The Visual Artists’ News Sheet ISSUE 1 2009 January – February Published by Visual Artists Ireland Ealaíontóirí Radharcacha Éire
A still moment for the group – image taken at the Body/Landscape workshop held on Inis Oirr September 2008.
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
2
Introduction
January – February 2009
Contents
Introduction
Contents
Happy New Year and Welcome to the January / February 2009 edition of the Visual Artists News Sheet. In this issue several articles revisit the ongoing issue of artist’s mobility. Alex Davis reports on the ‘Artists’ Mobility – Aspiration or Reality? The European Council of Artists Conference', held at IMMA (8 Nov 2008). John Byrne discusses ‘You’re Not Welcome’ the discussion on the implications of the UK’s new points based visa system, presented by VAI and Belfast Exposed last September as part of the talks programmes of the Liverpool Biennale. Two other important seminar / conference events are also covered – Anna Colford writes on ‘Museum 21; Institution Ideas Practice’ – a conference on museums and galleries held at IMMA in November 2008; and Cora Cummins discusses the Arlis / NY Contemporary Artists Conference held in New York in October. Workshops, training residencies and professional development are another key theme in this issue. Our cover image shows some of the participants in the Body Landscape workshop held on Inis Oirr in September – Séamus Dunbar provides a detailed profile of the event. Lisa Fingleton discusses her experience of the esteemed EsoDoc – the European Social Documentary film programme. With discussion and dialogue being central to much contemporary art practice, Áine Ivers report on a week of training in methods of public dialogue and negotiation, organised by interface in Belfast in September, is both interesting and instructive. Sara Baume’s article ‘That’s Showbiz, Baby’ discusses the benefits to both participants and institutions of internships. The Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown region is the focus of this editions regional focus. For our regular ‘How is it Made’ section Kate Minnock outlines the making and thinking processes behind her ‘Karkinoma’ project which comprised the creation of an artists book and animation work. This issue sees the sixth and final extract from Pablo Helguera’s art world manual – focussing on the subject of the art collector. As the saying goes – watch this space for a similarly informative and amusing new column. Suggestions are welcome! Other features include a profile of Culturstruction, a weekend of architecture related art projects held in Dublin during October; a report on Manifesta 7; along with Justin McKeown’s exploration of SPART – hybrid art / sport based cultural practices. All this and all the latest opportunities, news and roundups of recent projects, events and exhibitions! Finally VAI members are reminded that the Living Artists Archive is now up and running, and that they are encouraged to submit work for this resource. The VAI Living Artists Archive is intended as a central point of research for curators, artists and researchers looking at current practice across visual art disciplines in Ireland. Information on how to get your incuded in the archive can be found at www. visualartists.ie/ap_artistsarchive.html
3. Column. Séamus Kealy. A Few Notes on the Recession. 3. Roundup. Recent exhibitions and projects of note. 4. Column. Micheal Burke. EU Information on Artists Mobility.. 6. Column. Vanessa O'Reilly. Miami. 7. News. The latest developments in the arts sector. 9. Project Profile. Activating Space. Sarah Lincoln profiles Culturstruction, a weekend of architecture related art projects (17 – 19 Oct '08) 10. International. An Epic Art Journey. Rayne Booth reports on Manifesta 7 (19 July – 20 Nov 08), held in Trentino, South Tyrol, Italy. 11. Focus – Internships. That's Showbiz, Baby. Sara Baume considers the pitfalls and possibilities of internship programmes currently being offered by variousvisual art institutions 13. Project Profile. Always the Right Time. Áine Ivers reports on an innovative week of training in methods of public dialogue and negotiation, organised by interface in Belfast (10 – 16 Sept ’08). 14. Workshop / Residency. What do you Want to Say? Lisa Fingleton discusses her experience of the EsoDoc (the European Social Documentary film programme) 15. Regional Profile. Visual Arts Resources & Activity in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. Corolyn Brown, Gary Coyle, Cora Cummins, Cliodna Shaffrey. 17. Focus – Spart. Play is Older than Culture. Justin McKeown discusses the concept of SPART and other Sport / Art hybrid practices. 19. How is it Made? Disquieting Beauty. Kate Minnock discusses the ideas and processes behind her recent exhibition ‘Karkinoma’ at thisisnotashop (2 – 12 October 2008). 23. Project Profile. Emptying the Body. Séamus Dunbar profiles the Body/Landscape workshop held on Inis Oirr, 14 – 20 Sept 2008. 25. Conference Report. A Different Frame. Anna Colford reports on ‘Museum 21; Institution Ideas Practice’ – a conference on museums and galleries held at IMMA (12 – 13 November 2008). 26. Advocacy and Lobbying. Attitudes to Movement. Alex Davis on Artists’ Mobility – Aspiration or Reality? The European Council of Artists Conference', held at IMMA (8 Nov 2008). 27. Conference Report. Booked Out. Cora Cummins reports on The Arlis / NY Contemporary Artists Book Conference (Various locations, New York 23 – 26 Oct 2008). 28. VAI West of Ireland Representative. The Rest of Ireland Rep? Aideen Barry considers extending her
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remit and pays tribute to Lochlann Hoare. 28. Artists Books. Listings of recently published monographs and artists books. 29. Art in the Public Realm. Paradigms creaked. Piia Rossi outlines ‘no man’s land’ a print-based project that explored notions of location and space. 29. Art in the Public Realm Roundup. Recent commissions, socially engaged projects and other instances of art outside the gallery. 31. Opportunities. All the lastest grants, awards, commissions ect. 36. Advocacy and Lobbying. You're Not Welcome. John Byrne discusses the re-definition of the artist, in light of the discussion on the implications of the UK' s new points based visa system – which was presented by VAI and Belfast Exposed last September as part of the talks programmes of the Liverpool Biennale. 39. Problems. The consierge of agony profers some solutions to various art related woes. 39. Pablo Helguera's art world manual. The Collector – the sixth and final extract from Pablo Helguera's essential guide to understanding and operating within the artworld. Production Editor / Layout: Jason Oakley; News: Niamh Looney; Roundup: Niall de Buitléar; Opportunities: Sabina McMahon; Proofing: Anne Henrichson; Invoicing: Bernadette Beecher. Advertising Layouts: Niall de Buitléar Contributors Séamus Kealy, Micheal Burke, Vanessa O'Reilly, Sarah Lincoln, Rayne Booth, Sara Baume, Daniel Jewesbury, Áine Ivers, Lisa Fingleton, Cliodna Shaffrey, Justin McKeown, Kate Minnock, Séamus Dunbar, Gary Colye, Cliodna Shaffrey, Carolyn Brown, Anna Colford, Alex Davis, Cora Cummins,Aideen Barry Piia Rossi, John Byrne, Pablo Helguera. Contact
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The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
3
January – February 2009
COLUMN
Roundup
Séamus Kealy
Roundup
A Few Notes on the Recession In mid-1990s Vancouver, I graduated from art school to emerge to what was thought to be the tail end of a national recession. I was working as a painter who
FIRE FROM STONE
utilised photography as a key aspect of production. In short, I was a painter producing work in the pre-eminent city of post-conceptual photography. Along with a good number of recent graduates and less-conceptual-photographyoriented artist-practitioners, I found myself feeling caught outside of the dominant forms of art discourse, and thus, spending too much time alone in the
The Douglas Hyde is currently showing an exhibition of photography by Czech artist
discontinued or out-of-date film by
Miroslav Tichy (21 Nov 08 – 22 Jan 09)
Richard Gilligan, ‘Things That Go Bump’
selected by the artist Annelies Strba. As the
(30 Oct – 4 Nov) an exhibition of work by
press release explains Tichy’s eccentric
Martina Cleary, and ‘Diversions’ (6 – 28
oeuvre of was assembled on cameras
Nov) which featured work by Rhoda
repaired with lavatory paper rolls and
Cunningham, Tristan Fennell, Susan
plastic lenses taken from children’s toys
Patrick Gleeson, Bríd Ní Luásaígh, Louise
climate, there was also a shortage of galleries that would take on young artists
Cribbin and Niall O’Riordan.
– despite the growing number of visual arts graduates every year since the 1980s.
www.monstertruck.ie
and glasses – with which he “followed women and young girls, photographing them incessantly”. Only in recent years have these works, which are often altered with pencil and paint been exhibited. As a
Eileen Mac Donagh 'Fire From Stone' installation view.
and the question of where and how they were to be ‘accommodated’ was on
MIROSLAV TICHY
exhibition of photographs shot on
Gogan, Emer Fitzpatrick, Sarah Philp,
studio stubbing out cigarettes on my paintings. With the tough economic
The local art schools were producing literally hundreds of graduates every year
Other recent shows at the venue include ‘Bye Bye Polaroid’ (16 – 28 Oct), an
MADE TO MAKE DO
complement to Tichy’s photographs, a
everyone’s mind. There had also been an ongoing series of annual cuts to
new series of works by Strba – inspired by
Canadian arts funding. The generations of artists then dominating the art scene
the writings of the Brontë sisters, is being
had benefited from generous, at arm’s length funding schemes throughout the
presented in gallery 2.
1970s and 1980s. Like many of my colleagues, I never received a grant from the Canada Council (equivalent to the Irish Arts Council) until I was four arduous
ECLIPSE OF A TITLE
years out of art school. So, about six months after graduating, within weeks of returning from an artist residency in Quebec, I founded and organised a non-profit society, earnestly named the Progressive Arts Society, and made my way through the city enlisting artists and arts enthusiasts to join the ranks. The first event – which cost about a 100 dollars (70 euro) to produce, including artist fees – had 50 people turn up. The next events were a mix of mild successes or dismal failures, but eventually word began to go around about artist-organised events, and I began to learn whom it was I should be sending press releases to. The marketing department consisted of me setting an afternoon or two aside within a local unemployment office to use fax and email to distribute publicity materials. Within a year, I was organising exhibitions with a number of other artists in a heritage house, which we converted into a professional gallery to every
Eileen Mac Donagh 'Fire From Stone' installation view.
The Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris recently hosted ‘Fire from Stone’ (19 Sept – 19 Dec) sculptor Eileen Mac Donagh’s
‘Made to Make Do’, an exhibition of
first exhibition in France. The exhibition,
sculpture and photography by Liam
featuring large-scale works in stone, such
O’Callaghan was recently held at The
as Lunar Chessboard, Orbit, and Seven Stars
Rubicon Gallery, Dublin (17 Oct – 15 Nov).
was installed in the courtyard of the Irish
Describing his work the artist explained
College, Mac Donagh.
“my work comes from the need to make
www.centreculturelirlandais.com
degree possible. It was my girlfriend’s house – rented with her roommates – and we had crowds of five, six, seven hundred people turn up in one evening for our
Liam O'Calligan – work from 'Made to Make Do'.
pieces that are more of a free flow of creativity, focusing on the physical
BILL DRUMMOND
pleasure of making, something that is
events. Elder artists turned up. Then curators began to come to these events.
rough in aesthetic, where you can see the
Then the press began to take a keen interest, and for one exhibition, which, in
thinking of its maker, something that is
part, contained the theme of young artists, hunger and ambition – ‘This kind of
freer from the limitations I put on myself,
hunger’ – the gallery became nationally known.
that is simple in thought, but unashamed,
That project cost about 500 dollars (340 euro) to produce. To ensure
confident and honest.”
professional standards, we would, for example, get racks of lights from a large
www.rubicongallery.ie
hardware store and then return them all intact a few weeks later for full refund.
Diana Copperwhite, Six Degrees of Separation, oil on canvas, 150 x 150 cm, 2008
West Cork Arts Centre recently showed ‘Eclipse of a Title’ by Diana Copperwhite (25 Oct – 19 Nov). The exhibition comprised of large paintings and an installation / projection work – which featured animation, drawings and mirrors. It was noted in the press release that the works addressed the subject of memory –
To turn small profits, I sought out local breweries to donate kegs of beer for our
“how we see, how we remember and how
ANXIOUS LANDSCAPE
openings. Then, inevitably, the relationship with my girlfriend ended, and so did
we know”. Commenting on the show,
the gallery, for a short time – so exhibitions moved to another location until I
Bill Drummond – work from 'The 17: Birth, Marriage & Death, at The Void, Derry.
was able to negotiate with her the organising of a grand finale project. This
The Void, Derry recently presented the
moment that seems to occur to me in an
project turned out to be a springboard into a whole range of results for the lot of
most recent manifestation of Bill
unconnected instance from another
us; artworks sold by several artists to significant collections, an artist residency
Drummonds choral project ‘The 17’(21
dimension where reality, memory and
abroad, my then first Director job of a non-profit gallery, a burgeoning tradition
Oct – 15 Nov). Over the course of a week
fantasy collide”.
of independent, non-government funded art spaces, and the mythologizing of
artist Drummond worked closely with
my former girlfriend’s house, which she eventually bought. These exhibitions
three families in preparation for the
also introduced a generation of artists to the nation – many of whom are
launch of ‘The 17: Birth, Marriage & Death’
continuing to produce artwork professionally, and a couple of whom who are
composed and performed by this group of
leading very successful professional careers.
people.
Whatever the outcome for any and all of us, we had the satisfaction of
computer – and to sometimes bail each other out of financial troubles, which,
www.westcorkartscentre.com
AT THE HEART OF CHANCE
www.derryvoid.com www.the17.o
producing a series of projects, collaboratively, from virtually zero resources. We had to share what we had amongst ourselves – I had never even owned a
Copperwhite stated “I try and catch a
AT MONSTER TRUCK
believe me, is very unusual in Canadian society. There were, of course, ongoing
Paul Seawright Cage. Shown as part of 'Anxious Landscape' at the Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast.
disputes and differences about how to move forward, but nowhere near the kind of administrative blundering I found myself faced with years later in the
‘Anxious Landscape – selected works from
university gallery context. Those early years, not so far back now actually, were the formative period
the 1980s & 1990s, at the Golden Thread
for the artistic, curatorial and ethical style I have committed myself to since
Gallery, Belfast is an exhibition of work by
then. Where I had imagined the early projects emulating 1930s Paris café society
Paul Seawright with a particular focus on
– where Breton, Callois and Bataille would insult each other over wine while
the political situation in the North of
Eleanor Fini scoffed at them across the table – we assembled ourselves, our work,
Ireland (28 Nov – 10 Jan).
and our ideas together, with our differences animating us, to put on a show. This,
(28 Nov 08 – 17 Jan 09) is an exhibition at
for me, is an essence of curatorial and artistic production, and it has thrived in
Seawright’s works offer an “alternative
times when cash and credit run short. It isn’t unreasonable to suggest that young
Draíocht, Blanchardstown of paintings
visual analysis of locations and subjects
made while the artist was on a residency at
dominated
media”.
the venue. The press release notes that the
Seawright’s works have looked at the RUC,
paintings, which employ the figure as a
sectarianism, the Orange Order, protestant
central motif “celebrate love, connection,
bonfires, defensive architecture, peace
touch, intimacy and the awkward and
lines, and the psychology of urban space.
vulnerable presence of the human form”.
come, or even those now upon them. It is perhaps a matter of continuing the productive and discursive circles established in a good art school programme – ensuring they are reinvented and that they thrive and advance into the great unknown of this apparent, post-fluid-capitalist society. Séamus Kealy Director / Curator Model Arts and Niland Gallery, Sligo.
Richard Gilligan – flyer for 'Bye Bye Polaroid'
Monster Truck Gallery, Dublin recently exhibited ‘Digitalis’ by Rachael Gilbourne (10 – 14 Oct). The show featured new works utilising ink-on-paper, acrylics and carbon line, and incorporating sculptural relief collage.
by
the
‘At the Heart of Chance’ by Orla Whlelan release,
artists today might find some parallels in this experience with the realities to
According
Orla Whelan – work from 'At the Heart of Chance' Draiocht, Blanchardstown.
press
mainstream
www.gtgallery.org.uk
www.draiocht.ie
4
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
Column
Roundup
Michael Burke
ONE FOOT SQUARE
LESLEY WINGFIELD
Fermanagh District Council’s Arts Office
Mise Art Space, Barna, Co Galway recently
recently held ‘One Foot Square’ an
hosted a solo exhibition of paintings by
exhibition of invited artists work at the
Lesley Wingfield (14 Nov – 12 Dec). The
domestic setting”. Speaking about her work the artist said “through my work I try to deconstruct the reality, reinterpret the objects and humanise them, returning to
Higher Bridges Gallery, Fermanagh (28
paintings, which are based on underwater
them their communicative capacity.”
Nov – 22 Dec). The artists included in the
photographs, were described as “inspired
show were Rita Duffy, Christine Mackey,
by the light through the water reflecting
and Niall Walsh.
on skin tones, and movement”. The
EU Information on Artists Mobility The European Council of Artists (ECA) (1) was recently contacted by ECOTEC, a firm of researchers and consultants undertaking a study for the Director General of the EU’s Department of Education, Audiovisual and Culture. The purpose of the study is to suggest improvements in the quality and the flow of information on issues relating to artists mobility between the stakeholders in the cultural sector. In connection to this study, I represented ECA at Stakeholder Workshop (2) in Brussels on 9 December. A wide variety of cultural organisations were present. Some, like ECA had travelled specifically for the event, others have permanent representation in Brussels. Freemuse (3) – with whom ECA has recently collaborated on a white paper Visas / The Discordant Note – was represented by Ole Reitov, who had been one of the speakers at the ECA’s Dublin conference. ECA, is currently pursuing a Mobility Project, focused on four main areas: the European Arrest Warrant; musical instruments on aeroplanes; visa issues and the development of an EU Cultural Passport (aka blue card); and carnet regulations as they apply to the temporary importation of works of art or equipment. These issues, while not the direct focus of the workshop, were raised on the grounds that resolving them promptly would remove the need to inform anyone about the current, very complex, difficulties. Given the current financial situation internationally, it was not considered prudent to seek the establishment of a new agency. Instead, it was considered appropriate that the EU’s cultural contact points could be utilised for information dissemination. Whilst they could not be expected to offer faultless information on all aspects of artists’ mobility: taxation; visas; work permits; residency conditions; health & safety; funding; opportunities etc – it was considered appropriate that they act as facilitators between the cultural sector and regulatory or official bodies at state or EU level. ECOTEC intend to discuss this option with representatives of the EU Cultural Contact Points at a subsequent stakeholder workshop. As is often the case, while the formal sessions were valuable, the real benefits were derived from personal contacts. Following the workshop, I met with Maria Badia i Cutchet, MEP (Spain), who is a member of the Cultural Committee at the European Parliament. Mrs Badia, who had been due to attend and speak at ECA’s conference in Dublin was up-dated on the event. Ole Reitov, who accompanied me, presented Mrs Badia with a copy of the recently launched white paper, Visas / The Discordant Note and explained to her some of the difficulties faced by non EU artists travelling into Europe and in some cases, for EU artists travelling outside the union. Two issues which resulted from the 9/11 attacks on the US – the European Arrest Warrant and the situation faced by musicians travelling by air with their instruments were also discussed. Mrs Badia sought additional information on the issues and in particular, how the US authorities in co-operation with the American Musicians’ Union had resolved the instruments issue. Mrs Badia will consider how best to approach the issue with her colleagues in the Parliament and the Commission. For her part, Mrs Badia informed ECA of the work she is currently undertaking on behalf of the Parliament in the area of Arts Education and undertook to keep us up-dated on its progress. I also called on the office of Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, MEP (Austria), who is a member of the Cultural Committee at the European Parliament where he spoke with her assistant. Mrs Hennicot attended ECA’s 2007 conference Sibiu, Romania and before that, she and her assistant Mr Azarmgin attended the 2006 conference in Berlin, Germany. Mr Azarmgin was full aware of our concern regarding the European Arrest Warrant as Ludwig Laher (my predecessor as president of ECA) had previously briefed Mrs Hennicot on the matter. Mr Azarmgin engaged in conversation on the issues pertaining to visas and instruments on aeroplanes and outlined some actions that might be taken by Mrs Hennicot upon receipt of further information. Mr Azarmgin proffered invitations to attend further hearings etc, to be held in the following two days, but unfortunately this was not possible given flights and prior commitments. A considerable amount of activity in the area of culture policy was evident in Brussels, both directly sponsored by the EU and organised by a variety of organisations, networks and platforms. Many organisations have chosen to base themselves in Brussels; others have permanent representation there. Regular involvement in such, Brussels based events, is beyond the resources of most Irish organisations. VAI however, is represented through its membership of ECA. That said, for organisations such as ECA based away from Brussels it would be helpful some of these events were clustered – both on the calendar and in terms of location – to allow for greater networking opportunities and the establishment of alliances on common issues. For ECA to fly to Brussels for three or four days and to attend a number of events would make much greater sense. Notes (1) A report on ECA’s Dublin conference is carried elsewhere in this NewsSheet. (2) Stakeholder Workshop 'Information Systems To Support The Mobility Of Artists And Professional In The Culture Field' ECOTEC on behalf of DG Education Audiovisual & Culture (3) FREEMUSE is an independent organisation that campaigns against censorship of music and promotes freedom of expression in music. www.freemuse.org (4)) European Council of Artists - eca@eca.dk
www.fermanagh.gov.uk
www.stonegallery.ie
SYCAMORE SALON
exhibition includes works created by the artist while on residency at the Tyrone
A CENTURY OF SPIN
Guthrie Centre, Co. Monaghan. www.miseonline.ie www.lesleywingfield.com
THE DIVIDED PLANE
Ida Mitrani Eighth House – work from 'Sycamore Salon'
Sharon Murphy – work from 'The Divided Plane'
The Crow Gallery recently hosted ‘The Divided Plane’, a solo exhibition by Sharon Murphy (16 – 23 Oct). Murphy presented paper-based sculptural works, which explored grid forms through layering, c. 1940 / Corbis. Publicist Jim Moran uses a specially designed sun costume to 'scientifically' determine which of US states, Florida and California got better sunshine.
