULTUREGO and curatorial practice are very much motivated by the necessity of Public Art and accessibility of all creative work to a larger Caribbean-based audience as we imagine the future.