August 2017
Charnwood
RTSLIN UK-France
K 1
Above Photo : Š Laura Ghirardello
Contents Aucard Festival 4 Elefent 14 Barefoot Festival 22 The Brandy Thieves 30 Alexandra Riss 38 Ashokkumar 50 Laura Ghirardello 60 Kole Redmile 70
Front Cover: Exhibition - Maladaptive Daydream, 2017. Alexandra Riss 3
4
‘
‘
Our plan is not to change a thing. A cheap, electric, with many good concerts festival where we don’t take ourselves too seriously and where above all we go to have fun.
Aucard Festival 5
A
6
ucard is an annual festival in
Pascal Robert, the chairman of the
Tours. It is the largest city of
organisation Béton Production, is
the Centre-Val de Loire region in
the creator of Radio Béton and
France. This local festival is quite
the Aucard festival. The team is
special for the residents or “les
composed
Tourangeaux” as we say in French,
employees, Enzo the programme
it is part of their identity. The name
planner and producer, and Nathan
comes from an isle in Tours called
in charge of the communication
Aucard where the festival originally
and public relations, as well as an
took place but it has been moved
intern who starts working two months
to the Gloriette Park ten years ago.
before the event. In addition there
Five days of concerts and all sorts
are about ten contract workers
of shows for only thirty euros! It has
and between one hundred fifty
already been 32 years since the first
and one hundred eighty volunteers
edition. For the thirtieth anniversary
who take care of the pubs, the
they sold 20,000 tickets!
control room, the ticketing, the
of
'Everything is wonderful at Aucard’
two
permanent
decoration, etc. This project exists
The musical programme of the
thanks to the subsidies given by
festival is linked to what’s on Radio
the city of Tours, Tours +, the region
BĂŠton. Enzo admits that it also works
Centre-Val de Loire, the National
a lot by feel. For example, last year
Centre of Jazz Variety (CNV) and
Enzo was in Belgium and when he
the company of songwriters and
saw Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
music editors (SACEM). But they still
it was so mind-blowing that he
need more support in order to keep
did everything that he could to
the entrance fee low. This seems
bring them to Aucard this year.
compromised
moment
Some artists come more than one
because of the increase of the
time to Aucard, creating a great
production costs.
mix between present, future and
at
the
7
past. But the main aim is really to
performances. Many families come
push the local bands forward, and
every evening and the Wednesday
there are so many of them that it is
afternoon children’s show is always
always hard to choose. Moreover,
fully booked. According to Enzo,
during that special week, there are
Tour’s cultural life is pretty rich even
many free concerts (apérock) in
if there is a lack of well-equipped
the pubs only for local musicians,
small concert halls. But there are
who can be reprogrammed the
many small organisations, which
following
set up concerts every week in pubs.
year
at
la
Gloriette.
So as he would say: “Tours has a
8
Aucard is a young and avant-
rock’n’roll spirit and people there
garde festival but if you don’t
know how to party!” In Tours there is
enjoy concerts, you can find many
another festival in July named Terres
other animations such as street
du Son but which has a different
9
10
11
12
aim. It offers headlines and gathers
beginning and thought it would be
twice as many festivalgoers, so the
the end of the adventure.
tickets are more expensive. Actually these two events are not competing
This year BĂŠton Production, with the
but are complementary.
collaboration of AZ Prod, launches a one night event on the 11th of
Last year a major flood ruined the
November at the Parc des Expositions
festival by causing a lot of material and
in Tours: Rock The House. You will have
financial losses. The residents reacted
the pleasure to hear Mome, Georgio,
with an unprecedented outpouring
Pantha Du Prince, Paula Temple,
of solidarity that really surprised and
Detroit Swindle, Arandel and many
moved the Aucard team. Many small
more!
organisations set up fund-raising gigs and most of the festivalgoers didn’t
Meanwhile we wish them to keep on
ask for refund. It really gave hope
going like they have since the average
and second life to some volunteers
attendance has kept on increasing
who have been helping since the
for five years!
To learn more about it please visit www.radiobeton.com/aucard
13
Elefent 14
‘
‘
To me, music is a way of doing the things that I consider essential: creating, sharing and feeling.
15
O
livier is a 28-year-old man from
intimate and streamlined, and the
Tours. He likes playing Twister,
other as something at once much more
head banging and zouk music. But
energetic and meticulous. Depending
he is also at the source of the Elefent
on the nature of the event and the size
project...
of the stage, Olivier will pick one of the two options, which is also a way of
‘Dug up at the top of the Hill of
breaking the routine.
