We are pleased to present the first exhibition in Assembly House's 2024 programme: scala by Ian Munro.

Salut, I’m Ian, a multidisciplinary artist and designer based out of Leeds, but originally from somewhere on the side of a mountain in Switzerland. Through my art, I like to explore the world around me to get a better understanding of my place in it. I’m a graphic designer who wears a lot of hats; I photograph, draw, film, collage, sculpt, build, woodwork or print. Basically anything to keep my hands busy. I often work around the themes of nature, the environment, spaces & places, and our relation to them all.

This exhibition is based on a book I made when I was working in Ireland as a technician at Cow House Studios. As often as I could, I would walk to the top of the local peak, Blackstairs Mountain, to get some fresh air, peace, and time to myself. Every time I summited was a different experience, due to the weather and my state of being (but mostly the weather). And so I documented my goings on as I went, through photography and writing. I collated it all together and formed this book, ‘scala’. Through its construction and design, I wanted the book to take the reader on that journey with me. In much the same way, I intend to make the exhibition a spacial interpretation of it. There will be a reading nook for you to sit and read through the book too.