Best Bristol art exhibitions 2013

Adventureland Golf, Arnolfini
In the room at the Arnolfini where in 2010, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown took part in the Sky News leaders’ debate before the General Election, stood representations of Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein as part of a crazy golf course which even had one hole designed by Turner Prize-nominated Jake and Dinos Chapman.

Adventureland Golf Arnolfini

Book Hive, Bristol Central Library
A sculpture in the foyer of Bristol Central Library by Rusty Squid is literally bringing books to life as it helps celebrate 400 years of public libraries in the city. Book Hive is a swarm of animated books within hexagonal cells that open and close with the help of movement sensors. Over the coming months, the sculpture will grow in size until it contains 400 books integrated within it.

Bristol Library Book Hive

Jody, Paintworks
Heart+Soul was Jody’s most ambitious show to date, featuring a collection of more than 30 canvasses. “A lot has happened to me personally in the last few years, including becoming a father. So yes, my work has gone through a bit of an evolution,” Jody said.

Jody Paintworks

Louis Masai, Woodland Road toilet
The plight of some of the most endangered birds in the world was highlighted in this exhibition in the former Edwardian toilets. The space, dressed by Dig Haushizzle from nearby Colston Street, was transformed into a bird box, with interactive audio of the birds and their habitat, woven with references to extinct and vintage music, from dead musicians to cassette tapes.

Louis Masai

My Dog Sighs, Upfest Gallery
Never before has one artist done so much to promote a show in Bristol. In the week before his exhibition opened, My Dog Sighs went big, projecting a giant work onto the Leigh Woods buttress of the Suspension Bridge; and he went small, leaving dozens of works across the streets for people to find. He also painted walls from Stokes Croft to Hotwells.

My Dog Sighs Clifton Suspension Bridge eye Bristol

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