Calvary by modern slaves, the Elefent reappears in spring of the year 1989.‘
‘I prefer playing in a band because it provides more sharing, but the solo is
What is Elefent? It is a musical project,
a challenge for me. In middle school, I
which can be presented solo or
used to wet myself when I had to play
in a foursome. Olivier is the singer-
the flute in front of everyone.’
songwriter. When the songs are played in foursome they define the musical
Apart from sounding like ‘elephant’
arrangements together so that the
the name of the band doesn’t ring the
musicians can add their personal
bell - it is on purpose. Olivier didn’t want
touch and make it their own. The aim is
people to be able to guess the musical
to offer two different worlds - one more
style just by the name, so he picked up a word with no meaning. We could put Elefent in the folk/blues category but actually it is influenced by Olivier’s musical tastes: Hip Hop, Math-Rock, Blues, Negro Spiritual, World Music etc.
‘Fuck stylistic consistency. I never understood this concept, I find it simplistic and boring.’
16
The coherence is provided by the lead
voice that he qualifies as ‘beautiful,
singer and his mahogany Weissenborn
clear, powerful and croaky.’ If ever
made by the French instrument-maker
Pura Fé was reading this article, she
Olivier Bataille. A Weissenborn is a lap
should know that Olivier confessed
slide guitar, invented in Los Angeles in
that he would love to do the first part
the 20s-30s by the German instrument-
at one of her concerts, as she often
maker Herman Weissenborn, it is for
goes to France. The other members of
example used by Ben Harper and
the band are Marine at the percussion
John Butler. But the person who helped
and the choirs , Clément the bass
Olivier discover this instrument was the
player, and Alban at the drums. Olivier
Native
singer-songwriter
and Clément are long-time friends,
Pura Fé. In 2008, he attended one of
both interested in music and science
her shows and was astonished by her
and unable to choose between the
American
17
two. He was the one who encouraged
2017 they played for the ‘Apérocks’ of
him to make something serious out of
the Aucard festival, hoping that they
Elefent and introduced him to Marine
will come back again in two years. The
and Alban.
big difficulty for them, and for current music bands in general, is to export
Music is a means of communication
themselves out of their region.
so it would have been more logical for Olivier to sing in French. But because of
‘For now, we’ve played in Nantes,
the particularities of the type of music
Poitiers and Bourges. Why not
that he plays, it had to be in English.
Loughborough?’
‘Thinking about it, all the music I listen
The songs of the album ‘The Client is
to is either Anglo-Saxon or traditional.
King’ were recorded three years ago
French music almost never moved
just for fun. He wanted to discover
me.’
more about home studio, musical composition, mixing etc. so it is mainly
The first goal of Elefent was to be known
cover songs. The decision of making a
in the surroundings of Tours, that seems
living out of Elefent is quite recent.
to have been done. On the 12th June 18
The new EP is expected by the end of
If you check out their website, which
the year. It will still be Home Studio but
I recommend you to do, you will find
only made of new compositions. Olivier
two amazing videos recorded in the
did not tell me much except that it will
wilderness. The ‘live’ condition enables
be really acoustic and clear. The whole
people looking for new bands to have
is meant to be accompanied by videos
a much more precise idea of what
but keeping it quite simple. At the same
they sound like for real. In addition, it
time of the evolution of his project,
was a technical achievement that he
Olivier is discovering the musical world,
took to heart. A lot of events are yet
the contracts, the contacts etc.
to come, such as Mfest, La P’tite Maiz, which are festivals set up by friends of
‘I like doing one thing at a time. Slowly
Olivier. Also, concerts at the University
making my desires and ambitions
of Tours, at people’s home (a local
evolve, in order not to jump in at
concept), at the Balkanic pub, in
the deep end or be disappointed
Nantes, in Châteauroux and many
because of too high expectations.’
more!
19
20
To learn more about the band please visit www.elefent.fr21
22
‘
‘
Barefoot Festival is all about getting back to basics, getting grass in between your toes and taking time out from the pressures of modern life!
Barefoot Festival 23
so many activities that there must be something you haven’t tried or seen yet.
In the Arts Tent you will enjoy art projects and art installations that develop over the weekend with your participation, unicorn horn headbands, medusa inspired self-portraits and fairy wands for example. If you like to go back to childhood for a moment the theme dress up days are for you ! For the mythical creatures theme on Saturday
B
arefoot miss
Festival summer
is
a
event
not-tonear
come as a mermaid or even a dragon and just have fun.
Loughborough (East-Midlands, UK)! It
24
takes place every year during the last
The real children have their own
weekend of July at Prestwold Hall. It
creative
used to be a small gathering that just
company running interactive shows all
got bigger over the years. As with any
day, bed time stories, face and body
other festival, Barefoot wouldn’t work
painting and kids yoga. While your
without the help of its volunteers. All
children are being taken care of why
the profits are used to improve the
not relax in the chill out area? You have
festival year after year. Some of the
the choice between many workshops,
volunteers became regulars, forming
Gong Bath, Didgeridoo, Acro Yoga,
a ‘Barefoot Family”. And it is, in fact
Meditation, Cuddle Therapy, Tai Chi,
a truly friendly “hippie” reunion, great
Kundalini Dance, Aromatherapy, Qi-
to relax from everyday life. There are
Gong… and hot tubs!
