So who are Hive? Hive are a group of Birmingham based artists who began meeting regularly over a year ago to discuss ideas and share their experiences, eventually deciding they should showcase how artists collaborate and how artwork evolves. Chain Reaction, a visual art project, is a range of work including installation, audio-visual pieces, photography and artist books along with artefact’s and documentation exploring how they collaborated.

You can book a place at the free event by calling the Box Office 0121 704 6962 or just turn up on the evening.

Indigo Octagon present ‘If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words Then Why Can’t I Paint’ at The Works Gallery, 13th-23rd November. It’s the first exhibition by Indigo Octagon, a collective of Birmingham based artists, designers and makers. Featuring Chris Cowdrill, Hugh Marwood, Shaun Morris, Andrew Smith and Craig Underhill.

They are hosting a private view on Friday 16th November from 6-9pm, where you can meet the artists, watch a musical performance by artists Andy Smith and Shaun Morris (composed in response to the exhibition) and see local band Box Of Knives. The Works is quite a mystery to me (and it doesn’t have a website) but for a bit more information about the exhibition, check Indigo Octagon’s facebook for updates. It’s good to see new and unusual things cropping up, and I quite like the raw unpolished/fanzine-esque style of their exhibition programme.

TROVE have worked with 146 local, national and international artists who have created, exhibited and performed as part of their programme over the last three years.

Situated in the Old Science Museum on Newhall Street, TROVE is an independent art gallery who have worked with Fierce Festival, Hereford Photography Festival, Hedge Enquiry, Minnie Weisz Studio, Museum of Lost Heritage, Birmingham Architects Association, Birmingham City Council, Clarke Gallery, Birmingham City University and Crowd 6.

For their third birthday they are celebrating by throwing a party – At Pop! Bang! Wallop! there will be presents, piñatas and pass the parcel, artworks and cards from past TROVE artists and even a bouncy castle. 

Pop! Bang! Wallop! – TROVE’s 3^rd Birthday Party – 12^th October 2012 5pm – 9pm.

Notable among the early posts is the gallery’s Summer Exhibition which will run until 7 July. The second part of the exhibition launched on Friday 11 June featuring artists Stuart Free, Cameron Galt, and Stephen Earl Rogers, and the final stage will showcase the sculptures of Laurence Broderick?, the artist responsible for ‘The Birmingham Bull’. who is also making limited edition bronzes of The Bull available for the first time in Birmingham at the gallery.