Preview: Give/Receive @ The Masham, Middlesbrough

Give/Receive at The Masham on Linthorpe Road is an exhibition that invites the public to take away their own piece of contemporary artwork created by ceramicist and artist Layla Khoo, without any money changing hands. It features 216 handmade ceramic bricks inspired by the tradition of commemorative ceramics from Middlesbrough potteries, as well as scoria blocks, which are made from the molten waste produced by the smelting of steel resulting from the area’s famed ironworks.

To obtain a brick you must exchange it for one day of time donated to a volunteer organisation. This non-monetary exchange is recorded in a “Share Certificate” to acknowledge and archive the exchange, creating a permanent record of the artwork and the time donated for it. There are 216 bricks currently but there were originally 365 bricks when the exhibition first started in September, with 149 members of the public having taken one away and in turn supporting local causes such as Nite Light CIC, Community Champions Middlesbrough and Women’s Street Watch Boro benefitting. 

Layla Khoo adds, “I wanted to celebrate how businesses and individuals alike can give back to their own communities. Everyone who gives the gift of their time in exchange for a brick is directly supporting the voluntary organisations, community interest companies and charities dedicated to taking care of the communities of Middlesbrough. My hope is that all 365 pieces will be exchanged, meaning the artwork will result in one full year of volunteered time given back to worthwhile local causes.”

For those unable to give their time, there is an option to donate the equivalent monetary value of one day’s volunteer cost (£70) via an online payment which The Teesside Charity will administer.

Give/Receive is free to view until Saturday 26 November 2022.  For more information, head to the Navigator North website.