space
and
a
theatre
25
If you’d rather be a spectator the
This year, caterers from around the world
Barefoot
famous
will be selling street food style gourmet
Talulah Blue Burlesque Show and the
delights. The best way to end the day at
Combust UK Big Burn Fire Show are
Barefoot is with marshmallows around
made for you. And of course what
the campfire watching shooting stars. If
would be a festival without music?
you are still hesitating to come, check
The headline bands this year are The
out the latest reviews on Barefoot:
Cabaret,
the
Brandy Thieves, Goldwater, and The
26
River Chickens. Rock, gypsy, blues,
“Best Festival EVER! Art, music, yoga,
folk, pop, country…
everyone can
dance, circus, burlesque, tarot, fire,
find something one likes in the Band
friends... the list goes on! If you go to one
Tent.
festival this year, do it Barefoot style!”
and
“Great festival, sixth time
relaxing weekend of the year! Full
we have been, the kids
of beautiful people unleashing their
said it was the best one
creativity - whether you’re taking part
yet. The great thing about
in the workshops or just sitting back
the festival is you can bring
to observe the magic with a drink.
them from a young age
Barefoot is a perfect small festival with
and there is something for
a relentlessly positive, fun atmosphere
all ages to do.”
“Always
the
most
magical
and totally family friendly”
27
28
To learn more about it please visit www.barefootfestival.com
29
The Brandy Thieves 30
‘
‘
Joy. Friendship. Freedom. Rock’n’ f’n Roll!
31
I
had the chance to exchange few
but Cain (bass) comes from Northern
words with Andrea, the marvellous
Ireland and Andrea is a ‘southern pansy’
lead singer and guitarist of The Brandy
as she would call herself. These unusual
Thieves.
musicians met on an online ad five years ago. For Cain and Andrea who were new
Some of you might just have seen their
to Leicester it was also a great way to make
performance at Barefoot while reading
new friends.
this. Anyway, they come from Leicester, as you must know since it is the most
‘Unfortunately James, our accordion,
famous band in the area. Well, to be
moved to Bristol and we have yet to
honest Joe (trumpet, vox) and Chris
replace him. So, if there are any accordion
(drums, backing vox) are Leicesterites
players out there, please get in touch.’
32
The unique sound they created is not
the old swing singers and Andrea’s heroes
easy to define but I will go along with
are Tina Turner and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
‘Gypsy punk with Soul’. The mad lyrics reveal a whole world, made of story
‘There are copious amounts of great
telling and folklore, in which it’s hard not
bands in Leicester, but a lot of them have
to jump in. At the moment they have
a similar sound, we were something very
started to move a bit away from the
different and I guess that’s why we stood
Ska elements to experience with more
out. ‘
of a gospel/blues feel some of their new tracks. The sound of The Brandy Thieves is
The combination of all these musical
also influenced by its members’ personal
universes leads to explosive performances
tastes. Cain has his roots in traditional Irish
on stage, which have been noticed by
music but loves his punk rock. Chris is an
the press almost since the beginning. But
out and out punk drummer, Joe listens
none of them are novices. Cain had been
to most things but loves a good croon to
performing in bands all over the world
33
for many years, even South Korea! Andrea
‘We’re very much a ‘live’ band,
comes from a musical family and has been
deffo a festival band. So there
in bands since she was eighteen, including
is always an amazing buzz and
a signed band called Two Day Rule for
atmosphere when we perform
six years. Chris also was in a signed band
and word got out we were a
(Neon Sarcastic) and Joe was part of a very
band not to be missed!”
prestigious brass big band in Leicester.
34
Most of the songs on their first EP, Stories from the Cellar, have been re-recorded for the album Old Tattoos launched in 2016. A lot of the tracks are rooted in story telling and folklore and weave a theme throughout the album, which is announced at the outset:
‘If you hear a trumpet late at night shut your door and lock it tight’ ‘If you see a tattooed woman sing you better hide your brandy and your gin’
Even if Andrea has performed in several countries
such
as
Ireland,
Portugal,
‘Didikai Lee’ is about a gypsy fortune
Australia, Thailand, Cambodia… her best
teller, ‘The Muse of Mary Malloy’ is a
musical memory took place in Leicester,
tale of a scorned woman getting her
at the Soundhouse. When they put on
revenge on lovers, ‘Owl and the Pussy
their own gigs they really give everything
cat’ is a play on the poem, a twisted
of themselves, so there is always a theme.
story of doomed love…
This time the theme was ‘Gypsy Cabaret’. What was truly magical was that their
The outstanding track that was chosen as
friends, One Suspicious Monkey, reformed
the single of the album is The Blackbird.
for that very night only for this show. The
I think a little country made its way into
crowd was absolutely into it, dancing and
that track, especially when the banjo
shouting out all the lyrics.
comes in. There is an animated video of it available online made by Richard
‘IT WAS RAMMED!! The atmosphere was
Leshone, who has done many videos
just so amazing and the feeling of love
for another Leicester band called By the
from our fans was really moving.’
