Sparkle - a trail of new exhibitions will be switched on at the Threshold artspace on Saturday, 2 December 2006 for the first time. The exhibitions will continue to illuminate the gallery throughout the festive season.

Sparkle features 15 works by more than 15 Scottish and international artists - a glowing selection of brand new additions and old favourites from Scotland's only permanent collection of digital art at the Threshold artspace.

Sparkle finds a natural habitat at the artspace which itself thrives on such moments - the way artists use pixels, light, time, sound and electricity as their media of choice. This is an exhibition which literally shines a spotlight on these basic ingredients of digital artistic practice. An exhibition which also brings a touch of glitter to the long dark winters of Scotland.

The Sparkle trail of shows starts at Threshold Welcome - the giant interactive juke box at the entrance of the Perth Concert Hall. Walking though visitors will be able to trigger at random more than 200 new snippets from a medley of classic Christmas crooners and carols to more surprising leftwing songs - guest-curated by Andy Shearer.

Next, the exhibition takes over the Threshold Wave - the long digital canvas of 22 flat screens under the copper dome. Brand new highlights include Sonorous Forms - a piece for cello, water and 22 screens in C Major by the emerging artists and musicians Catherine-Anne Lee and Eilidh Glynn; Berlin-based artist Graham Robertson experiments with a roll of film slowly winding it through the camera with shutter open capturing brilliance, time and motion; Simon Wilkinson's Light Fantastic recreates the euphoria of the search light show which bathed the skies over the concert hall in space age glamour; for her humorous video collage Snowdome Theresa Pickles animates a bunch of these
popular treasure-like miniatures full of fake snow and curiosities.

Recently launched Counting Until the End of Time by Bergen-based artist Lei Cox will provide a breather of a flickering intermission between each film.

The interactive playground at Threshold Stage is divided between the new arrival at the artspace collection Random Snow Generator - a digital snowflake fiesta by Ross Cairns and the old favourite Influx, a tricky digital mirror by Joanna Kane.

At the Threhsold Flush screens tucked away in the public toilets people can dip in and out of The One Minute Wonders - a selection of 20 seriously funny films of 60 seconds each by young people from a network
operating across Europe - guest curated by Raya Ribbius.

On view (and for sale) at the flexible office/artspace Tay Suite are the shimmering, limited edition prints by artist Susan Collins from the series Glenlandia The Four Seasons. They will soon be joined by Catherine-Anne Lee's new video stills Sonorous Forms.

Additionally, art historian Lindsey Morse has been commissioned to produce a series of contextual essays about selected works from the Threshold artspace permanent collection. The first in this new critical writing series is dedicated to Catherine-Anne Lee's new work Sonorous Forms and will be published on the occasion of Sparkle.

The exhibition launch (4-6pm) will round off with artist Simon Bogle's Glowing Throwies workshop in electronic graffiti - an inexpensive, DIY way to add a touch of sparkle and colour to any magnetic surface. To join call box office 0845 612 6319. Price £3.  

Stills from Sonorous Forms by Catherine-Anne Lee featuring Eilidh Glynn (cello)

Sparkle
Public preview 10am-8pm, Saturday, 2 December 2006
Exhibition runs until Friday, 1 February 2007. Open daily 10am - 7pm
Threshold artspace, Perth Concert Hall, Horsecross, Mill Street, Perth,