“‘Sounds of the Sea and Shops’ will be the US-born artist Erik Blinderman’s first solo exhibition in the UK. Working predominantly with film and photography, the artist has developed a practice that shows a concern for the dislocation of time and place through unexpected narrative structures. Blinderman’s interest in Southend-on-Sea has also grown through regular visits during the last three years, and he has developed a body of work around the South Essex town that connects to recurring themes around duality and parallel histories. Interested in the construct of twin-towns, and the fact that Southend is now culturally connected to the Polish seaside resort of Sopot – part of a triad of conurbations that include Gdansk and Gdynia; a stretch of coastline called the ‘Tri-City’ – the artist provides a starting point for a rumination on community activism, world history, the transition since the break up of the Eastern Bloc from Communism to liberal democracy, together with its effects on culture and economics…” (Andrew Hunt)