Belfast Exposed Photography recently exhibited ‘A Century of Spin’ by the artist
cutting out and adding shapes. www.crowgallery.nethttp://www.sharonmurphy.net/
REVISITING REVOLUTION
group Factotum (17 Oct – 28 Nov). The show explored the genre of publicity photography –its functions and traditions.
The Sycamore Gallery, Dublin was officially launched with the group exhibition ‘Sycamore Salon’ in December. Featured artists included Ida Mitrani, Vanessa Donoso Lopez, Alison Keehan, and Anne Hendrick. The Sycamore Gallery is located in the Sycamore Club on Sycamore Street, Temple Bar, Dublin. Curator by Karen Regan stated that the gallery “is proud and resolute in it’s support and commitment to both established and up and coming Irish and International artists. It’s a new and progressive space, a unique and exciting platform that will showcase the diversity and growth of contemporary art practice.” ABOUT 100 EXPERIMENTS
The show included photographs and printed ephemera from different periods of the twentieth century. The exhibition was based on research into the growth of the mass media and public relations industries
and
considered
early
promotional uses of photography for advocacy in support of social causes in Northern Ireland. Also included in the show was material produced by Antarctic explorer
and
self-publicist
Ernest
Shackleton along with stunts coordinated by Hollywood agents in the 1930s and 1940s. www.belfastexposed.org
LAMMERMOOR
Anne Angyal – work from 'If you could Change the World at Last 1968 – 2008'
‘If You Could Change the World at Last 1968 – 2008’ at the Goethe-Institute, Dublin (15 Nov – 19 Dec) was held “to celebrate, remember and interrogate the events of 1968 and the changes it effected worldwide.” The show featured works Declan Clarke, Seamus Nolan, Si Schroeder, Heidrun Holzfeind, Anne Angyal. The exhibition was curated by Jonathan Carroll, Mark Garry, and Georgina Jackson. A publication and film screenings
Anita Delaney – work shown at Birr Vintage Week.
accompanied the exhibition. http://www.goethe.de/
MYSTERIES AND WONDERS
Austin McQuinn – work from 'Lammermoor'
The Butler Gallery recently hosted ‘Lammermoor’ an exhibition by Austin McQuinn (11 Oct – 23 Nov). The show comprised a multi-media installation specifically created for the Gallery and Kilkenny Castle, inspired by the Donizetti opera Lucia di Lammermoor (1835). The installation included optic graphic panels, sculpture and a glass harmonica that was incorporated in a live musical performance during the exhibition opening. www.butlergallery.com
Vanessa Donoso Lopez – work from 'Mysteries of Contemporary Inspiration and Other Wonders'
The Stone Gallery recently hosted Vanessa Donoso López’s solo exhibition ‘Mysteries of Contemporary Inspiration and Other Wonders’ (31 Oct – 22 Nov). The show comprised an installation of drawings, paintings, sculptures which transformed of the gallery into “an extraordinary
Mark Cullen – work shown at Birr Vintage Week.
Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival recently commissioned ‘About 100 Experiments’ for the 40th edition of the event (15 – 22 Aug). Exhibitions were presented in various venues throughout Birr including the Masonic Hall, Birr Union Workhouse, Birr Castle Demesne Pavilion and Emma Café Deli. As the press release noted a key theme of the show was the ways in which contemporary visual artists “respond to, and draw upon scientific discoveries, ideas and methods”. The artists exhibiting were Anna Barham, Aideen Barry, Diana Caramaschi, Mark Cullen, Anita Delaney, Clodagh Emoe, Damien Flood, Jessica Foley, Michael Fortune, Fiona Hackett, Helen Hughes, Wendy Judge, Aileen Lambert, Eilís Lavelle, Sarah Lincoln, Brian Lynch, Christine Makey, Orla McHardy, Kate Minnock, Jack Phelan, and Sharon Phelan. www.birrvintageweek.com
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
5
Roundup MARK O’KELLY
shift occurs and the pencil mark slips.
Technically superb flower images are
and
This loss of control that occurs in the
Solberg’s contribution to each piece in
Vibrations’ at Axis, Ballumun (8 Dec 08
process is fundamental to the work.
the show, whilst Makos brings his
– 30 Jan 09) featured work by, visual
Similar to the drawings, glitches occur in
re-thinking of the equine portrait for the
artist John Duffy, photographer Bob
the video works and sculptural objects –
Hippofolium collaboration, and portraits
Dixon and musician Q (aka Colm
this unedited aesthetic bestows the work
of Andy Warhol for the Andydandy
Quearney). As the press release notes the
with its own authority. Allowing the
portfolio. The images of Andy Warhol,
exhibition is “a collaboration reflecting
remnants of production to remain in the
who was a close friend and mentor, are
on the Irish spiritual landscape through
finished work enables the perception of
the result of the 1981 collaboration
the media of music, photography, poetry,
the intricacies, and more importantly,
between Makos and Warhol”.
painting and film installations”.
the flaws that are fundamental to the
VIBES Etc ‘Observations,
Meditations
www.axis-ballymun.ie
Mark O'Kelly – work from his solo show at The Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin
The Kevin Kavanagh Gallery recently
theme of the exhibition. The Approach articulates how our desire for absolute
SAMIZDAT
www.marthousegallery.nl
works on paper and vitrine pieces, the
KATIE HOLTEN
show marked a departure from the artist,
‘Memory’ an exhibition by Irish artist
the press release highlighting the
Katie Holten is currently on show at
exhibitions emphasis on “extensive assimilation
Nevada Museum of Art, Donald W.
and
deconstruction of printed material; including source, written and drawn archives”. The following show in the space ‘Group Therapy’ presented works by gallery artists – Michael Boran, Mark O’Kelly, Oliver Comerford, Mark Swords, Sinead Ni Mhaonaigh, Tadgh McSweeney, Diana Copperwhite, Geraldine O’Neill, Stephen Loughman, Ulrich Vogel, Mick
http://www.talbotgallery.com/
frustrated”.
O’Kelly (23 Oct – 22 Nov). Comprising
of
FERGUS MARTIN
knowledge is often disrupted and
exhibited a solo exhibition by Mark
processes
www.sebastianguinnessgallery.com
THE DECISIONS WE DIDN’T MAKE Susan Montgomery’s first solo exhibition ‘The Decisions We Didn’t Make’, was held at the Talbot Gallery, Dublin (6 – 28 Nov). As noted in the press release in Montgomery’s paintings and works on paper “layers both deliberate and happenstance are formed using resisting oil based materials with water. It is when the technique looses control that instinctive layers are born.” The previous exhibition at the gallery was a solo show by Dave Comiskey (9 – 24 Oct).
Reynolds Centre for the Visual Arts, Reno
Fergus Martin – exhibition view, Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin.
(27 Sept 08 – 17 May 09). Entitled ‘Atlas
Fergus
of Memory’ the exhibition comprised ‘Samizdat’ was a group exhibition
sculptures and paintings at The Hugh
drawings and colourful sculptures of
recently held at Unit H – The Market
Lane Gallery (11 Oct ‘08 – 11 Jan ‘09. The
globes.
press release noted the work was “united
Ciaran Walsh – exhibition view 'Samizdat'
http://www.nevadaart.org/ www.katieholten.com
Studios exhibition & project space (22 – 30 Nov). The term ‘Samizdat’ refers to the practice in Soviet Russia of distributing banned novels and other
Martin’s
recently
showed
by a sense of drama and raucous reflection, the placement of which leaves the viewer in an unsettled state of calm”.
GILES ROUND
STONEY ROAD PRESS The Vangard Gallery, in conjunction with Stoney Road Press, recently hosted a group exhibition by artists John Cronin, William Crozier, Richard Gorman, Patrick Scott, Sean Shanahan, Barbara Rae and Charles Tyrell (15 Oct – 1 Nov). Stoney Road Press is a fine art publishing and editioning house situated in Dublin’s Docklands, producers of hand made and limited edition fine artworks in traditional and experimental media along with publications, three dimensional works and tapestries. www.vangardgallery.com
The artist was also recently commissioned
texts through hand copying in the early
GETTING EVEN
developing artistic research and resulted
‘Getting Even: Oppositions + Dialogues
in three new artworks and the production
in Contemporary Art’ and ‘An Eye for an
& distribution of a printed text in
Eye: Representations of Conflict in 20th
response to these same research ideas”.
Century Ireland’ are currently on show
The exhibition featured work by Ciaran
SILEZIANY Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh recently exhibited ‘Sileziany – On the Wind’s Wings’ (16 Oct – Nov), a show by the international group Fibre Art from Poland. The exhibition took its name from the international fibre art biennale competition involving young people and professional artists that was set up
at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork
Walsh, Aine Ivers, Markey, Chris Fite-
in 1995 by Aleksandra Herisz.
(14 Nov 08 – 1 Mar 09). ‘Getting Even’ is
Wassilak, and Kate Mc Larnon.
O’Dea, Karin Brunnermeier and Gary Coyle (27 Nov – 23 Dec). www.kevinkavanaghgallery.ie
to produce the sculpture Steel which is
20th century. The exhibition was
now permanently sited on IMMA’s East
described as having “evolved through
Gate.
artist Ciaran Walsh’s ongoing and
that exist in society”. The exhibition,
www.siriusartscentre.ie
HUGH DELAP PRESENT
curated by Matt Packer and René Zechlin,
Giles Round – work from his exhibition at Four, Dublin.
includes works by Francis Alÿs, Mark
Four Gallery recently hosted an
Clare, Nathan Coley, Liam Gillick, and
exhibition of new work by British artist
Garrett Phelan. Curated by Professor
Giles Round at the gallery’s new space on
Dermot Keogh and Ruth Osborne ‘An
Capel Street, Dublin (31 Oct – 4 Dec). As
Eye for an Eye’ explores and reflect upon
the press release outlined “Giles Round
moments of conflict from throughout
employs the language of modernism, in
the 20th century in Ireland.” Works in
its multitude of forms and histories, to
the show include pieces by Robert Ballagh, Paul Graham, Paul Henry, Seán Keating, Dermot Seymour, Victor Sloan, and Jack Yeats, alongside archive materials from Gael Linn, the Imperial War Museum, the Linen Hall Library, the National Library of Ireland and UTV. www.glucksman.org.
MARK Oonagh
Young
Gallery
recently
presented ‘Mark’, a group show of drawings and multiples (21 Nov – 23 Dec). The show included work by Damien Flood (who was recently shortlisted for the John Moore’s Contemporary painting prize), Shane Bradford, Caroline
create works which assert themselves
Bea McMahon A 21st Century Arrangement
Amanda
Coogan,
Ida
Mitrani, and Clive Murphy. Ten percent of all proceeds from this exhibition were donated to Console – a registered charity supporting people bereaved through suicide. www.oonaghyoung.com
Margaret O'Brien 'I Live in the Cracks in the Walls' – installation detail. Hugh Delap Untitled, Oil on Canvas, 42 x 45cm, 2008.
into our present. Combining formal
‘I Live in the Cracks in the Walls’, a
The Green On Red Gallery, Dublin
sculptures,
monochromatic
recent solo project by artist Margaret
recently held ‘Present’, a solo exhibition
planes, three-dimensional text, posters
O’Brien was specifically installed and
by Bea McMahon (Nov 21 – Dec 23).
and video animations, installations
created for Pallas Contemporary Projects
According to the press release McMahon
become stage sets into which formal
(18 Oct – 15 Nov). The press release
“explores philosophical and scientific
relationships between constituent parts
texts on how we inhabit the present. Her
noted that the work created from an
alludes to the potentiality of narratives
practice, which involves drawings, video
array of dress-making pins offered
and unspecified histories.”
viewers an “emotive experience of a
and
sculpture,
illustrates
her
preoccupation with the division between fiction and reality.“ The previous exhibition at The Green On Red Gallery was ‘Strange Mountain’ by Fergus Feehily (10 Oct – 15 Nov). www.greenonredgallery.com
McCambridge, Mary Ruth Walsh, Kris Emmerson,
MARGARET O’BRIEN
http://themarketstudios.wordpress.com
described as exploring “the exchange of different social and political viewpoints
www.imma.ie www.hughlane.ie
lights,
www.fourdublin.com
THE HILTON BROTHERS The Sebastian Guinness Gallery recently
exhibition comprising 19 limited edition THE APPROACH
giclée prints. The show brought together
‘The Approach’, an exhibition of work by
two bodies of work: the Andydandy and
Irish artist Clodagh Emoe, was recently
Hippofolium portfolios. According to the
shown at The Mart House Galley, Amsterdam (18 Oct – 29 Nov). The show comprised detailed drawings, video and sculpture. According to the press release “in creating these detailed drawings a
disorientating
psychological
environment”. www.pallasprojects.org www.margaretobrien.co.uk
the Hilton Brothers – Christopher Makos New York artists’ works for this
press release the works “are diptychs, to which each ‘brother’ brings his distinct contribution, creating a beautiful and intriguing dialogue between the two.
is a compromise”. www.shawgallery.ie
space [that] is manipulated to create a
hosted the first Irish show of works by and Paul Solberg (17 Oct – 1 Nov). The
A solo show of paintings by Londonbased Irish artist Hugh Delap was recently held at Shaw Gallery, Cork (15 Oct – 2 Nov). The artists explained how he works “I do not set out knowing what a painting will look like. For me, painting
SHORT STORY The Peppercanister Gallery, Dublin recently hosted ‘Short Story’ (5 – 26 Nov), an exhibition of ceramic and bronze sculpture by artist Deirdre McLoughlin. This body of work came about from the artist’s experience of working on Oahu and Big Island, Hawaii. www.peppercanister.com
A FULL STOP Limerick Printmakers Studio and Gallery hosted ‘A Full Stop’ (2 – 23 Oct), an exhibition by Kieran Herlihy. The exhibition comprised of works in print, drawing, and paintings on found objects. The artist described his work as “a combination of reckless spontaneity and well pondered calculations”. Other recent shows at Limerick Printmakers were the ‘Winter Member’s Show’ (27 Nov –23 Dec) and ‘Breach of Contract (30 Oct – 20 Nov), an exhibition of new work by Des MacMahon and Derek O’Sullivan. www.limerickprintmakers.com
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
6
January – February 2009
ColumN
Roundup
Vanessa O'Reilly
LONDON STREET
Miami
Art Basel is a division of MCH Swiss Exhibition Ltd, an organisation which runs the art fair in Basel, Switzerland (now in its thirty-ninth year) and its sister event Miami, USA. This year saw the seventh annual instalment of Art Basel Miami Beach, which has been described as “the most important art show in the United States”. Over four days, in December 2008 approximately 266 galleries from 33 countries exhibited works by over 2,000 artists. To take in this scale of presentation – and the amount of works on show – in so short a time, is by turns exhilarating, numbing and totally mystifying. It is a ‘Frankenstein’ experience of art-as-merchandise in a global economy. What Art Basel Miami Beach achieves best is presenting a combination of an international selection of top galleries and an exciting programme of intergrated exhibitions and events. Sections like Art Projects presented eight works in the urban / public context. These included Olaf Breuning’s sand sculpture Untitled sited on the beach and Dora Garcia’s daily-performed tour titled Crowd. The Art Video Lounge was this year titled ‘Honey, I Rearranged the Image…!’ and was curated by Rike Frank from Berlin. It presented a library-list of a wide array of artists; from which viewers could choose videos and then watch four private screening stations. Art Positions presented a 20-strong selection of ‘young’ galleries, each showing in individual shipping containers in an empty lot alongside the beach. Particularly good presentations were those by Sorcha Dallas Gallery, Glasgow – showing paintings and sculptures by Charlie Hammond; and Renwick Gallery, New York presenting José Dávila. Influenced by Donald Judd, Dávila sliced the container into 19 equal parts removing every second one to create the nine voids and 10 slices of Judd’s famous stack piece, which he showed horizontality. For the second year running Jens Hoffman was the curator for the Art Perform programme – also located at Art Positions. The programme included daily performances – among them Adriana Lara (Mexico) and Christian Jankowski (Germany). Art Supernova was described as a “collaborative presentation” by 20 galleries showing emerging artists. This section was refreshingly distinctive. Noteworthy was Nina Canell’s A Handful of Dust – a sculpture on show with Galerie Barbara Wien. Another highlight was the Art Kabinetts – a series of curated exhibitions by the galleries. Presented among these was a showing of works by Yoko Ono in the Lelong Gallery’s space; early works by Robert Smithson in the Cohan Gallery, and Duchamp works Naumann – the latter claiming the most comprehensive collection of editioned works by Duchamp from books he designed to prints, objects and posters. Special programmes, installations and events are now common features of art fairs – they are seen as important in attracting audiences, especially those who are not there as serious buyers. Under the auspices of ‘Art Salon’ and ‘Art Basel Conversations’ daily public talks and discussions were held. The emphasis was on current themes in contemporary art. Invited speakers ranged from artists making individual presentations – to architects, curators and authors. Speakers included Alanna Heiss, director of PS1 New York; Ute Meta Bauer, MIT Visual Arts programme; Federico Diaz, Artist Prague. The subjects covered included State of the Art Market, The Paul Thek Case – Rediscovery of a Legendary Artist and Will Art Transform the Political Face of the Middle East? Miami also hosted a number of satellite fairs. Formally these had piggy backed on the reputation of ABMB, but they are now established fairs that draw their own audiences. Among them are NADA, (New Art Dealers Alliance) –now in its sixth year – which featured 88 emerging galleries from 18 countries. Tow Irish galleries, The Green on Red and Mother’s Tankstation showed at NADA. PULSE Miami, showed over 100 international galleries. Each presented its own series of special programmes, installations and performances. ABMA has brought much to the city of Miami. The Wynwood district, the location of where the satellite fairs are located, was once an industrial wasteland, with just a handful of pioneering galleries and private collections like the Rubell Family Collection and the Margulies Collection. But over the last few years it has grown to host 70 plus enterprising new galleries – and this has added to the cultural dynamic of a city making its place on the art map. Ultimately what is at stake for art fairs is their monetary / transactional success. Reports held that sales in Miami were not excessive, but were still good. Is it a case of the art market following its own rules in these recessionary times? Groups of collectors were still to be seen being chaperoned through the fair, and museum and art professionals were still a heavy presence. MCH Swiss Exhibition Ltd has signed a new three-year contract with the Miami Convention Centre and the dates for ABMA are already set for 2009. Perhaps the best consideration of ABMB is to believe the writing on the wall – or in this case the floor – in the Mary Boone Gallery booth. Barbara Kruger showed two quotations presented in a bold black font “We are the slaves of objects around us – Goethe”, and “He entered shop after shop, priced nothing, spoke no word, and looked at all objects with a wild and distracted stare – Edgar Allan Poe”.
