YORK gallery According To McGee is building on its 2015 series of Interfuse exhibitions by holding simultaneous shows at York Hospital and Fossgate Social, in Fossgate, York.

Funded by Arts Council England's Grants for the Arts scheme, Interfuse is primarily an experiment to see how far tradition and technology in creativity can be mixed.

"The concept is refreshingly free from labels," says gallery co-director Ails McGee. "What's great about Interfuse is that it reminds me of the initial reasons of why I got into art in the first place. There was a time, believe it or not, when most of the excitement came from how authentically you captured something, and how you'd mix it with another approach, another idea, to create something new.

"I sometimes think that young artists learn to over-theorise things and second-guess what their art represents rather than what it is. Does it look aesthetically fabulous? Then you're well on the way to creating art. The concepts, the big ideas, all of that comes afterwards, and much of it suits the chatterati's dinner party, rather than the artist's studio."

In this latest phase of Interfuse, the paintings of Samantha Swales-Snowden are on show at York Hospital until March 2 while the posters used to advertise 12 years of According To McGee exhibitions can be seen at the Fossgate Social bar until March 7.

"The staff at York Hospital do such a great job. From a gallery's point of view, they're great to work with," says Ails. "Art like this fuses perfectly with aspects of the hospital experience. There's hope, laughter, contemplation. We couldn't be happier with how it looks."

For the Fossgate Social exhibition, Greg and Ails McGee have brought out their giclee prints advertising shows from 2005 until the present day, all unified by their trademark double block motif.

This time too, they have worked with York College students Sofia Baldini, Tom Childs, Janet Easton, Vincent Lyles, Liz O'Connell-Ward and Daniel Saywell to bring fresh talent to the Interfuse series.

"Tradition and technology are always thrilling to mix together, but we've been dovetailing brand new artists and internationally regarded artists since day one," says Ails.

"For Interfuse to integrate the work of York College students – all of whom show incredible promise – with big hitters such as Brian Lewis, Doug Binder and Harry Malkin, is really gratifying. We're especially indebted to student Janet Easton for stepping up and taking full control of curating the show."

A grateful Janet says: "When asked by a bastion of York’s thriving contemporary art scene if I would like to collaborate, what else could I do but respond with a resounding ‘yes’?

"As a mature art student, this was a fantastic opportunity for me; working in tandem with a well-respected gallery yet with the creative and artistic freedom to make my own curatorial debut at the Fossgate Social.

"It's wonderful that established galleries, such as According to McGee, can offer students a platform for skill development, and an opening into the industry, by recognising that unknown artists benefit from such real-world experiences, as well as the mentoring and support that a popular gallery can provide."