Rivers. 35
We will shortly hear from them again as they are working on a new EP with their brand new material. I wish them nothing but to have a blast and to achieve an international career as big as the Leicester band Kasabian.
‘Come try and catch us play at the following events! Also check out our Facebook and make sure you support your local music scene! We need you!’
36
05/08/17 The Lamb Inn, Norwich 06/08/17 Pagan Pride, Nottingham (HEADLINE ACT) 12/08/17 The Magical Healing Festival, Gloucestershire (HEADLINE ACT) 20/08/17 Umbrella Fair, Northampton (HEADLINE ACT) 01/09/17 Woz Wolf Festival, Matlock 11/09/17 The Musician, Supporting Real MacKenzies 23/09/17 Gypsy Cabaret 2 Soundhouse, Leicester
To learn more about the band please visit www.thebrandythieves.bandcamp.com 37
38 40
‘
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ArtMarco and/or the artist is a reflection Dal Maso of the world.
Alexandra Riss 39 39
Art appeared in her life very early on. Alexandra comes from an art crafts’ family. Her grandfather was a tapestrymaker and cabinet-maker who also happened to be a curator of the Louvre apartments. One of her uncles was a photographer and another a cabinetmaker. In addition to this, her mother, a music teacher, used to take her everywhere with her to see exhibitions among other things. So the fact that she was in the know of art quite young might have had influenced her choices.
A
lexandra
Riss
At first, being really keen on history and
French
art, she wanted to be an archeologist.
visual artist, freshly
But after everyone told her that there
graduated from the
were no job opportunities she decided
School of Fine Arts
to become a museum curator. After
of Tours. She works
she graduated from high school, she
on
is
the
subtleties
thought it would be interesting to spend
between
reality
a year in an art college first. By having
and
an artistic experience you can defend
dreams
an artist or work for an institution as
nightmares.
you would definitely know what you
She creates a lot
would be talking about. Eventually,
of objects linked to
she enjoyed it so much that she went
her fantasies, “just
through the five years of art school.
like any other artist
However, to her, Schools of Fine Arts are
would”, as she says.
like golden prisons.
and
fiction,
between and
40
a
When you are in it, you do whatever you
Although she obtained her master’s
want but when you get out you are on
degree (with distinction) she did not want
your own. They don’t prepare you for the
to start working straight away because she
reality of the world. There were no law,
had had an overdose of contemporary
management, marketing or administrative
art. In the meantime she did vocational
courses. What she regrets the most is not to
training (CEPIA) at the School of Fine
have been told how the tax system works
Arts of Bourges to be able to talk about
for an artist. According to Alexandra, if in
her work with people who know nothing
France they are far behind concerning
about art. This training delivers methods
the development of the artistic creation,
and techniques to engage “inaccessible
it is because they kept a romantic vision
audiences”.
of the artist. That is to say for them be and
learn how to talk about the same thing
live as a martyr. You received a beautiful
in different ways depending if you are
gift but you don’t need to be paid for it,
addressing a pupil, a detainee or an
it’s not a proper job.
autistic person etc. To Alexandra, it is
For
example,
you
can
41
42
not always easy but it gives a more
though the ground has a considerable
sincere approach to one’s work.
place in our lives it is hardly used in
She also loves working with children
the artistic community. Usually in an
because her art is linked to childhood,
exhibition the spectator hugs the
to a kind of naive absurdity. As soon
walls or at the very best he can walk
as a child understands one of her
around a sculpture. Alexandra bets
works, she considers it as successful.
that if we ask people coming out from
Regardless of the type of audience,
an exhibition details about the floor
what matters the most is that they are
most of them would not be able to
interested and understand what she
answer. The floor is her playground,
says. Many of her exhibits are floor
she enjoys disturbing spectators by
installations. She noticed that even
showing
them
other
perceptions.
Wandering around is like breathing,
She was in residence for four months at
it’s natural so we do not think about it
the Octroi Gallery in Tours. It is a non-
but from the time that we do we are in
standard exhibition area, quite small
another mood, much more focused.
and made of exposed stones. It was a challenge to get out of the comfort of
Even if her work deals with her life it is
the white cube. It is a good idea for a
often linked to modern concerns such
young artist to shake up already formed
as gender, standards, coercions…
habits right from the start to decide what
However she is not involved in any
suits them better. During the four months
sort of social or political movement
Alexandra lived in the Octroi to internalise
but as she said: “From the time you
something of the site. It eventually
are animated by your work and
became a whole world between reality
willing to share it, aren’t you already
and fiction that she created. A fantasy
committed?” Her first work as a
space inspired by her grandfather’s
professional artist was very special.