'London Street' – publicity image. Context, Derry.
The Context Gallery, Derry recently held three collaborative projects curated by Sarah Edge under the title ‘London Street: A Visual Exploration’ (10 Oct – 21 Nov). The projects comprised of photographic work by Anne Burke and Gail Baylis; video by Anne Crilly and Vincent O’Callaghan; and interactive media by artists Sarah Edge, Rowan Morrey and Shelly Garrett. London Street is a Georgian street, shadowed by the historic city walls, located in the centre of Derry City – according to the press release “together these projects offer the viewer a stimulating and thought-provoking journey through a number of virtual
taking the Platz der Vereinten Nationen (United Nations Plaza) as their point of departure. The press released notes that “all of these works play with the ordinariness and supposed neutrality of the plaza, which was formerly called Leninplatz and was home to a nineteen meter high granite statue of Lenin which was famously helicoptered out the city piece by piece after the fall of the Berlin wall”. The artists included in the exhibition were Enda O’Donoghue, Gregor Stephan, Sven Kalden, Sean Lynch, Michele Horrigan, Sladjan Nedeljkovic, Karin Krautschick, Isidro Ramirez, Paul Halliday, Raphael Grisey, Michael Tan.
ICONS
MAPPING THE BORDER PS2 recently hosted ‘The Map of Connections 2.0 & The Map of Encounters 1.0’ (10 – 25 Oct) by artist Garrett Carr. The show comprised of maps, walks, and photographs. The press release stated that “this project documents the artist / geographer’s undertaking to map the border between the North and the South of Ireland in a very different way; objective in its methods but poetic and individualistic in its observations”. During his many walks, Garrett Carr drew a map of unofficial border crossings, not found on any other map, took photographs and
SPACES
forum), Belfast recently hosted an exhibition ‘Icons’ comprising of a collection of poems with accompanying images and prose, by Belfast based artist Ronald McDowell (16 – 30 Oct). The works primary focus is on traditional religious iconic painters. According to the press release “these pieces are in essence thresholds into the infinite and encourage the reader and the viewer to see such portals in the face of every man by seeing through from this chaotic world into the serene realms of the spiritual”. www.adf.ie
Karl Burke Tracing a Place lambda print on diabond, 120 x 90cm, 2008 Curracloe, Co. Wexford)
‘Spaces’ at the Wexford Arts Centre was a solo exhibition featuring video, sculpture and photographic work by Karl Burke –
noted down his encounters. www.pssquared.org
London Streets”.
The ADF Gallery (The Arts & Disability
winner of the Wexford Arts Centre / Wexford County Council Emerging Artist
http://contextgalleries.blogspot.com/
BLACKFLASH
Award (8 – 30 Nov). The press release noted
BIRDS, PLACES, OTHER THINGS
“through
three
dimensional
interventions and structures, Burke endeavours to form a physical and emotive relationship between the art object, space/ place and, in particular, the viewer”. Prior to ‘Spaces’ the gallery held two concurrent exhibitions; ‘Back to the Lighthouse’, an exhibition of work by John Shinnors comprised new paintings
Marlin James From Pecking Birds, 2008, acrylic on canvas, 27 x 34 cm
using the motif of the lighthouse and
Welsh artists Merlin James recently showed new paintings in his ‘Birds, Places, Other Things’ at the Kerlin Gallery, Dublin
Mark Cullen – publicity image for 'Blackflash'
after neo-expressionism and New Image
During the Tulca season of visual art in Galway G126 hosted ‘Blackflash’, an exhibition of new installation works by Mark Cullen (1 – 22 Nov). The exhibition notes explained how Cullen “explores cosmologies, playfully engaging our senses, he jolts our position in relation to
painting,
our surroundings and our imagination”
(24 Oct – 22 Nov). The press release quoted American critic Sanford Schwatrz writing in the New York Review of Books recently, who has identified James as one of a group of painters that emerged in the late 1980s, with
“more
freedom
to
experiment, to make painting a more
www.g126.eu
www.kerlin.ie
EIN PLATZ
Enda O’Donoghue, Minute of Angle, video still
The exhibition ‘Ein Platz’ at Platz der Vereinten Nationen, Berlin was curated by Irish artist Enda O’Donoghue and German artist Gregor Stephan (10 Oct – 1 Nov). The show comprised of video, photography and object-based works by nine artists
Cody. (11 Oct – 2 Nov) www.wexfordartscentre.ie/VisualArt.html
Flux Capacitor Work by Irish artist Roisin Byrne was featured in the group exhibition ‘Flux Capacitator’ at the Extra Spazio gallery, Rome (10 Oct – 20 Nov). The exhibition was curated by Ilaria Gianni and Isobel Harbison and also featured work by Francesca Anfossi, Erik Blinderman,
personal realm...to connect their work with painting from earlier eras”.
‘Manhattan’, a show of new paintings by
WHEN THINGS APPEAR ‘When things appear’ at the Mermaid Arts Centre presented temporary sculpture and site-specific installation by Helen Hughes (7 Nov – 6 Dec). As the press release noted “Hughes utilises industrial products, transforming or reassembling them to make something new. They often readily lend themselves to manipulation through simple techniques. Through this expansion upon the industrial process the artist attempts to develop a personal language within the vast, prevailing systems of production.” Previously shown at the Mermaid was ‘In Diamond Valley’ (2 Oct – 1 Nov), an exhibition of drawings by artist Felicity Clear. The catalogue, produced by the artist and the centre, includes essays by Sally Timmons, Cliodhna Shaffrey and Pádraic E Moore.
Patrizio Di Massimo, Michael Eddy, and Maria Karantzi. www.extraspazio.it
MICHEAL KANE Solstice Arts Centre, Navan recently hosted an exhibition of the work of Michael Kane (16 Oct – 22 Nov). As the press release noted “Kane’s work is uncompromisingly figurative … while he does not particularly stress figure or ground, both seem larger and more mythical in his works than ordinary reality”. Kane’s works were also recently presented at the Rubicon Gallery, Dublin launched (24 Nov – 20 Dec), where a major publication covering the artist’s work since the 1950s was launched. www.solsticeartscentre.com/www.rubicongallery.ie
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
ROUNDUP MOVING DEATHS
NEWS RECENT IMMA SHOWS An exhibition of paintings, watercolours, and drawings by William McKeown was recently held at IMMA (5 Nov – 4 Jan). As the press release noted “McKeown is best known for his luminous, near abstract, paintings that explore states of mind, such as happiness and freedom, and qualities of nature, like light, air and sky".
Gavin Murphy 'Moving Deaths' – exhibition view.
Running concurrently at IMMA was ‘In Praise of shadows’ which featured “works
Gavin Murphy’s ‘Moving Deaths’ at the
in the form of shadows, shadow theatres
Lab, Dublin (7 Nov – 6 Dec) featured
and silhouettes”. 'In Praise of Shadows
sculptural assemblage, video, text, and
'was inspired by the history of shadow
various forms of photography.
theatre in Turkey and Greece and
According to the press release the
featured works that were based on folk
works in the show celebrated “the
tales or simple contemporary narratives.
inevitable uncertainty that is, in a post-
Featured artists included William
enlightenment world, the reward of
Kentridge, Jockum Nordström, Kara
investigation. The result betrays a
Walker, Nathalie Djurberg, and Andrew
compulsive need to create structure and
Vickery.
order, while at the same time giving in to the notion that these very actions are futile”.
The LAB, Dublin also recently
ON at MOTHER’S
hosted ‘Krickle Krackle’ (14 Oct – 22 Nov) by Dorothy Ann Daly. DARKNESS AND LIGHT ‘Darkness and Light’, an exhibition of work by members of the lecturing staff of the Department of Creative and Performing Arts at Waterford Institute of Technology, was recently held at
Kevin Cosgrave Office. Oil on Linen. 50 x 60 cm. 2008
Waterford Regional Hospital (16 Oct – 5 Nov). The artists exhibiting in this show included Michael Beirne, Gerard Casey, Susan Connolly, Pat Cunningham, Fiona
Mother’s Tankstation re-opened after their summer break with ‘The Untitled First Album’ Kevin Cosgrove’s first solo exhibition (22 Oct – 15 Nov). The press
Dowling, Ben Reilly, Joy Rooney, Tony
release
Ryan, Lorenzo Tonti, Mary-Ruth Walsh,
“relatively traditional upbringing in a
Mairin Grant, Joe Hunt, Reiltin Murphy,
mining community in the central
Sheila Naughton, John O’Connor and
heartlands of Ireland has instilled a
Martin Quigley.
strong sense of survival, craft and
explained
that
Cosgrove’s
industry into his skilfully austere and THIS RATHER THAN
muted canvases of under-populated
Galway Arts Centre recently held ‘This
workplaces:
Rather Than…’ a group exhibition
industrial yards and offices.”
featuring five Graduates from GMIT,
More
factories, recently
workshops, the
venue
Institute of Technology, Sligo, Limerick
presented‘Northland’ a solo exhibition
School of Art and Design and Crawford
by the Australian painter Noel McKenna
College of Art & Design (2 Oct – 1 Nov).
(19 Nov – 20 Dec). As the gallery notes
The show was curated by Russell Hart – a
explained “McKenna’s apparently naïve,
Galway based independent curator. The
small-scale paintings on plywood panels
exhibition featured work in a range of
are pervasively occupied by silence, yet
media including print, video, painting
not peace. They delicately search out
and sculpture.
societal cracks and schisms, prising them
The participating artists were
a little further apart until they start to
Rebecca Massey, Selma Makela, Damien
leak whispers of the disquiet contained
O’Connell, Donal Moloney, and Eva
therein.”
Maher. This exhibition coincided with ‘An Absence of Evidence is Not Evidence of Absence’ a solo exhibition by Maeve Curtis in gallery 3.
www.motherstankstation.com
SINKS AND RESERVOIRS ‘Sinks & Reservoirs’, an exhibition of new work from Alan Boardman was recently presented at the Crow Gallery, Dublin
LUAN AN TSLEIBHE ‘Luan an tSléibhe’, a new body of work by Geraldine O’Neill was exhibited recently at Draiocht (3 Oct – 22 Nov). O’Neill’s practice was described a being “defined by a commitment to figurative and representational painting, a genre to which she brings a fresh and innovative approach”. A publication with an introduction by Brian Maguire and an essay by Medb Ruane was produced to accompany the show. www.draiocht.ie
7
January – February 2009
(28 Nov – 6 Dec). The exhibition comprised a series of photographs, digital images and paintings. Commenting on his work the artist said “the core inspiration for this new series of works comes from an interest in the structural similarities of social, economic, and biological systems. These systems are drawn together through their foundation in the laws of thermodynamics”. www.canvas.ie
News NEW SAOITHE IN AOSDÁNA In mid November, President of Ireland Mary McAleese presided at a ceremony in the Arts Council to mark the election of visual artist Camille Souter and composer Seóirse Bodley as Saoithe in Aosdána. The honour of Saoi is bestowed for singular and sustained distinction in the arts.
has produced public art pieces for cities across the UK and has exhibited worldwide. Buttress intends to encourage input from local people living near the landmark sculpture. He will be holding creative workshops with groups from the Greater Village and St James’ areas of Belfast.
www.davyportraitawards.com
ART & ARCHITECTURE OF IRELAND Art and Architecture of Ireland is a new major project which will be undertaken by The Royal Irish Academy (RIA). The aim of the project is the creation of a comprehensive history of Irish Art and Architecture to be published in five volumes covering the years 400 – 2000. The publications will deal with the Island of Ireland as a whole and will involve liaison with relevant institutions, including the Ulster Museum, Queen’s University, Belfast and the University of Ulster. www.ria.ie
RISE FOR BELFAST A design plan for the biggest public art sculpture in Belfast, to be situated at a main gateway to the city, was unveiled recently. Rise will be built at Broadway Roundabout by the artist Wolfgang Buttress and will stand at 123ft high by 98.4ft wide. The globe shaped white and silver aluminum sculpture – a representation of a new sun rising to celebrate a new chapter in the history of Belfast – should be visible from several miles away when it is constructed in 2009. Wolfgang Buttress was selected after competition from more than 40 artists from Ireland, the United Kingdom and internationally. An experienced artist and sculptor from Birmingham, he
www.imma.ie
www.belfastcity.gov.uk
THE CURFEW TOWER MEMORIAL FOR DEFENCE FORCES
Throughout 2009 Void. Derry will have full curatorial responsibility for The
www.artscouncil.ie
DAVY PORTRAIT WINNERS Davy, provider of stock broking, wealth management and financial advisory services, has awarded Dublin based artist Joe Dunne with first prize in the inaugural Davy Portrait Awards for his work ‘Portrait of Cara’. The awards, in association with Arts & Business, were open to artists working in traditional and nontraditional media across Ireland. The judging panel comprised Royal Hibernian Academy President Stephen McKenna, Royal Ulster Academy President Rita Duffy and international art critic and writer Gemma Tipton. Belfast-born Martin Wedge picked up second prize for his oil on canvas portrait entitled Figure C3.10. Third prize was awarded to Gary Coyle for a charcoal on paper portrait of his father. The winning works can be viewed alongside 21 other shortlisted paintings selected from over 300 entries at the inaugural Davy Portrait Awards exhibition at the Naughton Gallery in Belfast until 31 Jan 2009. The exhibition will move to the Farmleigh Gallery in Dublin in March 2009.
BRIEF CLOSURE FOR IMMA The Irish Museum of Modern Art will be closed for renovations from Monday 12 January to Monday 2 February 2009 inclusive. This is due to upgrading work being carried out on the building’s electrical supply. The Museum’s café and bookshop will also remain closed.
Curfew Tower, Cushendall, Co Antrim. The Tower is owned by Bill Drummond who has set up the ‘In You We Trust’ that offers short-term residencies for artists in the Tower. The Curfew Tower was built in Brian King. Memorial to the Defence Forces. 2008.
A memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in service was unveiled on Saturday 6 November in Merrion Square, Dublin by President Mary McAlees. The memorial, designed by artist Brian King, was the winning entry in an international competition. It depicts members of the Army, Navy, Air Corps and Reserve cast in bronze standing guard over an eternal flame that emanates from the Defence Forces Badge at the centre of the structure. The work is installed near the corner of Merrion Square South and Merrion Square West in Archbishop Ryan Park, Dublin 2. President Mary McAleese led the unveiling ceremony, which was attended by Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea, and families and Defence Force comrades of deceased personnel. Artist Brian King was born in Dublin in 1942. He studied in the National college of Art and Design in Dublin where he lectured for a number of years and, and then became the Head of the Department of Sculpture from 1984 –2004. More info on Brian King can be found on his website. www.sculpture.ie
RHA ANNUAL AWARDS Painter Comhghall Casey is the winner of the Hennessy Craig Scholarship Worth €12,000 for his painting Red Bicycle. The award is given each year to a painter under the age of 35 years who exhibits in the open submission section of the RHA Annual Exhibition. In addition painters Ann Quinn & Majec Bedkowski both received subsidiary awards of €2,500 as part of this award. Other award winners included the inaugural Bank of Scotland (Ireland) and Irish Arts Review Photographic Portrait Prize of €6,000 awarded to Patrick Donald for his photograph Fairground Scene, Cuba; The RHA Sculpture Award of €10,000 awarded to Janet Mullarney for her work Earthly Creatures and The De Veres Award of €3,000 for a first time exhibitor awarded to Kim Cunningham for her work Tea Dancers No. 1. In all 20 artists’ awards were awarded worth a total of €75,500 in an award ceremony in the Royal Hibernian Academy on Sunday 9 November 2008. Full details on the website. www.royalhibernianacademy.com
1817, to confine riotous prisoners. The Tower is 20 feet square, tapered, and rises four storeys to a height of 40 feet, topped by modest battlements. The Tower hosts small single bedrooms, so not more than two artists can stay at any one time. Residencies are for periods of no less than a week and generally no more than three weeks. Void is inviting artists to submit applications for 2009. www.derryvoid.com
RUA RED TO OPEN IN FEB The official launch of RUA RED, South County Dublin’s new centre for creativity, will take place from 5 to 8 February 2009. Based in Tallaght, RUA RED represents an investment of almost €10 million in cultural facilities by South Dublin County Council. The centre host galleries, performance space, music rooms, incubators and artists’ studios and aims to be a creative hub for the arts community to make, present and disseminate work. The 4-day celebratory launch programme includes exhibitions, performances, hands-on workshops and tours of the facilities and will be marked by an exhibition ‘House Warming’ co-curated by Ruairí Ó Cuív and Cliodhna Shaffrey and presenting work by artists Jesse Jones, John Jones, Vera Klute, Clare Langan, Sean Lynch, Bea McMahon, Liam O’Callaghan and Beth O’Halloran. In addition 6 artist studios will become available for rent from February 2009. If you would like more information on the facilities or to apply for a space please email events@ruared.ie. Deadline for applications is 30 January 2009. www.ruared.ie
JOY GALLERY AT REDSPACE RedSpace is a new not-for-profit, artistled initiative located in Dublin City Centre comprising work spaces, artists' studios, a gallery, recording studio and a rehearsal space.It was established with the aim of providing a supporting environment for creativity and crosscollaboration at the intersection of art, technology, music and media. RedSpace is home to The Joy Gallery, a not-for-profit art space focussing on experimental art, music/art cross-collaborations and new media work. The current exhibition ‘Life at The Joy Gallery’ presents the work of the artists Laura de Burca, Oisin Byrne, Fiona Hallinan, Ruth Lyons, Rachel Ni Chuinn,
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The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
NEWS Kate Strain, Alex Synge and Amy Walsh with an accompanying text by Claire Feely. The exhibition will represent the work of these artists over the course of the next year and will continually evolve with the artists practice and the development of the gallery. Participating artists will invite writers and theorists to contribute to the exhibition as it continues and develops. The gallery opens on Saturdays from 12 – 6 or by appointment where a concession store called Bread and Butter sells magazines, records, zines, artists' prints and other merchandise and crafts from the associated artists and musicians. The Joy Gallery / RedSpace is located at 2 Rutland Place, Parnell Square East, Dublin 1. www.redspace.cc
NEW ARTS COUNCIL In late December Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism announced the appointment of new members to the Arts Council including the appointment of independent theatre and film producer, Pat Moylan as the new Chairperson. The appointments are as follows: Pat Moylan, Chairperson, Independent Theatre and Film Producer; Louise Donlon, Director, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise; Paul Johnson, Dancer, Choreographer & Chief Executive of Dance Ireland; Fiona Kearney, Director, Glucksman Gallery, Cork; Sheelagh O’Neill, Former
marketing and tourism professional; Caroline Senior, Artistic Director, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford and Orlaith McBride, Director, National Association for Youth Drama (outgoing member reappointed). The new chairperson and members will join the six current board members who are Maurice Foley, Deputy Chairperson; John Crumlish, Manager of the Galway Arts Festival; Philip King, filmmaker and musician; Aibhlín McCrann, musician and communications consultant; Alan Stanford, actor and writer Colm Tóibín. LAUNCH 08 Launch, the annual event supporting recent graduates opened at the LAB in late December. Presented by FOUR and the LAB, Launch provides exposure to innovative artists and offers an important platform from which these artists can develop their creative and professional practice. In addition it is intended to promote opportunities and public discussion of new developments in emerging contemporary Irish art. Launch 08 is curated by Jasper Sharp, a writer and curator based in Vienna. He worked from 1999-2005 as Exhibitions Organiser and Collections Coordinator at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, where he was responsible for all temporary exhibitions, collection installations
and contemporary projects including the United States Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The artists selected for Launch 08 are: Peter Cábocky (IADT), Sabina MacMahon (NCAD) & Ian Slattery (DIT). LAUNCH continues until 31 January. www.fourdublin.com
NO GRANTS GALLERY NGG (No Grants Gallery) curated and managed by artist Carol Eakins, takes the form of a non-profit gallery where artists pay a nominal 50 Euro fee for a two-week exhibition slot which includes promotional support from TBCT. Artists interested in showing their work at NGG should contact ngg@ templebar.ie or Carol Eakins at 01 677 2255. EMERGING VISUAL ARTIST AWARD Dublin based visual artist Vera Klute is the recipient of the third annual Emerging Visual Artist Award. The Award is run by Wexford Arts Centre in partnership with the Arts Department of Wexford County Council and the Arts Council. The initiative supports promising visual artists with an award of €8,000 and a solo exhibition at Wexford Arts Centre. www.wexfordartscentre.ie
RESALE RIGHT DELAY Just prior to going to press VAI received notification from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment that they have once again sought to delay full implementation of the Artists Resale Right for artist’s heirs and beneficiaries. Full implementation would have seen artists’ heirs being entitled to receive monies from the resale of their works through the art market. Now they will be denied this measure until 1 January 2012. We are especially disappointed that the announcement makes no positive comment about the success of the Resale Right and fails to signal any commitment whatsoever to artists and their families. The Artist’s Resale Right entitles artists to a small royalty when their original works of art are resold by art dealers, galleries or auction houses. This royalty system has been in place in Ireland since June 2006 and it has allowed many artists, including the young and unestablished, to receive royalties for the first time. In advance of the introduction of the Resale Right VAI helped establish the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation (IVARO) a not-for-profit organisation which has been collecting and distributing resale royalties to its’ members since 2006. While it was always going to be a difficult challenge to persuade the government to introduce
the right for artists' heirs and beneficiaries in 2010, IVARO did everything possible to make the case for artists and their families. The Irish Government delayed this decision once already in 2006. Their decision to once again delay implementation is due in no small part to the unjustified claims of the art market that business has been impacted negatively by Right. There is no evidence that the Right has affected the art market adversely, in fact all research in the UK, which has the largest art market in Europe, has shown that the Right has not damaged business in any way. Both Ireland and the UK held consultations in September 2008 regarding the introduction of the Right to benefit artists heirs. 90% of the respondents to the UK consultation wrote in favour of implementing the Right for artists’ heirs without further delay. Despite this the UK Government has also chosen to ignore their views and disregard the mountain of evidence that proves that this Right does not damage business. Artists are the life blood of the art trade and yet once again it is they that will be feeling the pinch in the coming years.
