Sanquharartsfestival

02/01/2026

Becoming Hannah Höch is the title of an animation produced by Raine Talley of the USA, Daria Alexandra of Romania and David Rushton of Sanquhar. The animation was launched at the Sanquhar International Art Festival at the end of November before screenings at short film festivals in Europe and North America.

The eight minute animation tells a story of Dada artist Hannah Höch who was ignored by her fellow male Dada artists in the 1920s.

Hannah constructed a large montage in 1920 depicting the confrontations and decline in Germany following World War I.

In the 1920s Hannah began a relationship with the Dutch poet Til Brugman and the couple moved from The Hague to Berlin.

Both artists were friends of the German artist Kurt Schwitter.

The work and experiences Kurt and Hannah as refugees were the inspiration for the MERZ gallery in Sanquhar.

‘Becoming Hannah Höch’ incorporates collage and montage techniques familiar to Hannah and derived from Cinema developments in the 1920s and 30s. In addition to these paper based collage techniques the team at MERZ have used AI to generate moving images from still photographs of Hannah and her colleagues.

The short animation is available for screenings with an introduction on the making of the film and the impact of AI on art and collage.

If interested in a screening drop a line to [email protected].

01/12/2025

Launch of the animation ‘Becoming Hannah Höch’ and the book on analytic conceptual art ‘Art as Conceit’ at the reception for the first Sanquhar International Art Festival. The weekend festival featured artists, writers and filmmakers from the US, Romania, Australia and Japan several of whom had been on residencies at MERZ for one to three months to work on their exhibitions and the animation. Thanks to all guests and participants for bringing the Festival together at the Nithsdale Hotel.

26/11/2025

Here, Josie Liang, a stop motion animator from Taipei is working on the stop motion portion of Becoming Hannah Höch. Josie uses tweezers to adjust just one part of the paper puppet figures without accidentally moving the whole puppet. The exaggerated reactions are meant to bring humour to ongoing and ever changing demand in the 1920s and ‘30s on what a woman should look like. An exhibition of making this animation will be open on Sunday 30th from 1-4:00pm at the Museum of Model Art where Daria will provide a hands on workshop to make animations with the praxinoscope.

14/11/2025

Five artists in residence at MERZ contributing to the first Sanquhar International Art Festival with relief contribution from Christine Nobre from France and digital contribution from Eri Nakamura from Japan. Reception at the Nithsdale Hotel on the afternoon of the 29th November for launch of new animation on the life of Dada artist Hannah Hoch and release of new book on analytical conceptual art. RSVP to [email protected] if able to get along

04/05/2025

In 2021 the Institute of Local Television [MERZ] was shortlisted in the Creative Town category of the Scotland Loves Local Awards for repurposing Sanquhar’s former lemonade factory and abattoir

Shona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government wrote to MERZ …

"I would like to congratulate you on the transformational projects which have converted derelict buildings to arts centres, residencies and museums..."

Ideas for the future of Whigham’s Inn were provided [to SEC] by the MERZ Gallery. These are focused on storytelling, linked to Burns and literary tourism ...

Whigham’s Inn – in part at least – could become a centre for storytelling and poetry with an emphasis on the Scot’s language and a particular focus on the historic and contemporary poets and authors along the Nith valley up to its source near Dalmellington and down to the estuary at the Firth. Poets and writers past present and future with an emphasis on Scots language and the vernacular.

Sanquhar sits at the mid-point of the Nith and Whigham’s Inn was one of Burn’s favourite hostelries. In addition, Sanquhar has the oldest running post office and nearby Wanlockhead and Leadhills have the two earliest subscription libraries in Britain: the area has a justifiable claim to literacy and to communicate.

The centre could also house photographs (and digital material) that records local memories (e.g., Andy McDowall’s photography collection) to become a contemporary touchstone for further storytelling.

There’s also a strong tradition of autodidacticism in the area – Alexander Anderson from Kirkconnel who became Edinburgh University librarian and Robert Hetrick (1769- 1840) a poet and blacksmith from Dalmellington. James Hogg was a visitor and contemporary of Burns.

And there’s historic writing about the area - Duncan Close and Willie Dalgliesh; stories of witches, Napoleonic soldiers, industries and livelihoods and James Brown’s 19c history of Sanquhar.

Rab Wilson contemporary Scots poet is resident in New Cumnock.

Perhaps ‘self-education’ will need to be better encouraged in future as the humanities are withdrawn from formal and higher education?

This would be a local and an international centre for writing and self-education with the Nith and its Scots’ writers and speakers as inspiration.

Whigham’s Inn might be a good location for such a centre and a place in which local stories can be crafted and reaffirmed in literature and chatter.

(From Whighams’ Inn: A Catalyst for Regeneration, Sanquhar Community Enterprise)...

02/05/2025