house, her mother’s childhood home
43
- reality, because she used objects
so we can see that her art fits in one
belonging to her family heritage which
sentence : mistaking dreams with reality.
she modified. Her work was also inspired
The objects shown at the exhibition
by the fairytale of Cinderella which
were performative objects, which were
stands for the fictional part. The exhibition,
used by herself or someone else before
entitled “Maladaptive Daydream� is a
the exhibition, such as half satin half
direct reference to the pathology called
glass dancing slippers. At first she was
maladaptive daydreaming. People who
intending to make a video of all the
have this mental illness daydream all the
performances but she did not have the
time, they are trapped in their fantasies
time. It is ironic, because the project was
and can not accept the real world.
about fantasy, so we can say she really
Alexandra also works a lot on oneirism,
created fantasised objects.
44
45
During
your
internship
in
Newcastle, what differences did you notice between the French and the British cultural sector? It’s day and night. In France everything is too administrative. In England they are literally punk, that is to say if you want to organize an exhibition in a cinema it is not a problem. It is an independent cinema which is governed by an umbrella group, by organisations, so we can do whatever we want. When I was in England, we attended exhibitions in business districts. A lot of entrepreneurs lend You already have exhibited many times, how are they set up?
their
premises
to
artists
for evening events. It’s much more “underground”, culturally
I don’t have a high number of achievements, quality
speaking in England, things are
matters more than quantity. In fact, in the artistic
easier to set up. You don’t need
community everything works thanks to contacts.
36.000 authorisations and I found
Meaning, you can exhibit wherever you want even if
it great to tell yourself “yeah it’s
your work is crap as long as you have the right contacts.
true these premises are not used
Conversely, you can do an amazing work that won’t
at nighttime, even for a week or
be noticed because you don’t know the right people.
during the holidays sometimes”.
Speaking for myself, I have been requested by
In England or in the US they are
professionals or acquaintances but, most of the time,
looking for stuff like that, they are
I respond to calls for applications. I receive a sort of
more receptive to projects which
newsletter called FRAP in which everything is listed.
are a bit crazy.
46
Most of your work has been done in Tours. Do you think there are enough opportunities there to make a living as an artist? No. There is not enough budget, not enough things set up for it to be possible. The local scene is way too small and partitioned. I don’t think that it is possible as an artist to extend your work here, at least not as much as I would like to. But regardless of where one lives, an artist has to be mobile and promote themselves. What is for sure is that I won’t develop my work in Tours but it doesn’t mean that I am going to stop living here.
47
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on an exhibition for the Centre RĂŠgional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires (CROUS : a regional organisation providing student bursaries, university halls of residence, foreign students reception, cultural
activities,
and
restaurants
on
campus) of the 6th district in Paris. For now I won’t say more because it is still at a state of reflection.
48
49
Ashokkumar 50
‘
‘
Art is the manifestation of pure thought - it has no need or function.
Photo by Agostino Osio, Courtesy of Fondazione HangarBicocca
41 51
In order to hit his target he did a predegree course of general art and design at Leicester College and then a fine art B.A. at De Montfort University. Even though he didn’t work in design, what he learnt was useful for when he worked on commissioned artworks as this required him to think about work flow and time lines.
T
he intriguing visual artist
As a person with dyslexia he has a
Ashokkumar
born
different conception of the world. His
and bred in Leicester. His
work is about understanding other
parents,
from
people’s way of life. Working both
India, came over to England
with physical and digital media, he
via east Africa in the late
explores
1960s. He always wanted to
such as the mediation and formation
become an artist. When he
of data into codes of association,
was around 8 years old, his
the uncertainty of belonging and
teacher entered him into an
the evolution of an individual as
international art competition
they travel through a multiplicity of
without even telling him. It
emerging cultural realities. But he
turned out that he was the
doesn’t “study” people, he prefers
winner and received a big
discovering them by working with
prize of art materials. From
them. Using play, metaphor, repetition,
that moment he chose to
ritual and reflection, his work is meant
become an artist.
to be a mirror to contemporary human
was
originally
insecurities.
52
contemporary
concerns
53
Since 2001 his work has been shown
belonging to British society. They came
many times, in different cities such
up with the creative idea to exhibit
as
Manchester,
the photographs in the front windows
Nottingham… He usually takes part in
of shops, businesses and community
exhibitions organised by other people
centres. As Ashokkumar said: “We
or organisations but his project called
wanted to take art to the people
“From Here and There” is one of the
because the whole exhibition is about
exceptions.
them.’ The exhibition aimed to reflect
London,
Derby,
ideas of ‘Britishness’ during the year
54
He collaborated with the artist Pablo
of the London 2012 Olympics and the
Bartholomew to create an exhibition
40th anniversary of the mass exodus of
of street photography to explore
Uganda’s Asian population, many of
diverse
whom settled in Leicester.
communities’
feeling
of
His
latest
work,
for
example, with ‘Spaces in Time’ he
of
deconstructed time and space to
Things’ deals with the way we relate to
explore how we exist in space and how
technology. This performance, which
we impact an environment. During this
he invented, gave him the opportunity
year he has been working on many
to move into dance. Going beyond
different projects concerning change.
set genres, he created a data driven
One of them is about himself as a person
dance work that has spoken word,
and as an artist. He will also be exhibiting
music, movement and technology. His
in Taiwan next year. If you want to learn
childhood interest for deconstruction is
more about Ashokkumar, please take
now re-used in taking apart ideologies,
a look at his website where you will find
philosophies
other types of artworks such as poems.