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
9
January – February 2009
PROJECT PROFILE buildings as the creation of a temporary ‘synchronic monument’. This minimal gesture by Moore redirects attention from these buildings usual use-function into temporary ‘monuments’. This self- declaration of certain buildings as monuments invites us to also engage with structures in a more idiosyncratic and personal manner. The continued evolution of our built environment is a central concern in Jesse Jones’ project, Psychic Architecture. This project comprised the installation of a hardback book with an accompanying audio piece in the National Library on Kildare Street. The book is made up of multiple images of a person building a model architectural city. The figure is seated at a work desk and the images are presented in a red hue. As one progresses through the book, the city becomes more Jesse Jones Psychic Architecture book.
and more elaborate, eventually verging on the surreal with buildings crowding each other and balancing in precarious manners. The audio piece accompanying the book takes the form of a lecture being delivered by a practising psychic architect. The talk begins by identifying a pattern of neurosis amongst architects. As the piece continues the descriptions, which begin in a cool and academic style, become more and more frantic, as the psychic architect breathlessly describes buildings developing a life of their own. The audio piece closes with the gradually audible whispering of Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto becoming increasingly dominant. Eilis Mc Donald’s Dublin City Colouring Book was a playful and accessible work. This 20 page colouring book, which had 2,000 editions printed, was distributed for free through various public institutions throughout the city over the weekend. Featuring in the book were many familiar Dublin city landmarks portrayed in unusual ways. Liberty Hall is depicted spouting water and floating amongst
Inside the City Hall on Tastes Like Lego tour.
Screening, Meeting House Square, Bea Mc Mahon’s Transport
clouds while the Civic Office has multiple tentacles. Here again, is the invitation to regard architecture as a malleable and unfixed medium.
Activating Spaces
Over two nights of the ‘Culturstruction’ weekend Butler and Kennedy selected a series of video works, which were screened in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar. The programme on both nights
SArah Lincoln profiles culturstruction, a weekend of Dublin based architecturerelated art projects (17 – 19 Oct ’08) organised in conjunction with the OPen House inItiative of the Irish Architecture foundation.
adopted the same structure, showing three short video pieces on a loop for an hour each. Michelle Browne, Christine Sullivan / Rob Flint and Bea McMahon had pieces shown on the first night. Emma Houlihan, Gareth Kennedy / Sarah Browne and Finola Jones had their work screened on the second night. The mood in many of these pieces was contemplative and sometimes light-hearted. However, more than in
My guide instructs me in a calm voice to place my hair against the
time, in which her input as an artist was incorporated into aspects of
any of the other commissioned works, specific re-developments were
whirring air vent. “Yep, I can feel the pressure alright … oh, my ear-not
their projects. Both women acknowledge that their experiences since
referenced. Christine Sullivan and Rob Flint’s Generator was funded
my hair”. Indeed there was a curious tick-tock noise coming through
NCAD were formative in encouraging them to begin studying
through Breaking Ground and references notions inherent to that
the vent, which would have been entirely imperceptible through my
architecture. However, they are also both aware of how the Sculpture
redevelopment. Gareth Kennedy and Sarah Browne’s Episode 306:Dallas,
hair. I am on Mary Jo Gilligan’s Tastes Like Lego alternative architectural
Department in NCAD has informed the path which they subsequently
Belfast is concerned with the compromises which inevitably occur
tour, which formed one strand of ‘Culturstruction’, a weekend of art
chose. Butler states, “there was an emphasis in the Sculpture
around the re-development of areas. Emma Houlihan’s Everywhere is a
projects from the 17 to the 19 of October, ‘08. In order to participate in
Department of NCAD on interaction with the public space and with
Playground took a bleak snapshot of parts of Limerick which are due to
this piece, the audience members (limited to four people at a time) had
redevelopment, all of which directly intersects with architecture”.
be redeveloped. These particular pieces highlight a deeper sense of
to agree to be blindfolded for the hour-long tour. As a participant, you
What encouraged both women to develop ‘Culturstruction’ was the
unrest surrounding the redevelopment of areas.
were allocated your own personal guide who led you through the City
unexpected interest in art on their architecture course. When
‘Culturstruction’ was funded through the Open Spaces Project,
Hall and Palace Street Offices. Over the course of the hour I was invited,
elaborating upon theoretical and practical concerns to architecture,
which is a Dublin City Council Arts Office initiative. Open Spaces had
amongst other things, to rub my hands across what I believed to be a
their fellow architecture students increasingly referenced
its inaugural event in October ‘08 and lists other events in its
very large and shiny wooden table, to take note of the contrast in
contemporary artist practices. Butler and Kennedy knew many artists
programme through late ’08 and into early ’09 as ‘phase one’ in the
acoustics as we moved from exterior to interior spaces and to inhale
who were influenced by architecture, what they didn’t realise was that
project. In a tacit recognition of the sprawling and non-definable
and note that unmistakable newly furnished office smell. Mary Jo
this interest was reciprocated.
parameters of artworks in the public space, Open Spaces emphasises
seemed to have choreographed the hour perfectly: while she read
Butler and Kennedy met with the organisers of Open House in
their intention to foster ‘creative partnerships’ through their
personal and more theoretical passages, the chimes of lifts and opening
June ’08. They were enthusiastic about ‘Culturstruction’ and supported
programme. One of the first events in the Open Spaces programme
of doors seemed to punctuate her texts right on cue.
the project by providing it with PR and press. It was later in the
was the launch of a report, which Dublin City Council Arts Office
‘Culturstruction’ was organised by Jo Anne Butler and Tara
summer that funding was secured through Dublin City Council Arts
commissioned in order to examine innovative international models
Kennedy to run as a parallel event to the annual Open House weekend (1) , which is organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation. While
Office, at which point Jo Anne and Tara pushed ahead with the project.
for art in urban and suburban open spaces. In the introduction to the
The artists commissioned by ‘Culturstruction’ were selected through
report a distinction is made between the two terms public art and open
Open House’s popularity is founded upon a curiosity that the public
various criteria, one being that each artist had to have lived in Dublin.
space, “over the course of our research and during the fieldwork phase
have for accessing buildings normally closed to them, ‘Culturstruction’
Additionally, there was an attempt to select artists who were at
in particular, the description ‘open space’ was well understood as
was pre-occupied with diversifying the means by which we experience
different stages in their careers and whose practices intersected with
allowing for a broader definition of arts practice in public space”. In
and occupy buildings. Butler and Kennedy commissioned four visual
architecture in differing ways. Each artist was given an open brief, so
conclusion the report re-visits this point stating that “this relatively
artists to respond through an artwork to either a building, or groups of
that the emphasis from the beginning was based around the artist’s
short research journey underlines the liberation of public art practice
buildings in Dublin. Evidenced in the work produced was a
practice, as opposed to insisting on the artist seeing through a pre-
commitment by these artists to test the means by which architecture
meditated proposal.
from its monumental origins and its associated relation to permanence, revealing a great diversity of practice” (2).
can be more than just physical structures. Each of the artists was
The placement of many ‘Culturstruction’ projects was, in many
‘Culturstruction’ made an important contribution to opening out
interested in architecture’s potential to articulate both critical and
cases, key to the work. Padraic E Moore carefully chose three buildings
the diversity of arts practices visible in ‘open spaces’. The works in
celebratory aspects of our built environment.
– Liberty Hall, The Abbey Theatre and the Civic Offices at Wood Quay
‘Culturstruction’ were not monumental; being transient pieces that
Kennedy and Butler both graduated in 2005 from the Sculpture
– in which to install a series of three screen printed posters (produced
sought to co-exist with the buildings in which they were situated,
Department in NCAD. Having graduated from college, both women
with Swollen Design Studio). The posters contained abstract geometric
illuminating possibilities, or hidden narratives. This strategy was
worked as practising artists whilst also operating in the art world
forms each reflecting in a loose manner the aesthetics of the buildings
successful in activating both the work and the space in which they
under various guises. Butler worked as the assistant project manager
in which they were installed. At the bottom of each print is a date
were located in a fresh and captivating manner.
on the Breaking Ground regeneration project in Ballymun. While
indicating when each building was completed. It was intended that
Kennedy took part in the ‘Two Minds’ project organised by the Royal
through the poster’s placement, the buildings would be activated to
Society of Ulster Architects. This project involved Kennedy being
highlight the multiple layers of history that preside within them, both
twinned with an architectural firm in Northern Ireland for a period of
personal and communal. Moore described his choice of these three
Sarah Lincoln 1) www.architecturefoundation.ie/openhouse 2) ‘A Report on Innovative International Models of Support’, Vagabond Reviews, December ’07.
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The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
INTERNATIONAL
An Epic Art Journey Rayne Booth reports on Manifesta 7, The European Biennale of Contemporary Art (19 July – 20 Nov 08), held in Trentino, South Tyrol, Italy.
Work by Claire Fontaine from Manifesta 7 Trentino – South Tyrol. (19 July – 20 Nov ‘08)
Since 1996 the Amsterdam based Manifesta Foundation has initiated a series of ambitious bi-annual exhibitions, each located in a different European city. Then, as now, the Manifesta exhibition encourages new and innovative artists, and promotes new models for the display of contemporary art, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas between visual art practitioners and professionals, curators, and audiences, in a Europe that has changed greatly over the 12 years of Manifesta’s existence. This year Manifesta 7 (19 July – 20 Nov ‘08) was for the first time hosted by an entire region, rather than by a single city. The affluent Trentino – South Tyrol region is located at the very northernmost corner of Italy, bordered by Austria and Switzerland. This is breathtaking countryside where giant rock formations, spurs of the Dolomite Mountains, protrude suddenly from flat fields of vines, apple trees and corn. The region is bilingual, having been part of the Austrian empire from 1815 until its annexation by Italy in 1919. After the Second World War a small faction of German speaking separatists emerged, whose influence can still be seen in graffitied slogans on the walls of Trento and Bolzano. While various violent factions, including a Nazi group calling themselves ‘The Werewolves’, operated in the region post war, their activity died down in the 1960s. More recently, a Tyrolean advocacy group, the ‘Sudtiroler Schutzenbund’, organised a petition calling for Austria to protect the rights to self-determination of the German speaking population of South Tyrol. This petition was signed by 113 mayors out of the 116 South Tyrolean communities before being presented to the Austrian Parliament (1). In Tyrol, old conflicts bubble below the surface. By contrast, Nicosia, where Manifesta 6 was to be held in 2006, is a clearly divided city, split politically, socially and physically into Greek and Turkish Cypriot sectors. The curators of Manifesta 6 had planned a new model of art college for the city, part to be located in the Turkish or ‘occupied’ sector of Nicosia. These plans offended the Greek Cypriot authorities, who terminated the contracts of the Manifesta 6 organisers and curators who – I would speculate – learned a valuable lesson concerning the power of art as a bridge builder between seriously conflicted communities. The choice of South Tyrol, a wealthy region where the trains run on time, is a far safer location option for Manifesta 7 – and yet would seem to fit with Manifesta’s policy of situating itself in cities and regions of territorial conflict. I began my visit in Rovereto, a small town surrounded by the looming Dolomite Mountains. The Adam Budak curated exhibition 'Principle Hope' aims to "map transregional dimensions" (2), using the town as a point of departure. The venue Ex Peterlini, an old cocoa factory located in the heart of Rovereto, has been abandoned for the last 40 years, although occasionally illegally occupied by a local anarchist group. A video installation by Miklós Erhardt and Little Warsaw focuses on this group, who squatted in the building in 2002, investigating the motives and relationships leading up to the shortlived occupation. In a gesture intended to extend the anarchists agenda, Daniel Knorr's Ex-Privato (2008) removed the doors of Ex Peterlini for the duration of the exhibition, effectively turning unused private spaces over to the public domain. Claire Fontaine’s neon piece We are with you in the night takes its title from an Italian activist slogan from the 1970s. When approached in the middle of a dark night in Ex Peterlini, this neon axiom feels more like a threat to the local populace, rather than a message of support for the activists who once inhabited this space. The second venue I visited in Rovereto was the Ex Manifattura Tabacchi, another industrial space just outside the city centre. In keeping with Budak's theme, many of the artists engaged directly with
Installation view Ex Peterlini – Manifesta 7 Trentino – South Tyrol. (19 July – 20 Nov ‘08)
Ex Tabachi – Manifesta 7 Trentino – South Tyrol. (19 July – 20 Nov ‘08)
or responded to the recent history of the venue. Christian Philipp Müller based his installation Carro Largo on a packet of Russian ApolloSojus cigarettes he found in the building during a site visit in 2008. The cigarettes, now sitting under a glass vitrine in Müller's installation, were produced to commemorate the first joint flight of the American and Soviet space programmes. The tendency towards meticulously researched or documentary art is evident at Rovereto, but I did not feel that it specifically engaged with the history and surroundings of the town. A possible exception is the work of Libia Castro and Olafur Olafsson. Their video piece The Caregivers (2008) focuses on the recent phenomenon of Eastern European female economic migrants who have become the main caregivers to elderly Italians in their own homes. This same subject also crops up in Bolzano, in Alexander Vaindorf’s three channel video installation Detour, One Particular Sunday (2006-2008). Runa Islam’s film piece The House Belongs to Those who Inhabit it echoes Claire Fontaine’s work in Ex Peterlini, drawing on the recent history of the town. The title of this film was found scrawled on a wall at Ex Peterlini and is also the body of the film with Islam’s camera work examining the spelling out of the slogan’s words. The train station at Rovereto also plays host to the third exhibition in the town. ‘Manifestation’ – curated by the Office for Cognitive Urbanism, claims to “search out the incongruities of claims to local and also regional identity”. As an exhibition, ‘Manifestation’ felt very uncared for, with some of the exhibits damaged and little information available. Two months after the opening of Manifesta, and one month before its end, it felt like the organisers had all but forgotten this part of the show. In Trento, the exhibition was curated by Anselm Franke and Hila Peleg, and took place in the Palazzo delle Poste, the city’s main post office. Here, a real sense of engagement between the exhibition and the city’s inhabitants could be felt. Perhaps the fact that the Palazzo delle Poste is located in a buzzing city centre, rather than an outlying industrial estate accounts for this. Entitled ‘The Soul or, Much Trouble in The Transportation of Souls’, Franke and Peleg’s show took inspiration from the city of Trento being the venue for the 16th century Council of Trent. It was here the Catholic Church – clarifying its position in relation to the reformation – decreed the believer should confess innermost thoughts, fantasies and desires, as well as actual committed actions and deeds. The Palazzo delle Poste contains numerous small former office rooms over three floors, all converted into a maze of interconnecting galleries and almost every one of these galleries is dedicated to video or film installations. It would take about 90 hours to view it all from start to finish, yet several works stood out
for me, including Tamy Ben-Tor’s Gewald (2007), a video which included the artists performing an unsettling sung rendition of If this is a man. In Omer Fast’s video Looking Pretty for God (after G.W.) (2008) child actors mouth the words of an unseen American funeral director as he talks graphically about the mysteries of the embalming process. The show also contains five separately curated projects or ‘museums’. ‘The Museum of European Normality’ (Marian Theresa Alves, Jimmie Durham and Michael Taussig), the ‘Museum of Learning Things’ (Brigid Doherty), ‘The Museum for Franco Basaglia’ (Stefano Graziani), the’ Museum of projective Personality testing’ (Sina Najafi & Christopher Turner) and ‘the Museum of the stealing of Souls’ (Florian Schneider). Each of these intriguingly titled museums is loaded with research and art works related to each subject. The next town on the route was Bolzano, German speaking, just 45 minutes by train from Trento. A bus from the train station took me through the pretty town and out to the industrial estate where Ex-Alumnix, an ex aluminium processing plant, was located. Curated by the Indian media collective RAQS, this show was called ‘The Rest of Now’, and in their catalogue essay they ask us to “rest for now…and consider what remains from a century devoted to the breathless pursuit of tomorrows promised riches”. This sentiment would have a particular resonance in India, a country where recent economic growth has caused major social changes, and in the empty factory RAQS have chosen art that speaks about capitalism, globalisation and industry. Sanjay Kak’s mixed media installation A Shrine to the Future: Memory of a Hill documents the mining of bauxite for aluminium manufacturing in eastern India. This installation of photographs, newspaper cuttings and hand written text on post-it notes, illustrates each stage of the Bauxite mining and its effect on local ecology and society. Rupali Gupte and Prasad Shetty’s multimedia map Multifarious Nows: Mumbai Mill land Stories similarly charts the history of Mumbai’s textile mills from the 19th century to the present day. Dayanita Singh’s large photographs of Indian aluminium factories and Graham Harwood’s book Aluminium again directly reference the former function of the venue. Judi Werthein’s documentary video about the Colonia Renacer settlement in Chile stayed with me. Its inhabitants are exclusively German and moved to Chile after the war, creating a kind of utopian high-tech cult-like community. Again, in Bolzano, documentary and research based artwork seemed to be in favour but there were several exceptions to this. Harold De Bree’s M1 SS Bailey Bridge (2008), a military pre fabricated bridge first used by the Allies in 1943, spanned the ornamental pool outside the factory and brought modernist sculpture to mind. The final day of my art pilgrimage I travelled to Fortezza/ Franzenfeste, a small town near the Austrian border. ‘Scenarios’ is a collaborative project conceived and curated by all three of the curatorial teams from the other venues. It comprises a series of sound installations, to me somewhat overshadowed by the majesty of the incredibly imposing Hapsburg fortress in which they are situated. The fortress was built in the 1830s to defend against impending Napoleonic attack, and its design is curiously modern in feel: rooms of red brick, built-in vaulted arches, each containing nothing but a dirt floor, perhaps a high window, a specially commissioned piece of furniture designed by Martino Gamper, and a sound installation in one of three languages; English, Italian and German. Ten writers were commissioned to write texts directly responding to this extraordinary space. Though signs urged quiet, a gaggle of Italian visitors on a guided tour, coupled with the intense cold inside the brick structure made really engaging with these spoken texts hard going. The author Margaret Obexer’s piece Defending Europe was located in a series of interconnecting rooms in which a switch could be pressed to activate the sound. Obexer took her starting point from the fortress, and the idea of ‘fortress Europe’ and her piece follows a young African immigrant woman from her arrival in Europe through a series of letters home to her family. Other authors and writers taking part in the collaboration are Shahid Amin, Adriana Cavarero, Mladen Dolar, Renee Green, Thomas Meinecke, Glen Neath, Arundhati Roy and Ant Hampton. The walk back to Fortezza train station offered spectacular views of the river and mountains, where trees were beginning to change colour. After a long wait at the seemingly abandoned train station I made my way back to Venice before flying home the next day. I felt as though I had taken part in an epic and solitary art journey, in which I learned a little more about the current contemporary art zeitgeists, saw some wonderful art and some fantastic countryside. It is interesting to note that more often than not, I was the only visitor to the exhibitions. The crowds that descended for the opening week have not returned, but perhaps this is more to do with the commitment, time, money and hassle involved in visiting four separate cities to see one exhibition, rather than the quality of the artwork. Rayne Booth 1) Spiegel 1/27/2006. Available at www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,397621,00.html 2) Manifesta Catalogue
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
11
FOCUS – INTERNSHIPS
That's Showbiz, Baby. Sara Baume considers the pitfalls and possibilities of internship programmes currently being offered by various visual art institutions
On finishing art college, the vast majority of graduates will immediately
days per week with extra hours around installations and openings.
and to show their appreciation for the unpaid hours the interns had
fall into one of four distinct categories. There are those that, suddenly
Interns split their time between being in the gallery space interacting
dedicated to the general well-being of the gallery, they were given a
struck by the everyday reality of existing in the working world, will
with artists and public, and being in the office observing and helping
platform for their work, a forum for discussion and the invaluable
readily switch their priorities from art-making to money-making and
out with the more practical administrative side of things. ‘Split’
formation of alliances – a far richer and more lasting recompense than
deviate entirely from the artistic route. They finally start to see the
internships are good because it allows the intern to gauge whether it’s
cold hard cash.
sense in what their old Dad was getting at four years ago when he
the administrator or the curator, the artist or the technician, etc. that
attempted to manipulate them in the direction of accountancy or
they most aspire to be.
Most interns are not really involved, for the most part and for the majority of programmes, in a creative way. Their aesthetic opinion or
computing. A decent number, unwilling to crawl out from under the
Some galleries / institutions / organisations have no standard
personal knowledge is not sought in any capacity. Institutions should
safety blanket of the education system, will trudge on with MAs and
internship programme as such, but will take on ‘interns’ for short,
be open to the possibility that interns can bring fresh perspectives that
H-Dips. Of course there are the lucky few that hit the jackpot first time
fixed periods in order to assist with temporary projects. This has the
the frequently dusty and complacent old staff sometimes just can’t.
around – winning awards and residencies, being launched into a
potential to be something exciting – assisting with the set-up and
While they are in no way obliged to take the suggestions or
whirlwind of emerging talent showcase exhibitions, even getting
running of a special event, conducting research or compiling
contributions on board, art institutions of all descriptions should be
taken on by gallerists. Lastly, there are the die-hards - those determined
information, aiding the installation of a particularly elaborate or
constantly questioning themselves, open to the potential from all
to engage with the visual art scene by whatever means. In the
ambitious exhibition. Short internships for specific projects might be
directions for change, transformation and renewal.
aftermath of graduation, die-hards tend to drift, to flounder –
tailored to the exact skills, interests and competencies of the individual
When I first started to research this article I spoke with a few
volunteering at festivals or participating in artist’s projects, working
intern. They could equally turn out to be as dull as dishwater – an
gallery interns who were emphatically negative about their
part-time in bookshops or art house cinemas, fumbling awkwardly for
overhaul of the office filing system, a clear-out of the overflowing
experiences, bandying about terms such as ‘exploitation’ and ‘personal
the first rung on the ladder, a chance to establish themselves. They
stock cupboard, a week spent shredding a year’s supply of old invoices
slave.’ Exercised to expose the scam of hiring youngsters to do the dirty
make art sporadically, read lots of Frieze and Modern Painters, have
– major but mundane chores that the regular staff have long been
work for free, under the ethical security-blanket of providing education,
their pictures taken for Image magazine at exhibition openings. In the
avoiding.
I was quite disappointed to discover that there are no real scandals
best scenarios, die-hards become the true heroes – acting on their own
Visual art institutions offering some form of internship
inherent in the business of taking on interns. My only real criticism of
initiative to found co-operatives in dilapidated country houses and to
programme claim to do so for two fairly standard reasons; to benefit
internship programmes is that too many are relatively unstructured
curate innovative and socially-engaged community art projects. But
and educate the individual intern, and to facilitate the smooth
and unpredictable. Fine art graduates, in particular, are already
where either luck or opportunity is lacking, it can be a cold, cruel
running of the organisation. Noel Kelly, Director of Visual Arts Ireland,
sufficiently lacking in stability without being taken for granted by an
circle for even the keenest of graduates.
indicated that the VAI’s interns were invaluable and that certain
organisation for which they are volunteering. Those co-ordinating the
While internship programmes are by no means a new addition to
projects would simply not be achievable without them. He was keen
programmes should be explicit about time frames, job descriptions,
the working world of the Irish art scene, a significant number have
to emphasise that the programme worked best when interns were
the possibility of rewards, etc. in advance. Websites should outline and
materialised across the country in recent years, and particularly in
assigned a dedicated role and trusted with the necessary responsibility
detail the intern’s role. Clarity, in so far as is possible, is not such an
recent months. It is important to clarify that an internship is distinct
to execute it. As a result, VAI favour individuals with specific areas of
unreasonable prerequisite.
from a fellowship or scholarship. These are geared toward further
interest or experience. My research has indicated that assigning exact
My other concern is that a growing abundance of interns could
courses of study and will typically come with monetary grants and
roles and trusting interns with particular responsibilities seems to be
be in danger of spelling the end for paid invigilation work. Why would
funding attached. The Glucksman Gallery in Cork run a fellowship in
the most comfortable and successful formula for all involved.
a gallery / institution be so crazy as to pay staff, when there is a whole
Curatorial Practice, and The Limerick City Gallery of Art award the
Another dual benefit is that internships regularly function like a
parade of volunteers scrambling to do the same job for free? Internships
Shinnors Scholarship as an MA in Curatorial Studies. Plenty of
training programme for prospective staff, with interns being taken on
benefit the baby generation in their early twenties, but can end up
institutions provide work experience for transition year pupils, or
in a paid position as soon as a vacancy arises. Temple Bar Gallery &
penalising the mid-to-late twenty-somethings that are more established
participate in some form with exchange programmes for
Studios have facilitated interns for years, with a number of their
and only managing to pay for their studio and keep their developing
undergraduates from universities overseas. The Irish Museum of
current regular staff having originally started work with the gallery in
practice afloat by propping themselves up with the modest income
Modern Art has been involved with what is known as the Leonardo
such a role.
provided by casual invigilation.
programme, facilitating a large number of students from Italian
On a purely practical level, with interns the premises get a
In conclusion, nobody will deny that life is hard for the die-hard
universities. Perhaps the most successful variety of internship is that
sweeper-upper, an enveloper, a coffee-maker, a photocopier, an unpaid
graduate most likely to begin their working life as an intern. Most of
which the LCGA aims specifically at college students. Their interns are
invigilator. Having said that, I was unexpectedly reassured that
the interns I spoke to were forced to either work part-time, suffer the
harvested from the nearby Limerick School of Art and Design. Because
galleries and institutions are genuine in their desire to groom and
indignity of being supported by adoring parents, or claim social
galleries, art institutions and organisations are understandably
enlighten the next generation. In general, the interns do get what is
welfare in order to sustain themselves for the duration of their
reluctant to take on an employee with absolutely no experience, this
promised in the advertisements or initial inductions – practical skills
internship. However, I did note that a number of graduates who left
allows graduates to emerge from the education system already with
and invaluable knowledge. Institutions get a runner, as well as the
the system with a good grade entertained unreasonable allusions of
some level of expertise to adorn their CVs and recommend them to the
cosy satisfaction of knowing that they are doing something good.
grandeur. Everybody who is anybody - from artist to director – has
working world.
With the exception of the Douglas Hyde Gallery studentship
started at the very bottom of a vertiginous ladder – having to claw and
The internships upon which I am focusing are predominantly
(which offers a stipend of €12,000 for 10 months), the Sebastian
aimed at recent graduates, though that is not to exclude the possibility
Guinness Gallery in Dublin’s Temple Bar (which pays its one regular
In the words of one astute ex-intern, who hated interning but was
of mature graduates or individuals aiming to establish a new career, or
intern €12 per hour), and the VAI (which provides an allowance
gratified by the insight it granted her “basically I think the art world is
those who have backgrounds in art history, event management,
toward travel costs), every other internship of which I am aware offers
like show business and you have to start at the bottom, and the bottom
marketing, journalism, etc. Most likely to be publicised through Visual
no official financial remuneration. In many cases non -commercial,
is unpaid internships and you just have to grin and bare it”. The intern
Artists Ireland, Creative Careers or on the specific organisation’s
not-for-profit organisations are wholehearted and willing to pay
who takes up an internship for all the right reasons in an institution
website, the advertisements will be rich in superlatives but scant on
volunteers, but very understandably do not have much cash to spare.
that provides an internship for all the right reasons, will realise that
details. Prospective interns are offered all manner of sparkling
However, there are often bonuses depending upon circumstances, and
with even with the dullest and dirtiest of work there is something to
opportunities; to interact and work closely with artists, to assist with
other intermittent rewards arguably more valuable that the monetary
be learned, some aspect to be taken from the experience that will
general administration, to handle significant artworks and gain direct
ones.
benefit them at a further point along the way in life. Art school is like
crawl their way up to achieve any kind of security or recognition.
experience of curation techniques, installation, etc. Dazzled by the
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of an intern’s overall
this wonderful cocoon that wraps-up students in its silken casing and
promise of such creative environments, friendly atmospheres and
experience is meeting, interacting and collaborating with like-minded
shields them from the real world. Graduates will abruptly discover
spring-boarding opportunities, who could possibly resist?
and identically ambitious individuals outside of a college environment.
that there is less of the butterfly and more of the spider about life after
While broadly similar in practice, the programmes take on
After they had been a year with the gallery, Pallas Contemporary
hatching – less of the swooping and gliding and more of the getting
different forms according to the requirements of the gallery/institution/
Projects in Dublin’s Smithfield offered its seven interns the chance to
stuck in bathtubs and trying to avoid being trodden on. Unfortunately,
organisation, not to mention the needs of the chosen intern. Very few
come together to put on their own exhibition. The result was the
that’s showbiz, baby!
offer a solid or minutely defined structure, with contracts and funding.
formation of an emerging art collective (the Pallasades) and a
Interns will rarely have anything like a weekly timetable or an exact
foundational show that ran in August 2008. Pallas had the insight to
task list. Most gallery programmes will consist of one or two fixed
recognise that its interns were all art practitioners in some capacity,
Sara Baume
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
13
January – February 2009
Project profile
Always The Right Time
initially formed to lobby for its members against societal oppression
Áine Ivers reports on AN INNOVATIVE week of training in METHODS OF PUBLIC DIALOGUE and negoTiation, organised by interface in belfast (10 – 16 Sept ’08).
than engage with and navigate power structures. The facilitator’s role
and discrimination. These are the kind of dynamics that OST actively interrupts and dispels. OST directs people to focus on issues rather is crucial; rather than mediate, he or she facilitates direct communication between people. OST deems all participants equal in a meeting and rejects top-down power structures. Those who attended the training developed a sense of community and inclusiveness through the process. It seemed that, to encourage this, the facilitators incorporated into their presence a sense of exclusion, through their impartiality and their lack of input into discussions. They worked without offering comment or opinion, and avoided investing in issues or answering questions. By embodying the idea of exclusion in their presence, they tightened the sense of inclusion between participants. As participants, we discussed such strategies, and how they are found in religious and commercial organisations. Similar community-forming concepts are evident in ideas of nationalism, patriotism and consumerism. A striking correlation between OST and organised religion is the reinvention of the Christian perception of ‘free will’ in OST, in the way the facilitator creates and holds a ‘space’ in an ever-present but non-intrusive fashion, while
Open Space Technology training in process. Organised by Interface at the University of Ulster (10 – 16 Sept ’08). Venue: Connswater Community Centre in East Belfast.
participants have ‘free will’ within the ‘space’ through the ‘law of two feet’. Although initially wary of these parallels, I found that the goalorientated process of OST resulted in practical, action-based outcomes that mitigated religious overtones. These concepts function as temporal structures in OS meetings that allow people to share ideas and communicate. Arts practitioners who attended the training week were primarily interested in OST as a way of thinking and sharing useful in the context of participatory art processes. I was struck by the contrast between the ‘removed-ness’ of the facilitator and the ‘present-ness’ of the participant in OST, and wondered how that would impact on artist-facilitators using OST in their work. Overall, Susanne Bosch saw OST as a way to foster collective decision-making processes, and suggested that it might be an excellent
Open Space Technology training in process.
Last September Interface
Open Space Technology training in process.
at the University of Ulster hosted an
The workshop consisted of an intense week of group exploration
Open Space Technology training week – OST being a process for
through experiential learning. There were no lectures, and participants
facilitating complex meetings. I attended and found it to be an
were actually encouraged not to take notes – so as to be fully present
interesting and rewarding experience. This report contains ideas from
in the process. Instead, knowledge was generated through discussions
a conversation with Susanne Bosch and Cherie Driver of The
between participants in Open Space meetings. Facilities included a
University of Ulster, who initiated and organised the event, as well as
‘library’ of publications and audio material about OST, a ‘cinema’ of
participating in the training themselves.
video recordings of OS meetings, a ‘cyber-room’, and a canteen where
(1)
Developed by American facilitator Harrison Owen in the 1990s,
an all-day buffet was laid out each day. The buffet especially
OST has four tenets – “whoever comes to the meeting are the right
contributed greatly to the success of the training. Food organisation is
people”; “when it’s over it’s over”; “whenever it starts is the right time”;
considered a vital component of OST, based on the fact that food-
and “whatever happens is the only thing that could have”. There is
sharing encourages formative conversations. Participants could eat
one law – “the law of two feet”; anyone can walk away from any
whenever hungry; and take coffee breaks whenever it suited.
tool to address what happens when an artist finishes working with a group, as this is often a residual issue of collaborative projects. Cherie Driver succinctly described the training experience – over the course of the week she found herself challenged to realign her intentions, motivations and goals in order to be able to receive the methodology of OST. I suspect others at the training had similar experiences. OST can be seen as a constructive process of critical engagement with oneself through honesty and transparency about one’s motivations for one’s actions. Driver described the aims and outcomes of the training week in the following terms – “a key thing was that there would be people trained in Open Space in Northern Ireland. People would be able to go out and facilitate other groups, we would be able to have these large collective meetings, to create Open Spaces, to talk about issues,
discussion at any time. Theses tenets are designed to foster a relaxed,
Different aspects of the training process dominated conversations
inclusive atmosphere, and to encourage engaged group-work and
throughout the week. A sense of personal exploration, discovery and
cross-fertilisation of ideas. The law affords the individual responsibility
sharing was top of the list. The role, the motivations and personal
for his or her presence, open-mindedness and actions. Open Space
well-being of the facilitator were issues well explored. Passion was the
Technology is people-centred and result-orientated, it allows people
most central issue of the week. Discussions explored and critiqued
Space sense. We’ve already facilitated an Open Space!”(3) Since the training week an all-Ireland OS facilitators network
to broach difficult subjects together and address conflict. Participants
ideas about the passions that drive individuals and communities. OST
has been established. And an OS meeting on the subject of digital
in Open Space meetings are empowered by being made responsible
itself and its potential applications became more prominent
technologies and cultural practices has been hosted by Interface in
for their own interests, desires and actions. OS meetings have involved
conversation topics as the week progressed.
collaboration with The International Symposium of Electronic Arts
I was intrigued by the concept of self-organising systems in OST (2) . Susanne Bosch was particularly interested in OST as a process that
in Belfast. Chrissie Cadman is using OST to reframe the way
eliminates the search for role-models or scapegoats by individuals
Ulster Students’ Union. Theatre Forum Ireland scheduled an OS
anything between five and over 2000 participants. Based on the philosophy of self-organising systems, OST invests in the concept that people do best when they represent themselves. A need for OST facilitator training in Northern Ireland was identified by artists Cherie Driver and Susanne Bosch – who both work at the School of Art and Design at University of Ulster. Interface approved the training project and Bosch and Driver organised the event with The Berlin Open Space Co-op. Partial funding was received from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council. Twentyfive people took part in the training, mostly individuals from Northern Ireland; but participants also came from Germany, Latvia and Scotland. Two came from the Republic of Ireland, one being myself. The participants worked in areas such as arts, consultancy, youth-work, community care, community relations and sustainability. Michael M. Pannwitz and Jo Töpfer led the training, supported by Yaari Pannwitz and assisted by Belfast-based MA students Chrissie Cadman and Eleanor Phillips. The training, which took place over seven days, was based at the Connswater Community Centre in East Belfast.
within groups, referring to the idea that a collective only works if individuals are conscious of their individuality within the collective. During the training week each participant represented their own interests only. People who shared similar interests gravitated towards each other for discussions on those topics, and drifted towards other groups once those discussions concluded. This is self-organisation in action; it occurs naturally within groups but is not often trusted as an order-generating structure, as it is in OST. OST breaks down power dynamics that occur within groups. Self-representation, the absence of agendas and chairpersons assist in this. But there are other forces at work here. During the week of training I explained OST to a friend. She then told me a story of an advocacy organisation that disbanded as it failed to resolve internal conflicts and bullying issues – despite mediation efforts. The breakdown was a result, she contended, of societal power structures being reflected, replicated and unwittingly played out amongst the group’s committee members. It was a minor tragedy, as the group had
whatever they might be. That’s caught on quite quickly! There have been a few suggestions of Open Spaces in the future, and people, particularly in Northern Ireland, have met and we’ve had an Open
information is disseminated amongst members of the University of meeting in December, and Create aims to sponsor a meeting of collaborative artists in 2009 in Dublin. An OS learning exchange is being planned. I am organising an experimental OS meeting for members of The Market Studios, Dublin. Whenever it happens is the right time! (4) Áine Ivers 1) Interface, established in 2004 is an interdisciplinary and practice based research centre situated in the School of Art and Design, University of Ulster, Belfast campus. 2) The philosophy of self-organisation has applications in physics and sociology. I found this definition interesting: “The essence of self-organisation is that system structure often appears without explicit pressure or involvement from outside the system. In other words, the constraints on form … are internal to the system, resulting from the interactions among the components and usually independent of the physical nature of those components.” From the website Self-Organising Systems (SOS), Frequently Asked Questions’, Version 3 September 2008. URL http://www.comp.theory.self-org-sys 3) The conversation on OST between Cherie Driver and Susanne Bosch and myself took place in The University of Ulster on 16 Oct 2008. 4) For more on Open Space Technology see – www.openspaceworld.org
14
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
workshop / Residency
What do you Want to Say? Lisa Fingleton discusses her experience of the EsoDoc (the European Social Documentary film programme)
Happy Out (2008), Still from the film I made through the ESODOC programme. Screened at the Cork Film Festival. (photo: Lisa Fingleton)
At work on the beach in Latvia with Katerina Cizek, Filmmaker in Residence with the National Film Board of Canada. (photo: Lisa Fingleton)
(photo: Lisa Fingleton)
What is the heart of your film? Why you? Why now? Why should
The second week, which was based in Latvia, focused more on
I was really inspired by her work as Filmmaker in Residence with
anyone care? These are some of the questions that taunted me during
skills development within a number of elective workshops. We had
the National Film Board of Canada (www.nfb.ca/filmmakerinresidence).
my recent ESoDoc experience. ESoDoc (the European Social
the opportunity to do an intensive workshop on multi-skilling camera
She talked about her experience developing an experimental media
Documentary film programme) is a part of the EU’s Media Plus
(how to shoot an entire film on your own). One particularly good piece
programme at a Toronto Inner City Hospital. In the Drawing from Life
training initiative. The tutors come from all over the world with an
of advice from the tutor Phil Cox in relation to the visual story was
film project she worked with a group of people who had attempted
incredible combined experience in, and passion for, social
“You should always show, not tell!”.
suicide more than once as they went through a 20 week support
documentaries.