Misunderstanding
and
‘Methods the
Nature
processes.
For
55
The joint exhibition in Taiwan was your
from National Cheng Kung University.
only exhibition experience abroad.
We had to work within the context of
How was it?
a very different culture and language. I managed to learn a great deal and
56
This was a very important exhibition
created some of my best work. Time
and very enjoyable. It all came about
was limited so we had to work with the
after I visited Taiwan with Kevin Ryan
resources available. We managed to
and met with Professor Ming Turner.
make a series of installations and moving
This was followed by Charnwood Arts’
image works and also delivered a
annual engagement with students
workshop programme with the students.
Did you ever think about doing a project in India?
Have you got any crazy dream?
I have been to India on many occasions but I find it a difficult place to be noticed. Because I was
Lots! I would like to create
born in the UK but look Indian I find that galleries
live
in India find me a bit of an anomaly. I come
audience
from Europe but am not exotically European
of the work. I love working
enough to be marketed to an Indian audience.
with children and would
I’m of Indian origin but not Indian enough to be
like to explore how children
understood.
impact culture.
works
that members
make part
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Why does the sword motif appear so often in your works?
This is a strand of work looking at how we make ourselves out to be different to others. Straight and curved swords are similar but not the same. In the same way people are similar but not the same. The small difference that exists is enough to create prejudices. Because the sword has a trajectory it can be used to denote a binary difference. The straight sword and curved sword explore people’s perceptions of difference.
To learn more about his work please visit www.ashokdmistry.com 59
6040 50
‘
‘
Photography gives us a new Marco Dal Maso perspective on the world. We stop to look at small details that would usually seem insignificant to us.
Laura Andrea Ghirardello Boyer 51 61 61
What first got you interested in the art world?
I started painting really young, when I was about 4-5 years old. At first it was only a children’s activity but then I started being more involved in the art world and practicing more regularly.
Why did you choose to do an Art History bachelor’s degree when you could have done vocational training?
L
aura Ghirardello is a young, humble,
photographer
from
Gièvres (an hour from Tours). We studied Art History
together
for
three years. I had the opportunity to work on several exhibitions with her so I really wanted to tell you a bit about the great job that she does.
62
At the end of high school I didn’t know precisely what I wanted to do yet. However, I knew I wanted to do something linked to photography and art more generally. So I turned to an Art History bachelor’s degree in order to learn some theoretical
basics
on
the
different evolutions of visual arts. This knowledge stimulates my creativity.
63
What made you change artistic medium?
What types of cameras do you use?
I got my first camera when I was three because my mom was tired of me using
I have a digital camera (Canon
all her camera rolls. I got into photography
750D), a Fujica film camera,
much later, when I went to high school. I tried
and an old metallic biscuit box
it when I discovered the principle of the 365
that I use as a pinhole. I also use
Project. You have to take a picture per day
my iPhone from time to time.
during a year. I carried out this project for two years, as a result my practice evolved. At the end of this project, I continued photography while starting to care about Street-Art.
64
Do you have a preference between
When we take a look at your work, we can
these three techniques?
see a lot of varied outdoor photographs in different cities from portraits and landscapes
I mostly take picture with my film
to close shots of objects. How would you
camera because I find it more
define your style?
authentic. But I think I might have a preference for the pinhole, the
I think my style can be defined as immediate.
purest photography technique that
I really want to capture the present moment,
I find poetic. However, the pinhole
the decisive moment (a reference to
requires a lot of time, organisation
Henri Cartier-Bresson), that’s why I mainly
and technical means, so I do not
photograph in the street. I never do set ups,
use it often.
my photographs are varied because I come across many different situations.