I had assumed that the main focus of EsoDoc would be on making
programme. What I found particularly interesting were the ethical
Each year EsoDoc supports approximately 20 documentary film
the traditional hour-long documentaries for TV. Surprisingly there was
protocols she developed around her projects regarding issues of
makers to develop projects in the areas of human rights, social justice
greater emphasis throughout the programme on the basic principles
consent and the right to respond).
and environmental protection – particularly in the developing world.
of documentary filmmaking, new media and participatory video.
The third strand of EsoDoc was Participatory Video. Kavita Das
The group meet for three week-long sessions over a six month period
Hugh Purcell and Sabine Bubeck-Panz constantly reminded us of
Gupta works with community video project in India called Drishti
in different locations around Europe. In between sessions the group
the basics. Hugh is the chair of ESoDoc and the former Head of
(www.drishtimedia.org). She talked about the power and potential of
stays in touch through an online forum. The programme varies every
Documentaries at the BBC. Sabine is a Commissioning Editor for the
media “What if the poorest ten million people of the world had their
year as it tries to respond to the needs of participants.
German Broadcaster ZDF / ARTE. Sabine kept asking “What is the story
own media industry?”. Drishti facilitates local people, trained as
I heard about ESoDoc thanks to Kate Kennelly the Kerry Arts
you want to tell? What do you want to say? What do you really want
community video producers, to create films in their local area. They
Officer, who forwarded me an email from Mediadesk. I was intrigued
to find out?”. Hugh encouraged us to of find a universal theme in a
are supported to explore issues that affect their local community and
and wondered if it might be relevant to me as an artist / film maker. At
particular story, create a trail for the audience to follow and identify a
they aim to show one film per month in each village. They also try to
the time, I was just completing my last term as Filmmaker in Residence
source of conflict or tension with which to hook the audience.
identify solutions to the problems in a post-screening debate. According
with Kerry County Council. In my own practice, I had been making
On the very first morning Hugh stressed the importance of
to Kavita, thousands of people view these films each month. As part of
short creative films for a number of years. I also found that I was
audience: “Who is your project for? How will it be transmitted? Why
EsoDoc, Kavita worked with Amy Gabor from Living Lens (www.
gathering a lot of video footage over the years, without any strategy for
should people watch it?”. According to Sabine, commissioners now
livinglens.co.uk) to facilitate workshops in participatory video.
how I might transform this stack of tapes into a finished artwork or
want film projects with online elements in order to engage an
film. In essence, I was documenting without knowing anything about
audience who have already moved from TV to the internet.
By the last session in Sicily in October, we had the option to pitch our projects to an international panel of experts including Lena
One of the general themes of the entire programme, was that you
Pasanen, the Chair of the European Documentary Network. The panel
I decided it was worth going through the fairly arduous application
can’t expect the audience to come to you – you need to go to your
were there to offer concrete advice and assistance on the future of the
process – even though I was intimidated by the 500 who had already
audience. In today’s world this often means having an active online
projects.
expressed interest on the website. My project was to make a film with
presence. Florian Thalhofer gave an eclectic presentation called My
We spent almost the entire week distilling what we had learned
Mná Mná, the lesbian choir in Cork. After a few weeks I was notified
Beautiful Online World. He has developed a number of online film
into a five minute presentation and two minute film trailer. Thanks to
that my application was accepted. I had to pay the fee – €1,200 –
projects, which have had millions of hits. He developed a non-linear,
the expert guidance of Sybille Kurz (www.pitching.de) I learned the
immediately (which did momentarily quench my excitement I have to
rule-based system of storytelling called the Korsokow system. The
importance of practice, practice, practice. Furthermore I was shocked
admit!). This fee covered all the tuition, food and accommodation – but
software can be downloaded and used free of charge as long as the
to learn that I had to add English subtitles to my trailer as people
excluded travel. Thankfully, I received a Travel Award from the Arts
source is acknowledged (www.korsakow.com or www.thalhofer.com)
couldn’t understand the Irish accents!
the art of documentary.
Filmmaker Katerina Cizek was also ready with lots of ideas on
Through EsoDoc I made a short film called Happy Out which was
I remember arriving the first day to a breathtaking location in the
how to use new media to develop projects and reach your audience.
shown at the Corona Cork Film Festival 2008. I am now working with
North of Italy. I was glad I caught a glimpse of the Dolomite peaks on
She was particularly keen that we use the tools already available
Evelyn Quinlan the musical director of the Mná Mná choir, to further
that first day, because I soon found out that there really is no official
through the internet such as blogging, social networking sites, wiki,
develop this film project. At the time of writing we are looking for
free time in ESoDoc. The programme starts at 9am immediately after
delicious (http://del.icio.us/katciz) and YouTube. She also talked about
funding to expand the creative team and are exploring possibilities
breakfast. There are breaks for lunch and dinner, after which
emerging trends and possibilities for social documentary filmmaking:
with regard to broadcasting and distribution.
participants and tutors regroup to view and critique films until about
■■ Gaming – simulating issues in the real world through interactive
11pm. It is fascinating, but also really intense from the beginning.
Council, which covered some of the costs.
games (http://worldwithoutoil.org)
While the experience was overwhelming and very demanding at times, there was always great camaraderie in the group. If you are
■■ Mobile / locative – using mapping and locative media to tell a
interested in social documentary and have something you want to say
exploring lots of different possibilities for documentary film making.
I would thoroughly recommend the ESoDoc experience.
Throughout the entire programme there was a strong emphasis on
■■ QR codes / 2D barcodes – using the mobile phone to scan a bar
developing our own projects through individual and group tutorials.
code that then brings you to the related internet site (www.
We learned a lot from watching each other’s projects evolve over the
semapedia.org)
six months.
■■ Immersive - developing an online experience that pulls you into
The first week focused very much on developing our ideas; and
story (http://www.traces-of-fire.org)
curated non-linear story.
The closing date for this year’s ESoDoc 3 March 2009 – further information can be found at www.esodoc.eu. Lisa Fingleton Lisa Fingleton is an Artist/Film maker and a member of the Backwater Artist’s Group in Cork. Lisa can be contacted on: lisafingleton@gmail.com
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
15
January – February 2009
Regional Profile
Visual Arts Resources & Activity
DLR Visual Arts Programme
DLR: Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown An Artist in the Borough Aoife Desmond Wetland (Simultaneous presence of land and sea)
Gary Coyle. Lovely Water, Swim No 2449, 2/09/2008. C print edition of 5
I was born in Dun Laoghaire – and bar an eight year
thinking “you’re an artist not a writer” and parked
long period spent in New York and London from the
them in a drawer for a few years. Finally I showed
late 1980s to 1990s, I have always lived here. When
them to a friend, who encouraged me to bring them
I first returned, I rented various flats and studios in
on further, which eventually resulted in me standing
Dublin, but never really used them as I was always
in front of an audience of 100 people for a hour a
out here.
night for a week, projecting my photographs of Dun
It’s difficult for me at this stage to say what it is
Laoghaire and telling stories about the town and my
exactly it is about the place that grips me. I do love
relationship to it. And though I found (and still find)
the feel of the town itself. It is not suburbia, it is a
the whole business of performance immensely
town in its own right with a bustle and an energy. I
stressful, it is also exhilarating and liberating to face
like its shabby Victorian streets and squares – and
down your worst fears.
the fact it has been quite resistant to gentrification.
I am also working on a percent for art
It’s an atmospheric place, something enhanced by
commission for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County
the fact that it is a seaside town.
Council, for which I am doing a series of large
Since the summer of 1999, I have swum more
charcoal portraits of people from the town (I get to
or less on a daily basis in the Forty Foot in Sandycove,
choose the subjects) and also a series of large format
taking photos with a water proof camera while in
photos of the area. I don’t see the point in doing a
the sea and documenting anything of note that
public commission, unless it pushes you in some
happens in diaries. The whole enterprise started off
new direction, exploring something you wouldn’t
as a spoof on performance art, but like with many
normally do. To my surprise I’ve really enjoyed
things it took on a life all of its own. And now I find
making the portraits drawings, but have found the
myself tailoring my days to fit around swimming in
photography rather difficult. I imagined it would
the sea. This material – approximately 2,600 swims
have been the reverse. Though I work in various
– documented in 40 diaries, 7,500 photographs
media, the thread that runs through my work is a
(plus various sundry items) is the basis for my next
fascination with the everyday and the commonplace.
show At Sea, a spoken word performance which will be in the Project from the 2 – 7 February 2009.
I have always admired artists who have made work
It follows on from an earlier performance that I did in The Project in 2006, called Death in Dun
out of their everyday lives and environment and I am attempting to do the same. Gary Coyle
Laoghaire. For a long time I had been photographing my area, but making very little headway – which was very frustrating. But it was only when out of desperation I began to write stories to accompany the photographs, did they started to work. I then got kind of scared by the whole business of writing –
(1) At Sea, Commissioned by the Arts Council & The Project, Gary Coyles spoken-word performance, previews on Monday 2 Feburary, Opens on Tuesday 3 February and will run nightly until Saturday 7 February . At Sea will be accompanied by a 130 page full colour book, published by the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery; designed by Atelier; featuring essays by Maeve Connolly, Mia-lerm Hayes and Gary Coyle; along with an introductory text introduction by Patrick T. Murphy.
Alan Phelan Bald Finch
Seamus Kennedy Lumens. Sandycove. DLR public Art programme.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Arts Office was established in 1994 – and since that time has commissioned and developed an exciting range of festivals, exhibitions and initiatives. Behind all of the activities of DLR Arts is a belief in the value of the Arts and their ability to improve quality of life. The aims of DLR Arts are twofold, to support artists and to create opportunities for public participation in the Arts. Thus the Visual Arts Programme is committed not just to exhibiting work but also to commissioning new work from Visual Artists. The Concourse Installation Programme has been a highlight of DLR Visual Arts programme to date and invites artists to make work for a nongallery local government context within the civic space of Dun Laoghaire County Hall. Artists who have taken place in this programme include Sally Timmons, Fiona Mulholland, Linda Quinlan, Daniel De Chenu, Nicos Nicolaou and many others. A catalogue and an education programme have accompanied each exhibition. In 2008 this programme saw a further development with the Installation Programme being moved offsite to Blackrock Park where Visual Artists Aoife Desmond, Mark Garry and Alan Phelan were asked to respond to the environs of the park. The Concourse Installation Programme (and Concourse Offsite) have provided an opportunity for emerging and established artists to exhibit their work while also offering opportunities for the public to encounter contemporary art outside a gallery setting. Also in 2008 an Open Submission Exhibition gave artists based in or originally from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown an opportunity to exhibit their work within the Concourse in Dun Laoghaire County Hall. In 2009 the Concourse will host an exhibition of new work by Dun Laoghaire based artist Gary Coyle. The exhibition will feature a series of largescale portrait drawings in charcoal of people from Dun Laoghaire and will also continue to examine his hometown through the medium of photography. The west of the County will also be well served by two exhibitions; with the first by emerging
photographer Noel Bowler who will undertake ‘Islam in Ireland’, a contemporary look at one of the fastest growing religions in Ireland today. This new work is a fresh exploration and unprecedented look at life inside the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland. While in Dundrum, The Public Communications Group consisting of artists Brian Maguire, Brian O’Connor and Dominic Thorpe will undertake a project entitled Signatures. It will centre on engagement with individuals from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds and would like to challenge and question assumptions about people who come here from other countries and the succeeding generations of those who have immigrated to Ireland. Portraiture and audio recording will be used to make artwork, which will be communicated through radio advertising and bus shelter posters. These three projects have been commissioned through Place and Identity, DLR’s Percent for Art Scheme. DLR Arts also supports Visual Arts through their residency programme. In partnership with Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company Julie Merriman is mid-way through a five-year residency mapping re-developments of Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Another visual art residency is offered on an annual basis in partnership with Airfield Trust and has previously been awarded to Jennie Moran, Dominic Turner and Louise Meade. The DLR Arts Education Programme offers opportunities for both school children and community groups led by a panel of artists to experience creating and viewing the visual arts. Meanwhile continued investment in the County Collection and Public Art Collection also offer opportunities for artists to create and exhibit work and for the public to experience the visual arts in a variety of local non-gallery settings. DLR Arts will continue to provide opportunities for visual artists to work and exhibit in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and to create opportunities for the citizens of and visitors to the County to experience high quality Visual Arts programming. Carolyn Brown, Senior Arts Administrator / Visual Arts Co-ordinator.
16
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
Regional Profile
Up for Artists
A Creative College
'Open Door' installation view 2008. Exhibition organised by VAP(Visual Arts Practices) Year 2 students. Photo: Cora Cummins.
'Open Door' installation view 2008. Exhibition organised by VAP(Visual Arts Practices) Year 2 students. Photo: Cora Cummins. Julie Merriman – working on the DLR residency programme
'Open Door' installation view 2008. Exhibition organised by VAP(Visual Arts Practices) Year 2 students. Photo: Cora Cummins.
'Open Door' installation view 2008. Exhibition organised by VAP(Visual Arts Practices) Year 2 students. Photo: Cora Cummins.
The School of Creative Arts can trace its origins back to 1970, when it was based in the centre of Dun Laoghaire town. In 1997 it was incorporated into the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) – a new autonomous higher education institution within the Institutes of Technology sector. In the last ten years, the college’s student body has grown from 450 to over 1,650 fulltime students with 800 part-time students. The Visual Arts programme has had many successful graduates – such as Eithne Jordan, Graham Knuttel, Fergus Martin, Fergus Feehily, Mark Garry, Gavin Murphy and more recently Nina Cannell – to name but a few. The teaching team in the Visual Art Practices BA (Hons) is made up of practising artists and research-active academics, which helps to keep the programme vibrant and in touch with a changing art world. The programme is interdisciplinary. This flexibility places various practices beside one another, reflecting the situation in the art world. The creative pathways provided embrace drawing, painting, video, sculpture, printmaking, photography, sound, installation, performance and other related techniques.The programme links critical theory and studio practice, along with a strong history of visiting lecturers that cross over the disciplines of philosophy, science, criticality and practising artists. We encourage students to develop a comprehensive body of work, which can be tested against the ‘real world’ situations of contemporary art practice. The programme is also offered on a flexible basis by the same staff, in the evenings, over 4 years, through the ACCS (Accumulation of Credits and Certification of Subjects) system to facilitate non-traditional learners, mature students and parttime study option. Recent developments include ‘The Electric Fireside’ a weekly discursive gathering chaired by Maeve Connolly and Saoirse Higgins, along with a series of rolling fourth year exhibitions, in which students hang a professional show in two days, followed by a critique with their peers and tutor Jonathan Carroll from the Project Arts Centre. Third year students have the opportunity to work on the CREATE-Inter college placement programme with DIT, NCAD, Tisch School NYU.
Students can continue their art education on the MA in Visual Arts Practice or MAvis (www. mavis.ie) as it has become known. Headed by Amanda Ralph, the course encompasses pathways in art-making, criticism and curating. IADT is also part of GradCAM (Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media) a new fourth-level collaborative initiative of national and all-island institutions including the Dublin Institute of Technology (www. dit.ie), the National College of Art & Design (www. ncad.ie), the University of Ulster (www.ulster.ac.uk), and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire (www.iadt.ie). While the developing campus of IADT is not quite in the heart of Dun Laoghaire town, the students of VAP have worked on many projects in the town – for example curating works from the collection at IMMA, which were displayed in various shop fronts and locations around the town. Last year a group of students teamed up with the writer in residence project and exhibited in the pavilion theatre as part of the Poetry Ireland Festival. IADT have been regular exhibitors at the Concourse space in the town hall. An increasing phenomena is that of IADT graduates setting up artists groups such as Moxie (moxiedublin.com), Sodium (sodium.ie), FAF (fafartists.com), Mongrel (mongrelfoundation.com) and The Market Studios (themarketstudios. wordpress.com). Many students have been successful in gaining gallery representation by galleries such as the Kerlin, Mothers Tank Station and The Green on Red. As the artist Michael Craig Martin has stated (1) “the most important thing about art schools is the creation of a sympathetic ambience, in which people feel comfortable and free to act according to their own instincts ... basically you are trying to set up relationships between artists, to set things up where something might happen”. These types of relationships formed in college are priceless - when students meet and work with their peers, form collectives, create work, put on events etc. IADT especially values creating this type of stimulating and fertile environment for its students. (1) Modern Painters, September 2007.
Cora Cummins, Lecturer IADT.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown has always been home to artists. Maybe it is the sea, maybe it is its closeness to the city, or the fact that it has a college of art (IADT), and maybe it is because it was always considered to be the most pluralist, most liberal, of communities. In more recent times, however, artists have found it hard to settle here – with house prices exorbitant and rents expensive. To an extent, therefore, the artists that live in Dun LaoghaireRathdown include the more established artists alongside a transient community of students – usually tucked away learning in Kill Avenue’s institution. A second feature of the county is that it still has no designated visual arts spaces. There is of course the Concourse space at the heart of the County hall – used for exhibition, but it is really more of a civic space. In Airfield House – an Educational Trust established in Dundrum – there are print studios and darkroom facilities. In a few of the libraries and public offices there are small community exhibition spaces. When I was there as arts officer, in the mid to late 1990s, there was always the demand for studio space and the proposal for some sort of municipal gallery which remained on the backburner. We found some temporary studio spaces for artists, with the help of the Parks Department – but something more solid was always an ambition. To an extent then, the development and investment in visual artists arose out of these conditions – a progressive county, up for artists, but without any specialist facilities. We had to be inventive and create opportunities for artists and support their work utilising oddball places and in front of sometimes confused though often ‘discerning’, audiences. There was the need also to connect with others, form partnerships and consolidate possibilities – various artists’ residency programmes were initiated out of partnerships with schools, industries, community groups and the IADT. One particularly excellent residency, which is on-going and initiated by Sarah Searson while she was Arts Officer (2000 06), sees the County Council and Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company supporting Julie Merriman with a five year residency focusing on the Carlisle Pier – the disused ferry terminal awaiting demolition. The Concourse Programme, initiated for the County Hall in 1997, focused on installation, primarily because it was nearly impossible to hang work on its walls. Starting with Abigail O Brien and Mary Kelly’s visceral and powerful video installation How to Butterfly a Leg of Lamb and followed by Nicos Nicolau and Julie Merriman’s Self Feed – an expansive installation of Wavin sewage piping and cardboard tubing that literally hijacked the space, this
programme would prove challenging and controversial. There was a sense at times that we were walking a tight-rope. Icebreakers, as Sarah Searson so well understood, take time and require mediation. And she moved things on with flair. Last year the concourse programme went off-site to Blackrock Park, curated by Carolyn Brown and Clare Power and with artists Mark Garry, Aoife Desmond and Alan Phelan. This is the way a programme like this might best evolve – uncontained and mobile. Last week, I was back in Dun LaoghaireRathdown Arts Office, to sit on its public art advisory group. It is impressive to see how they have focused on public art with the highly capable Ciara King, as dedicated specialist. A thematic approach focusing on the complex and elusive subject of 'Place and Identity' sees new work commissioned from Gary Coyle; Patricia McKenna, Noel Bowler, Brian McGuire, Dominic Thorpe and Brian O Connor. The programme is exciting because it places artists’ practice at the centre, while still supporting them to engage with place and people in a way that is interesting for them. And, critical reflection, mediation and dissemination of thinking around public art are being built in. At this meeting, I also heard of new plans for an Arts and Cultural centre as part of the new library building at Moran Park, Dun Laoghaire. A facility that would support workspaces for artists and a designated exhibition space as well as considering novel approaches to combining community interests. With studio spaces clearly on the agenda, Kenneth Redmond the current Arts Officer, speaks of funding artists’ bursaries and consolidating partnerships. And the students from Kill Avenue are at last breaking free, and seek – with local authority support – occupation of empty shops in Dun Laoghaire for collective style can-do curation programmes. Perhaps, having good artists, but no real arts spaces, forced all of us who worked there over the years to think a bit outside of the box, sometimes misfiring, sometimes frustrated that artists’ facilities were not forthcoming, and, sometimes perhaps, starting things that helped consolidate the ingrained philosophy of ‘up for artists’. Dun Laoghaire the Victorian town with its great harbour, but strange main street that somehow finds it hard to ‘take off’ and Dundrum, the once small village to the West, now consumed by shopping developments and commercial takeovers, experiences the opposite. As a county, it remains ripe with potential and has much to offer artists. And now with deflation and hopefully cheaper rents artists might look again to relocating here. Cliodhna Shaffrey
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
17
January – February 2009
FOCUS – SPART
20 Revolution (a revolutionary workout), Le Lieu, Quebec City 2006.
Nathan Crothers at the opening ceremony of the SPART Action Winter Game 2008, Belfast.