65
With
your
photographic
series
Do you love travelling? I’m asking you this
“Beach Break”, would it be correct
because of the series “On the Way” and the
to say that you intended to
fact that you have an Aeronautics Initiation
highlight what is usually driven into
Certificate.
the background? I do indeed. I can’t stay in one place, I always Absolutely! I am keen on ‘sliding’
want to discover new places, new cultures, and
sports and especially surf. I noticed
new people. My series “On the Way” is based on
that when we watch broadcast
that love of travelling. Looking at the negatives
videos of the competitions, apart
of my former argentic prints, I realized that most
from
itself,
of my photos were taken during my journeys.
no other image is shown. Last
That’s when I decided to make photographs
summer, during my holidays I went
out of the negatives by directly transferring
to the Lacanau Pro, a big surfing
them on sensitized paper, in the same way as
competition which takes place
the camera obscura technique. The prints keep
every year in France. As time went
the authenticity of the negatives and thus the
by I started taking pictures of the
journey that they relay.
the
performance
surfers when they arrived on the beach. That way I could capture the concentration time, the way that they observe the ocean before going in and coming out. With this series I tried, without really knowing it at first, to show what happens behind the scenes. “Beach Break” depicts the life of competition, the real life of the athletes who participate in it. I invite you to see beyond the main action on which everybody usually focuses on.
66
67
68
How many exhibitions did you set up?
Have you ever participated in a
What was the last one?
group exhibition?
So far, I did six solo exhibitions in various
I participated in quite a few group
contexts. I have exhibited in youth
exhibitions. I started with several
information offices and in an adolescent
exhibitions
centre, each time by creating a project
artists, then I got involved in a salon
with the cultural team of the organisation.
gathering of about twenty artists
In 2012, I had the opportunity to exhibit in
and was chosen for an exhibition
an urban art festival, the idea was to mix
with three other photographers. My
different types of art (Slam, Painting, Rap
series “On the Way” has been shown
music…). My last event was in a pub in
for the first time at the exhibition
Tours. The owners wanted to decorate
“Movement” you set up, with the
the space while promoting young artists.
Art History student organisation of
We got in touch thanks to a mere email.
the university.
for
young
talented
Are you currently working on
What are your plans for the
a project?
future?
two
In September I will start the
exhibitions at the moment.
third year of cinema bachelor’s
One in August, where my
degree while preparing the entry
series “Beach Break” will be
exam of photography school. In
presented to the public for
a more distant future, I would like
the first time and the other in
to be able to make a living out of
September.
artistic photography.
I
am
working
on
To learn more about her work please visit www.lauraghirardelloart.wixsite.com 69
Kole Redmile 70
‘
‘
I see photography as a lifestyle and a way of living, so I stand out from the crowd.
Photo by Agostino Osio, Courtesy of Fondazione HangarBicocca
41 71
Why did you start parkour?
I guess, I saw everyone going out doing skateboard and stuff like that, I couldn't really skateboard at the time... and I wanted to see something different, I saw all these people jumping on stuff and I just thought it looked really cool.
Who taught you ?
K
ole Redmile is a
For the first year of doing it I taught
promising
non-
myself most of it and then I started
young
training with a parkour group called the
He
Flowflies based in Loughborough. They
was born in 2001 in
taught me a couple of things and they
Barrow-Upon-Soar,
would allow me to photograph and
near Loughborough,
that's how I got into photography.
professional photographer.
and still lives there. What is so remarkable about him is that he
Would you say it's rather physical or
managed
mental ?
to
bring
together two of his parkour
It's a type of discipline; it's pushing
and photography -
yourself to the limits. I could go and
into
do a jump and I could know for well
passions
result.
an
-
impressive
that I can do it, I know for well that I've jumped that distance but there is a mental block. And parkour is about going past that mental block.
72
73
What’s the difference between parkour and freeruning?
Parkour is going from A to B as quickly and fluently as possible, freeruning is doing it in style. When you see all the flips and stuff that’s freeruning, when you see all the moves and stuff when they are going over stuff very quickly that’s parkour. I do a bit of freeruning but I prefer doing parkour. I’m best at what is called fly, which is fluently moving around, so it’s kind of like dancing over objects.
Did you ever hurt yourself by doing parkour?
I had a lot of injuries. My last one was when I first started off, I was swinging off an 8 foot high bar and I landed on a post on my back. I almost punctured my pelvis and almost broke my back and if it had been 3 cm to left I would have been paralyzed to the waist down and also would’ve been dead in three days without an operation. I had deep cuts into my chin and lots of stuff like scrapes all down my face…
How do you find the courage to
So, why did you start photography?
continue after something like that? For my 13th birthday I got an iPhone 4S and I You have to sort of build up to it. When
started taking photos at the Flowflies on that,
I did my back it took me a year to get
and I posted them on Facebook and I was highly
back to where I was. I was hesitant on
praised for it. So I carried on and eventually I
everything that I did and I would often
showed James (at Charnwood Arts) the first
bail instead of failing so… It takes a lot
photos I ever took and he thought they were
of mental control to keep doing it.
amazing. And I decided to come in Charnwood Arts and do photography. On my 15th birthday I
74
got my first camera.
Did you continue taking pictures after you where healed because some people said your were good at it or because you enjoyed it?