Play is Older than Culture
interested in making works that would not so much represent these
Justin McKeown discusses the concept of SPART and other Sport / Art hybrid practices.
Dadaist Arthur Craven who in 1916 challenged then heavyweight-
things, but rather embody them in everyday situations. From my perspective, the great granddaddy of SPART was the preboxing champion of the world, Jack Johnston, to a fight. While this is
In 2001 I had an epiphany, that just as the 20th century demanded
those things singled out as art, and, thereby, the superiority of the form
his most overt sport / art hybrid work, a quick glance at his biography
new forms of art, so too does the 21st century demand new forms of
of life which celebrates them, and the social group which is implicated.
reveals a larger than life character who understood that one’s existence
leisure. To this end I proposed SPART: the ultimate hybridisation of
This boils down to an assertion that bourgeois society, and the ruling
and appearance in the world could be composed as a work of art in
sport and art, and therefore the most evolved form of leisure on the
class within it, is somehow committed to a superior form of knowledge”.
itself. The realisation of such a thing necessarily embodies all the
planet. In 2001, when I first articulated the concept of SPART, I was
(2)
qualities of game play. Craven was last seen disappearing off the coast of Mexico in a rowing boat in November 1918. He was presumed dead,
virtually on my own in my enthusiasm for the development of such a
Therefore the idea that art as a vehicle of superior knowledge is
practice. And though my concept of SPART has grown a support
nothing more than a particular type of play enjoyed by a particular
network of collaborators in Europe, Canada and America, and even
section of society, is not something that sits easy in the minds of many
Since Craven’s first sport / art experiment others have been thin
earned me a solo show in the Ludwig Museum in Budapest, these
of those involved in the production and consumption of contemporary
on the ground. However in recent years this has been changing. Since
SPART practices have remained marginal. Yet today, my articulation of
art. Yet perhaps the mistake made by those who are perturbed by the
the announcement of the 2012 London Olympics and the shifts to
the concept of SPART seems to have had some prescience since sport /
idea of art as play is that they mistakenly believe that their concept of
funding this has caused, various artists all over the UK have been
art hybrid practices are becoming evermore significant as an area of
art is being undervalued, rather than realising that they themselves
dabbling in the hybridisation of sport and art. Indeed the UK
cultural experimentation. I was therefore pleased when Visual Artists
may be undervaluing or misunderstanding the significance of play.
government’s need for a cultural Olympiad has been an economic
Ireland invited me to write this article on SPART and other related
For as Johan Huizinga put it “play is older than culture, for culture,
driving force in these developments. While Martin Creed has flown
practices for this edition as it offers me a vehicle through which to
however inadequately defined, always presupposes human society,
the SPART flag for Brit Art with his minimally titled Work No 850,
clarify some key aspects of my thinking on this subject.
and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing”
which saw runners gracing the floor of Tate Britain (4), perhaps the
(3)
but a body was never found.
What the reader must first understand is that my concept of
Thus it was with a head full of these and related thoughts I found
most notable events to spring forth as a direct result of the Olympics
SPART is very particular; indeed my understanding of art is quite
myself in London in 2001 watching the performance art festival SPAN
are the large artist’s sports days organised by the Grunts for the Arts
particular. Since I first began making art, I have been concerned with
2. One morning on my way to the festival I was having a coffee in a
Campaign in protest at the affects of the Olympics on cultural funding
the simple question: given the world we live in what is the point of
street flower market with a friend. While sitting with her I watched a
(5)
making art? This concern necessarily developed into an understanding
kid on a skateboard weaving his way through the crowds of people. As
common usage. A quick google search reveals a SPART club ran by
that art is an open system of knowledge whose basis is material.
a one time skateboarder I remembered the sensation of riding across
Lincolnshire council as an after schools club for kids. The term also
Thought of in this way, art provides us with a material based system
different surfaces, of choosing which bits of the pavement and road
seems to have had some currency in Australia, where rather a lot of
for exploring and reasoning the conditions of the world around us. By
were best to ride on, essentially pitting the materiality of myself and
money seems to be spent presenting annual SPART awards (6).
extension of this logic, artworks are not so much expressions of view
the skateboard against the materiality of the city, not in opposition but
but rather crystallisations of moments of material thinking. This way
in a kind of flowing harmony.
. In a more banal way the term SPART seems to be coming into more
Even in Belfast SPART seems to be catching on. The activities of myself and fellow SPART Action Group; Meabh McDonnell, Gerard
of thinking about art necessarily led me to work with time-based
In recalling this I also recalled my love of martial arts and the
McKeown, Nathan Crothers, Paul Stapleton, Caroline Pugh, James
mediums such as performance, video, installation and sound.
sensation of the flow of fighting in which conscious thought disappears
Black and others aside, other completely unrelated groups have been
Simultaneously I was also interested in art historic precedents for this
and all is left is the materiality of the body meeting the materiality of
producing their own SPART-style works. These include a wrestling
particular view of art, which could be found in the activities of
another. The kid on the board was poetry in motion. Then, he fell off a
match organised by the Lawrence St Workshops at the Giants Ring
movements such as Dada, Surrealism, Lettrism, Situationism, Fluxus,
curb and landed on his ass. Our eyes met and he looked back at me
titled The Fling in the Ring (7) and the Tit-tat Disco Olympics recently
Dutch Provo, Punk et al, who seemed to be primarily concerned with
with embarrassment. There it was lying naked for me to see, the whole
hosted by Catalyst Arts (8). Yet even though SPART seems to be gaining
redressing the divisions between art and life in one way or another.
poverty and poetry of early 21 century life, the Hollywood ‘cool’ of
ground, we within the SPART Action Group are choosing this moment
Something important in my readings of the activities of these
the Jackass generation was lying at the bottom of a curb in London. Yet
to officially announce a SPART Strike within Northern Ireland,
movements was the significance of play as a creative endeavour. Many
this kids hobby and his desire to pursue a particular type of glamour
beginning in January 2009. This is in protest at the cuts to funding
of the aforementioned movements were of a utopian current, aiming
through it was no different than the desire expressed by both artists
caused by the 2012 London Olympics. However, don’t expect SPART to
for a society in which man would be free in which to endlessly create.
and sportsmen from all walks of life.
disappear, rather await the application of our corkscrew logic to the
st
This is as evident in the demands of Dadaist Richard Huelsenbeck for
In this moment I realised the underlying commonalities between
“the introduction of progressive unemployment through the
both fields of endeavour: the conditions of the game, the drive for
to the
success and the risk of failure. The ruthlessness of the pursuit of ones
playground style city envisioned by the Situationist Constant’s New
desires, the idea of fair play, the assumption of abstract rules as guiding
Babylon architecture project.
principles governing the interrelation of form and content. Not to
comprehensive mechanisation of every field of activity”
(1)
Yet the concept of art as a form of play does not sit well with
mention the underlying way in which both sporting and artistic
many who treat art as a serious business. The reasons for this are
pursuits explore the materiality of being, albeit through quite different
varied but perhaps at the root of all of them is a problem summed up
strategies. Therefore, I first conceived of SPART as a category or
succinctly by Stewart Home when he commented: “Rather than
creative endeavour that would embody these conditions. In doing this
having universal validity, art is a process that occurs within bourgeois
I wasn’t seeking to combine sport and art, rather I was seeking to
society, one which leads to an irrational reverence for activities which
embody, materialise and explore the emotional and material
suit bourgeois needs. This process posits the objective superiority of
commonality that underpins both. As I begun doing this I was
idea and context of the Strike. It seems we already have the support of these people (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=paovxoOmDdY ) Why not go on strike yourself? Justin McKeown Notes 1) R. Huelsenbeck cited by S.Home in The Assault on Culture, AK Press, p5, 2) S. Home, The Assault on Culture, p43, 3) J. Huizinga, Homo Ludens, Paladin Press, p19, 4) http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/jul/06/art.tatebritain 5) http://gruntsforthearts.wordpress.com 6) http://www.verve.org.au/spart/index.html 7) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OMi1ffxAMU4 8) http://www.catalystarts.org.uk/index.php?mact=Calendar,cntnt01,default,0&cntnt01even t_id=59&cntnt01display=event&cntnt01lang=en_GB&cntnt01detailpage=73&cntnt01retur n_id=15&cntnt01returnid=73
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
19
January – February 2009
How is it MADE? using photographs of organic substances to represent the tumours and impose them onto the drawings – a technique that she had previously used on other animation pieces. Using Photoshop, Flash, QuickTime and Final Cut Pro we developed a 45 second seamlessly looped animation. It was great to team up with and avail of Vera’s expertise. She has great technical skills, which meant we were able to make an animation in a short amount of time (4). I worked on the book simultaneously. I initially tried to include deboss text and a concertina fold in the one book using an old typewriter without a ribbon. Following numerous unsuccessful attempts I then contacted various commercial printers, but costs became prohibitive. Aware of the limitations of modern digital printing methods for debossing, I attended a second workshop at the National Print Museum in letterpress printing. This involved the use of metal type composed by hand using a compositing stick. The completed text was tightly bound together, mounted in a press and printed using the original machines in the museum. Hand compositing was the original technique used predominantly in printing up until the end of the 19th century. A volunteer from the museum, retired typesetter, Con Devlin, facilitated the workshop. I explained my idea to him using a digitally printed draft of the book. He had never printed with blind deboss text before and was intrigued by the challenge. He agreed to work with me and so we spent the following two weeks setting the type, working on the layout and printing the book. Con suggested using Rockwell typeface, as it was closest to the old typewriter font. The book was
Kate Minnock, Karkinoma, Installation shot, front of thisisnotashop as LUAS passes
Disquieting Beauty
Kate Minnock talks about THE CREATION OF HER RECENT EXHIBITION ‘Karkinoma’ at thisisnotashop (2 – 12 October 2008).
made using five frames printed onto separate sheets of paper. For the purpose of producing a blind deboss, as required, we printed the final frames without the use of ink and with slight additional pressure from the press. Unexpectedly the deliberate, laborious yet meditative process of letterpress printing became an intrinsic element within the work.
My recent practice has been primarily research and collaborative
Due to the sensitive nature of the deboss and as I was using a
based. My work spans site-specific installation, print and drawing. The
concertina fold, I was unable to use any industrial machinery to
primary focus of my work has been radiation and its effect on specific
assemble the pages of the book. Finished by hand, the need for such
human and environmental systems.
accuracy reduced my initial ten editions to three. I had already
Earlier this year, I made a body of work for a two-person show
contacted Library Bindings in Santry who offered to bind a limited
titled ‘Cellscape’, at Wicklow County Buildings. Comprising print-
edition, with the title ‘Karkinoma’ debossed on a hardback cover. The
based studies of malignant cells this work was a response to preliminary
cost of producing the book was escalating rapidly at this point so I was
research into the possible effects of low-level radiation on cell growth.
delighted when they offered to hand-bind three copies in exchange for
Over the summer, I worked on a site-specific commission for ‘about
a piece of my work. The bartering system is still alive to some small
100 experiments’, curated by Eilís Lavelle. Following a series of
extent!
discussions about my practice, I decided to move away from the
In tandem with realising my two concepts, I was considering the
aesthetics of printmaking, which had been dominating my work, and
gallery space and how I would install the work. I was familiar with the
to allow my research and concept to arrive to the fore. This saw me use elements of print and drawing as a conceptual tool for the first time. Through dialogue and self-directed research, I decided that my focus for this project would be the pollution of farmland with Chromium 6, a carcinogenic toxin, by a local saw mill. I felt it was important to give weight to the final aesthetic of this piece without compromising its context. At this time I was approached by Aideen Darcy to exhibit at thisisnotashop. As this was my first solo exhibition in a contemporary gallery space in Dublin, I was eager to expand and develop my practice. I began to reflect and re-evaluate the previous works I had made. I wanted to maintain a research-based practice that incorporated issues relating to the environment and cancer. I decided to rent a project studio for 10 weeks to focus on the exhibition. The starting point for ‘Karkinoma’ came from a collection of scientific illustrations. These exquisitely detailed drawings of sprawling tumours in rats accompanied the work of Argentinean scientist, Angel H Roffo. His pioneering research into links between environmental workplace hazards and cancer was predominantly ignored by mainstream science. This exhibition sought to acknowledge the suppression of this research and comment upon the sublime in the grotesque. The title refers to the term first used by the Greek physician Hippocrates 2,500 years ago to depict a tumour as a “muddled irritable cavity with spindly legs flaring out of control in all directions”. Fascinated with its evil animal-like appearance, he called it karkinoma, cancer, the Greek word for crab. Presented at an international congress on cancer in Belgium in 1936 (1), the drawings accompanying Roffo’s paper evoke a disquieting sense of beauty. I wanted to translate these scientific illustrations into an animation. My aim was to call into question our accepted ideas of beauty. I wanted to explore whether images like the pleasing symmetries or harmonious colours that appear in the molecular shapes of a malignant cancer cell or animated cancerous tumours could be considered a thing of beauty (2). Wary of using scientific
Kate Minnock, Karkinoma, (detail), blind deboss artists book, 21cm x 130cm.
illustration in my work, my aim was to juxtapose art and scientific illustration by using animation. Earlier in the year I had attended a bookmaking workshop at the National Print Museum. I was hopeful that this new medium would provide exciting possibilities for combining print and text based work. I began to look at various options with bookbinding and layouts in the studio, making rough drafts from imagery relating to karkinoma. I finally rested on the idea of making a solely text-based book. While I had used text before, this approach felt like quite a brave and challenging step forward for me. I decided the book would take on the format of a timeline that would highlight significant events relating to Roffo’s research. The final layout and content of the book was quite simple but required an effective yet minimal approach in its fabrication. My intention was to print the book as a blind deboss. Without the use of ink the text would appear buried in the paper, an allusion to the suppressive nature of political and economic forces within science (3). Finished with a concertina fold, the book could be unfolded to reveal in full the details of the timeline. As I had never made an animation or a book before the only way to enable my project to come to fruition was through collaboration. I approached Vera Klute to help with the technical aspects of producing an animation. Familiar with her work, I explained my idea to develop a drawing based animation using the scientific illustrations from Roffo’s research. From my initial sketches of the illustrations I had a clear idea of how I wanted the drawings to appear. I worked on the final sketches with another artist, Damien Flood. Vera and I then used the drawings together with photographs as the basis for a stop-gap animation. Titled No. 2 / Fig. 6 it shows a rat with tumours developing and receding. In our first discussion about how we might be able to realise my idea it became clear that it was important to bring an organic and fluent feel to the piece. While the animated rat should appear delicate, similar to the original illustrations, Vera recommended
space and wanted to create contrasting viewing experiences while utilising the glass shop front. With this in mind the animation was back projected onto one window of the gallery. This could be viewed from the LUAS which passed by the gallery frequently, by pedestrians outside and from within the gallery space, as mostly a communal experience. The viewer, on the other hand, was encouraged to view the book while seated at a table. My hope was to create a solitary and intimate experience of engaging with this conceptual piece. I displayed the book on a purpose made table so as to accommodate the full unfolded length of the timeline. This gave the gallery an overall minimal feel, which became an important element within the exhibition. On reflection I think ‘Karkinoma’ was a challenging and difficult exhibition for me. As I had never made a book or an animation before it required different layers of collaboration. It was necessary to convince those whose help I sought that I was serious about my work and that my idea was valid. Asking people to work on a project you have devised requires you to have confidence and faith in yourself and your practice, something that doesn’t always come naturally to me. I was fortunate enough to have regular studio visits from another practising artist and a curator, both of whom I had previously worked with. They encouraged me to take risks and develop what I hope is a more dynamic practice. Working with technical assistance was a key factor in realising my aim for this project in quite a restricted time frame. Animation and book making are two complementary ways of working which I would like to return to in the future. Kate Minnock Notes 1. The Second International Congress of Scientific and Social Campaign Against Cancer, 1936. 2. Strange and Charmed, Science and the Contemporary Visual Arts, Sian Ede, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 2000. 3. The Secret History of the War on Cancer, Devra Davis, 2007 4. To view the animation click on youtube.com/KateMinnock
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
23
January – February 2009
PROJECT PROFILE
Emptying the Body Séamus Dunbar profiles the Body/Landscape workshop held on Inis Oirr, 14 – 20 Sept 2008.
Séamus Dunbar negotiating the landscape, Inis Oirr.
The third Body/Landscape workshop to be held in Ireland took place on Inis Oirr last September. An international cast of participants, many from a visual arts background, used the exhilarating rocky landscape as a medium to explore the relationship between body and environment (1) . In addition to the specific training and investigations conducted under the direction of Dutch choreographer and dancer Frank van de Ven, the workshop also involved the development of individual personal projects, which were presented in the final days of the event. Much of the work, by its nature, took place out of doors. Amazingly what had been unrelentingly wet weather obliged us with a temporary ceasefire – this greatly increased the enjoyment and benefit of the activities, particularly on a memorable day trip to Inis Meáin. And we remained blissfully unaware as the world slid into financial turmoil – being attuned instead to the journey of the sun from its rising over the cliffs of Moher, to its setting over Inis Meáin, governing the vicissitudes of island life as it has done for four millennia. After the workshop, I spoke at length to Frank van de Ven about the practical and philosophical basis of the ‘Body Weather’ system and its application to performance, visual arts, and life in general. He explained that the key to understanding the concept is the metaphorical use of the term ‘weather’ – both in its meteorological sense of climate; but also as a milieu; or an environment; or ecosystem – and by extension any set of prevailing conditions including social and cultural contexts. Weather is simultaneously all-encompassing and specific; a universal system and a local phenomenon. Likewise the body is a complex system, but with specific possibilities being manifested in any given part at any given time. Van de Ven spoke of “bodies as weather” or “bodies having weather and therefore, because the body is constantly changing, an awareness of the body should acknowledge this state of flux – leading directly into ontological questions about the nature of being. Body/Landscape, then, may be simply defined as body weather research in a real and tangible environment. Much movement work is developed in the relatively neutral space of the dance studio – so to work in an outdoor space adds another rich layer of possibility to the enquiry. It places the body very definitely in its wider surroundings, with the skin perceived as a dividing membrane – and a thin one at that – not a fixed border, but one which is permeable and open allowing some things to pass through. This understanding developed during van de Ven’s decade of training with Min Tanaka in Japan was further refined on his return through his continuing collaboration with Czech artist Miloš Sejn on the Bohemiae Rosa project. (www. bohemiaerosa.org) Body Weather training is an enquiry on many levels. It probes the relationship between body and world; between parts of bodies and between the body and other bodies. It observes the relationship between body and mind – or between body and self and one’s own notion of one’s self. The training is also by its essence a group activity. Van de Ven pointed out that the Japanese word for human being or person, the pictogram ‘Ningen’, is made up of two parts – almost like two bodies leaning towards one another. Typically in body weather training one works for a bit; and then tries to communicate what one has experienced – while acknowledging that not everything can or should be captured in words. This effort deepens the understanding of one’s own and others’ experience. It is only what you recognise in other people that you can then find in yourself – and vice versa. So while you can work and make a certain amount of progress on your own, working with colleagues and them being a mirror to your work is really crucial.