I did enjoy it. When I got injured I would still go down to the park. I got told not to train for a month or so to let myself heal. I used to go down to the park and because I could do nothing I’d sit and take videos. And occasionally I would go through the video frame by frame and take screen shots because back then the iPhone camera was all blurred. If they were jumping, because they were going so fast, the best way to do it would be to take a video. 75
76
You take pictures of your friend’s training
The
organisation
Charnwood
Arts
but also of nature and landscapes.
gave you the opportunity to follow
Is parkour a way of travelling, of
a photography course. How did you
rediscovering your environment?
discover the organisation?
Definitely yea. If you are walking through
At the age of 12 I got kicked out of
an alleyway, you don't know what's
school, I couldn’t cope. And they tried
above, what's on the buildings and I
to get me back in but I still couldn’t
found lots of stuff because of parkour. I
cope because I had severe anxiety
found abandoned rooms, abandoned
when I was younger. Now I still have
houses, drugs and everything. But yes,
severe anxiety but it’s not much. I
it is a way of getting around and this
started going to placements and I
is what it was designed for. I think a
asked my key worker if there was any
couple of famous traceurs have played
photography courses and she found
pokemon go, going on top of roofs just
Charnwood Arts.
to catch some pokemons.
Do you ask them to do some particular stunts or do you just take pictures when you feel it’s the right time?
At first they would just do their thing and I’d just record or take photos and as I progressed they started to notice my photography. Every time they would ask me if I want them to pose because they could see me on the corner of their eye about to take a photo so they would just turn around and go: “Do you want me to pose again?’ Or they would shout me over if they thought there was an opportunity for an image. 77
How does the course take place?
Some of your photographs are more artistic than others. Did you take them
Usually I will be sitting on my own, doing
after starting the course?
my own thing because I’ve surpassed their capabilities. If one of the other
When I first started James wanted me
kids needs help with something they
to learn how to use Photoshop. After
would shout me over to have a look.
trying a few things it progressed to
When I first started here I didn’t know a
the angels. I’ve done one of myself,
thing about Photoshop, didn’t know a
another of a mate and then I took
thing about cameras, only that I had
screen shots of a very famous video
to use them. Since I’ve started coming
and added angels wings. I think it’s
here I’ve learned how to Photoshop,
powerful the way that I do it. You don’t
so I’ve done graphic design, 3D
see us when we’re up there. There
development and I’ve used a bit of
will be the one person who will see us
Lightroom.
and she will keep on walking as if it’s nothing. When we are up there we
78
are practically invisible because if you’re
What would you like to do in the future?
walking down the street how many times do you look up? So we’re practically like
I am going to Leicester College next
guardian angels, we’re there but nobody
year. I am going to study photography;
knows.
I am planning on doing it for 3 years. I would prefer to be a photographer
Why do you prefer colour rather than
mainly because of the freedom that I
black and white ?
get whereas a normal job you sit in an office and you are told what to do. With
I prefer colour but I’m getting into black
photography you can do your own thing,
and white. I mainly prefer colour because
maybe you get a request or something
I’m used to it and with black and white
to photograph in a certain area but
I’m not to sure what to look out for. I know
you’re still picking the angles, what’s in
usually you want to look out for stuff that
the photo.
will stand out, mainly a black background with something white.
To learn more about his work please visit www.koleredmile7.wixsite.com/home
79
Acknowledgements Contributing: Artists: Elefent The Brandy Thieves Alexandra Riss Ashokkumar Laura Ghirardello Kole Redmile Writer:
Melissa Pebre
Photographers:
Maxime Hillariaud ARYA Fabien Garou Remi Chanteloup Remi Angeli
Associations:
Beton Production Barefoot
Producing Editor: Melissa Pebre Series Editor:
Kevin Ryan
Design Assistance:
Natalie Chabaud
Project Assistance: Terry Allen
First published in August 2017 Copyright: Charnwood Arts and Individual Authors All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Charnwood Arts.
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Charnwood Artslink International Charnwood Artslink International was born in the early 1990s through
links with the Indian state of Gujarat and European twinning links between Charnwood in the UK and towns in Belgium, France, Germany and Poland. Since then we have worked with or promoted the works of artists from over 100 countries. We began this work even earlier, as since 1977, Charnwood Arts, an arts and educational charity based in the UK East Mildands, has worked with artists and organisations around the world to create scores of exhibitions, events, workshops, festivals, publications and projects. This current magazine project, initiated in the summer of 2013 is designed to involve people between 16 and 35 years of age in producing magazines about arts and culture in, or from, their home countries. Most people involved in this project have no direct experience of producing a publication before undertaking the project and with support they are thrown into the deep end of undertaking ALL aspects of originating and producing the magazine for on-line distribution. All of the young people and young adults involved in this project to date have been involved in face to face work with Charnwood Arts. www.charnwoodarts.com
Charnwood
RTSLIN International
K
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Barefoot 2016 Barefoot 2016 Charnwood Arts acknowledges core support from Arts Council England and Charnwood Borough Council.