Day report Friday Sept 19.
A still moment for the group.
Moreover, this training is not about a style of movement or technique in itself – but more of a tool that can be applied to many types of creative activity. There is a focus on an ‘emptying out’ of intention – in order to simply be; or to investigate without expectations and preconceptions. It is emptying out in order to prepare the ground so that some really new and different experience can come in. There is also an aesthetic to the empty body itself. “The empty body can be filled with anything. And the empty body itself is beautiful to perceive, witness and to be with – because there is a primordial quality to it. The empty body is not shaped by life, age, gender, culture, history. Its emptiness invites us to project onto it – and that is one example of how it can be applied to performance. If you can be really empty, you can be really filled with something new – or filled in a different way – and also to go beyond the obvious, the well known or what you already know in performance. The empty body can then be anybody; can become anybody; can become another body – and so it creates space for transformation. And if it can indeed become another body then it questions or opens up the relationship between spectator and performer – so that the audience could have another entrance into a performance. If that body can be anybody on stage – and even if it is a 60 year old male on stage – then you can still have a direct or a gut connection even if you’re a 20 year old woman.” (2) The visual arts are also open to an application of this approach – particularly sculpture, which is of its nature a very physical and tactile activity. The practice of drawing on to a sheet of paper held against the body has previously been described by Fergus Byrne (3) in these pages, in addition van de Ven posits the possibilities of focusing more on the body that sculpts rather than on the outcome of the activity. The mechanisms to achieve this might include working ‘blind’ or even while naked. And the purpose of this would be to achieve an emptying out with the ultimate aim of returning to ones more regular practice awake to new possibilities and with a new level of awareness. This capacity to experience conditions as one finds them and
Siobhán Clancy, Niamh Geoghegan and Christopher Mahon, working at manipulations
without prejudice is becoming of increasing interest to the scientific community and van de Ven was previously invited to participate in an expedition to determine how a Dutch crew survived being shipwrecked on the remote island of Nova Zembla in the Arctic Ocean in the late sixteenth century. Unfortunately this potentially fascinating project never reached fruition – but is nonetheless evidence of the regard for the value of artistic insight and experience in its capacity to re-examine the relationship between action and the material world. Other examples would include the play Mnemonic by the company Complicité (www.complicite.org) which dealt with the impact of the discovery in 1991 of the so called ‘Iceman’ in the Ötztaler Alps and closer to home, the ongoing investigations of the Umha Aois experimental bronze casting project. (www.umha-aois.com) It took several years for van de Ven and other European colleagues to integrate their Japanese experiences into a western movement vocabulary. A most welcome ally was found in the work of French philosophers Deleuze and Guattari, in particular their book A Thousand Plateaus (4). In particular in the chapter How to make yourself a body without organs, he found strong analogies with the notion of body weather, as the text defined the body as being multi-centred and nonhierarchical in terms of its functions or experiences. This prompted an exploratory project, which occupied van de Ven for several years, which comprised of a dialogue between a number of people from the worlds of dance and theatre with philosophers in order to translate these ideas into concrete strategies that could be experienced in real and physical ways – in bodies, moving in the studio and beyond. The project resulted in numerous performances, actions and interventions – such as invading discos with a small group of people and trying to influence and ‘bend’ the atmosphere; to exploring notions of territorialisation and de-territorialisation; or wandering aimlessly for hours through a city landscape reminiscent of the Derivé of Situationist fame. The Aran Islands had long fascinated van de Ven as a result of his having seen the film Man of Aran (1934. Dir. Robert J Flaherty) many years ago. The grainy images of rugged landscape and the direct confrontation with the sea lingered in his mind – so in many ways conducting a Body/Landscape workshop here was the realisation of a dream. On Inis Orr the participants in Body / Landscape 2009 experienced an extraordinary sense of both distance and proximity. The mainland was very near, very visible, yet one really had the sense of being on an island. And despite it being such a small island, we only explored a limited part of it. The week yielded up great richness and diversity. The personal projects conducted by the participants variously invoked the elemental forces of rock and sea; reinterpreted old places of worship and recalled now vanished practice of burning seaweed for kelp – when the islanders tended their kilns through the long night. Indeed, we witnessed the ‘Hag of Beara’ leading a midnight pilgrimage to rekindle the old kelp burning flames, and the illuminated moon rising and coming ashore from the dark waters of the harbour. Seamus Dunbar Body/Landscape would like to acknowledge the support of Áras Éanna on Inis Oirr. For information on Body / Landscape Ireland 2009 email seamusd62@eircom.net More information about Body Weather at http://bodyweatheramsterdam.blogspot.com 1) Séamus Dunbar, Rosie O’Regan, Hilary Williams, Siobhán Clancy, Christopher Mahon, Kateřina Bilejova, Niamh Geoghegan, Marco Regueiro, Jason O’Neill, Lucy Nooren, Anne Genevieve Hanway, Tian Rotteveel. 2) Frank van de Ven, quoted from an interview conducted with the writer. 3) Fergus Byrne. Body Weathers / Body Apparatus. The Visual Artists News Sheet. March / April 2007. 4) Deleuze, Giles and Guattari, Felix. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. University of Minnesota Press 1987.
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
25
January – February 2009
CONFERENCE REPORT
A Different Frame
theory as a basis for institutional critique. Applying the theme of anthropophagy, Frazer pronounced appropriation as a form of cannibalism. The term was coined by critic Oswald de Andrade,
Anna Colford reports on ‘Museum 21; Institution Ideas Practice’ – a conference on museums and galleries held at IMMA (12 – 13 November 2008).
referring to the mixed cultural origins of Brazil and how culture and hence artistic practice is built by a cannibalistic ingestion of the other (1) . More recently she has been engaged with structures of ambivalence, which from a psychoanalytical position means opposition in relation to one and the same object, for instance love / hate. The conjunction of those two opposing affects is for Frazer the locus of institutional critique. In a polished presentation, Carey Young outlined a series of her projects comparing the institutions of art with the institutions of business and law, which according to Young, seem to have fallen outside the artistic interpretation of the word “institution”. The art world, she claims, has a lack of insight into the business world. Capitalism, on the other hand, has tended to fetishise creativity using it as a driver of growth. Her work, well documented for those who wish to investigate more closely, is performative, often elaborate in conception involving audience participation, which can last beyond the time frame of the exhibition, as in Donor Card. In this piece the artist disseminated 500 free, signed donor cards in the gallery, which only took on the legal status of an artwork when signed by the viewer and which will retain their status only for as long as the artist or the viewer remain alive. The qualities of absurdity and humour are evident in the work and she cited Deleuze’s concept of pleasure as a point of reference.
Closing Discussion; Andrea Fraser, Susan Pearce, Kevin Atherton Carey Young, Okwui Enwezor and Enrique Juncosa. Photography by Richard Gilligan, images courtesy of IMMA.
Museum 21 is the fourth in a series of biannual international
a move away from the traditional format of museum as public domain
symposia hosted by IMMA, aimed at investigating new perspectives
toward a concept of commons, that which is belonging to all of us,
on the role and function of public galleries and museums in the 21
which even the museum cannot own.
st
century by exploring their key challenges, frictions and possibilities.
Susan Pearce, a sociologist and a specialist in the interpretation of
Previous symposia include ‘To Have and to Hold’, which addressed
material culture, seemed at odds with current modes of thinking
collecting policies (2002); ‘Curating Now’, which looked at international
around collecting within the context of art museums. Her entertaining
curatorial practice (2004) and ‘Access All Areas’, which addressed
paper, entitled Collecting the New, described ‘The Peoples’ Shows’ where
issues of access to contemporary art in public museums and galleries
members of the public were offered an opportunity to bring their
(2006). Details are available on the museum website – www.imma.ie/
collections to the Walsall Museum, everything from shoe trees, to
museum21/archive. Speakers at Museum 21 included Bart de Baere,
aeroplane sick bags to snow globes, which Pearce alleged demonstrated
Okwui Enwezor, Andrea Frazer, Enrique Juncosa, Susan Pearce and
an underworld of collecting that is the norm. The Department of
Carey Young with Siun Hanrahan as chairperson and Kevin Atherton
Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, where Pearce is based, is
acting as panel moderator.
home to the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG).
The first thing that caught my interest when I read the promotional
Inextricably linked to the British Labour government’s social inclusion
material for ‘Museum 21’ was the high profile of the various speakers
agenda the focus, for the RCMG over the last decade has been the
invited to participate. Previously embedded within a local (and some
visitor experience and the centre has conducted numerous visitor
critics would claim parochial) context, IMMA has in recent years
studies providing the government with copious amounts of data on
dedicated itself to addressing a broader international framework of
museum audiences.
institutional discourse. Not to undermine any determination on the
Pearce presented one such study about the collections of
part of the institution, this has no doubt been facilitated by increased
approximately a thousand random people; the findings of which she
state funding having afforded the museum the resources to attract
claimed were valueless in normal museum terms, as conventional
speakers of the calibre of Okwui Enezwor and Andrea Frazer – a
epistemologies cannot speak to them. In traditional museums
condition surely about to change in light of recent global economic
knowledge was created in the fabric of the display. The placement of
developments. Hopefully this will not mean an end to such gatherings
objects was based on appearances, by annotating similarities and
because as an event this symposium was both ambitious in aspiration
differences value was created. Modernist pattern making, as she
and sophisticated in delivery, a view echoed by Frazer in her opening
designated it, faltered in art when what became of interest were
comments when she stated that it was an incredibly well organised
personal histories. In corresponding this to de Baere’s concept of an
conference. High praise indeed from one who has, by her own
integrated museum – where articulating engagements becomes the
admission, been closely identified with institutional critique since the
economy of the museum – the questions posed at the panel discussion
1980s, and is no fledgling commentator when it comes to speaking to
were of enormous relevance. Is the shift toward living practices in
and in the museum. From my perspective Frazer’s contribution to the
contemporary art merely an oppositional strategy to the market – and
proceedings was the main feature of the day, both in her prepared talk
what does this confirm about contemporary practices? What is the
and in her engagement in the panel discussions.
role of the public institution in a world so understood? Are museums
The issues addressed were wide ranging stemming from the opening question “what is the point?” of a museum in the 21st century.
sites of transience? Is collecting and recording redundant?
The morning session was dominated by reflections on the nature of
decades, Andrea Frazer traced the shifts in her practice from the 1980’s
collecting, coming as they did from two different and seemingly
critique of institutions to a present day understanding of the institution
opposing viewpoints. Bart de Baere, Director of MuHKA, the Museum
of critique. Her work has often been perceived as a positioning of the
Of Contemporary Art in Antwerp, described collecting as immaterial,
artist against the institution, which she claimed, is not the case.
a performative activity that is not about collecting objects, but more
Drawing from the sociological theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Michel
about creating an ouvre or a network of relations. This would entail a
Foucault, she proposed the institution as a social field of which artists
shift from the catalogue or assembly of artworks to a field in which the
are a part. Constituted as sites for different kinds of stakes, she
possibilities of collecting are rethought. He offered various examples
maintained that museums are complex not unitary, monolithic or
of how MuKHA has constructed its collection along this vein through
mono-vocal, but often made up of factions where conflict exists.
the donation and purchase of documentation and preparatory works
Depending on which ‘faction’ invites her to the institution, she has
by artists. These cannot be ascribed an exchange value but contribute
over the course of several projects appropriated particular positions
to the building of an archive of public assets or rights which may take
and functions within the museum as a form of critique. Performing the
the form of assets. Giving the example of the bequest by the artist
roles of tour guide, curator, service provider, trustee, corporate sponsor,
Panamarenko of his house to the museum, (the house will not be
she uses each occasion to challenge both internal and external
dismantled and reconstructed within the gallery space but will remain
structures highlighting the intricate matrix of relationships inherent
where it is only to be maintained by the museum), de Baere proposed
in all institutions. Her current concerns are situated in psychoanalytical
In a thoughtful account of her body of work over the last two
The keynote speaker of the afternoon session was curator and writer Okwui Enwezor. Though familiar with his writings and his curatorial enterprises, I had not heard Enwezor speak before. During the course of the day he made valuable contributions to the open discussions, so I was slightly disappointed at the content of his prepared talk, which in fairness to him, did as its title, Politics of the Spectacle: The 7th Gwangju Biennale and the Asian Century, suggested it would. Outlining the historic and political context for the emergence of Gwangju as a location for a major exhibition, his presentation, to my mind, did not fully attend to the theme of the symposium. At the outset he suggested a shift from collecting to exhibiting as another possible way in which museums might reflect their changing position within the communities in which they operate but he did not proceed to explore how this might manifest itself in practice in the context of museums. Instead he traced various shifts in the development of exhibitions from before 1990 when they were organised under the auspices of internationalism to the present day where, he claims, exhibitions rather than museums belong to the domain of a civil society or commons. The distinction, he explained in the open discussion, goes to the idea of the museum as public sphere, whereas the term civil society allows the participation of a broad array of nongovernmental institutions, more prominent in societies undergoing transitions, Gwangju being a case in point. The final speaker was Enrique Juncosa, director of IMMA who discussed the relevance of the museum in an Irish context. Closing the circle of the day’s proceedings he maintained that the collection is the most important thing. How MoMA and the Centre Georges Pompidou display work makes sense to the development of art in those cities, but much is left out. For instance, Tate he claimed only exhibited Latin American and Indian artists in the last few years. The undertaking at IMMA is to show art from other canons and narratives that have been overlooked by the big power centres. Juncosa went on to make several references to literary models from Latin American and Spanish writers whose ideas had resonance for him. It would have been useful for the audience had there been a power-point presentation to support his reading from notes as I felt that much of what he proposed was lost on the audience. That said, overall the symposium was a really successful event. I would have preferred if it had been staged over two days or a day and a half as the emerging strands of thought were not given full scope for discussion due to time constraints. Also the inclusion of a specialist in material culture may have seemed questionable and it is true to say a certain tension was in evidence during the open discussions. I concur with Andrea Frazer that contemporary art museums operate within a different frame. But we must not forget that contemporary art in all its forms contributes to the material culture of our times and it is the remit of publicly funded institutions to preserve that legacy for future generations, otherwise one may well ask what is the point? Anna Colford (1) Oswald de Andrade, Manifesto da Poesia Pau-Brazil in A Utopia Antrofagica, (Sao Paulo: Editora Globo S.A. 2001) Originally published in the Correio da Manha, 1924.
26
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
ADVOCACY and Lobbying
Attitudes to Movement
Alex Davis on Artists’ Mobility – Aspiration or Reality? The European Council of Artists Conference, held at IMMA (8 Nov 2008). While the question of whether Ireland is spiritually closer to Boston or Berlin is a matter of opinion, it is a matter of fact that today an Irish citizen can travel to Berlin, or indeed any part of the European Union, to visit, live or work with very little difficulty. The same cannot be said of Boston. 2006 was marked as the European Year of Workers’ Mobility and it is fair to say that the EU is proud of the relative freedom with which its citizens can move within its borders. However the expansion of Europe to the east, immigration issues and recent terrorist threats have led to the situation where Europe is becoming more ‘fortress’ like in its attitudes to movement both within and between its borders. Barriers to the free movement of artists, culture professionals and artworks formed the basis of the European Council of Artists’ (ECA)(1) annual conference, which was held in the Irish Museum of Modern Ireland recently. The issues under discussion included visa rules; the European Arrest Warrant; employment and copyright laws; migration and integration policies. All of these obstacles are been tackled under the ECA’s current Mobility Project which, considering the complexity of the issues, is expected to continue over the next three years. The ECA is an umbrella body composed of interdisciplinary artists’ councils and artists’ organisations from 25 European countries. This year’s conference entitled Artists’ Mobility – Aspiration or Reality? was hosted by the ECA’s Irish member organisation, Visual Artists Ireland (VAI). Approximately 60 participants from 20 European countries attended including artists, MEP’s, representatives of the Arts Council and other national and European Institutions with particular interests in culture. The day’s sessions aimed to highlight the current issues facing the mobility of artists and cultural works and to discuss solutions and ways of improving the situation. Chaired by Noel Kelly, Chief Executive of VAI, the conference featured presentations by an international line up of guest speakers beginning with the Austrian MEP, Eva Lichtenberger. Eva drew attention to the growing state of fear in Europe that has become the basis for new mechanisms of control and regulation of its citizens. Blasphemy, anti-racist laws and other restrictions on freedom of speech and artistic expression normally come under national jurisdiction. However, with the new European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in combination with the increasing ease with which creative works can be published, copied and distributed, the risk for challenging and provocative artists to find themselves on the wrong side of the law is very real and present. Eva cited the example of the Austrian cartoonist Gerhard Haderer who found himself subject to an EAW having been found guilty of blasphemy by a Greek court and then sentenced to six months. His book Das Leben des Jesus (The Life of Jesus), a satire in which Jesus is portrayed as an incense-addicted hippy was banned in Greece in 2005. Haderer was not even aware that his book had been published in Greece when the prison sentence was declared. However the ban and sentence were reversed on appeal. The EAW was meant to aid the fight against global terrorism but such sweeping legislation can have unforeseen consequences and as such the EAW poses a serious threat to the mobility of artists. The expansion of Europe has managed to close down cooperation between artists with the new borders and travel restrictions that have been put in place. Ease of movement and dialogue between traditional neighbours, particularly those countries that were formally behind the ‘iron curtain’, has been curtailed. Even within the EU, we have the situation that countries such as the UK and Ireland, who have not signed up to the Schengen Agreement, have in place restrictions on travel, even for EU passport holders and Schengen Visa recipients (2). These must be removed if true cultural co-operation in the broader Europe is ever to take place. With its remarkable diversity and in the context of its troubled past, the Western Balkans region is a stark example of where the coexistence and mobility of different cultures has been radically altered in the last two decades. Helena Dvorosek Zorko, from the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussed initiatives to implement the EU agenda for culture in a globalised world by promoting cultural exchange and cooperation in the Western Balkans. Slovenia was, until 1992, a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This large communist state also included present day Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia among others. The freedom of movement which inhabitants of this region were accustomed to was curtailed when Yugoslavia began breaking apart into separate states and new borders sprung up where previously there were none. Yet again the political borders of Slovenia were redrawn on entering the European Union in 2004, affecting
ECA conference, IMMA. Photo: Annette Hollywood.
relationships with old neighbours that are non-EU members. This year Slovenia became the first of the new EU accession States to take over the Presidency of the EU. According to Helena a priority of the Slovenian Presidency was to make cultural cooperation a fundamental part of the EU foreign policy agenda. A lesson, which Slovenia has learned from the changes in the Western Balkans, is that involvement by civil society is essential for obtaining sustainable results in the creation of cultural cooperation. Key to this success were policies that encouraged and promoted people-to-people contacts, which built mutual understanding and the development of a strong civil society. In Helena’s opinion, small countries such as Slovenia (and Ireland) are a little more open and flexible than their larger European counterparts and more adept at creating a dialogue between civil society and government institutions. As Helena stated “We believe that civil society from any part of Europe and even outside of the European Union should be a partner in putting together the European Culture Agenda, [so] making the strategy part of EU foreign policy”. When asked what policies there were to enable civil society to fund cultural projects, Helena explained that while the EU commission had funds available there were very complicated application forms and that this often precluded smaller organisations from applying. Eva Lichtenberger agreed that this was a problem as was the manner in which the Commission prefers to limit its dealings to a small number of organisations, which are large and usually of an international character. Ole Reitov from Freemuse, an independent international organisation which advocates freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide, presented a recently finalised white paper Visas – the discordant note, which documents how visa regulations and administrative practice hinder third country artists entering the European union (3). This is clearly against the provisions of the UNESCO convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions and causes severe economic and cultural consequences. Ole described the experience of a Malian duo, who have toured internationally for the past three years with great success. Their French tour organisers report more than 350 concerts in this time period and record sales in the region of 500,000. Current UK regulations require that work permit visas are submitted in the country of which the applicant is a national or legally live. Since there is no UK embassy or visa application centre in Mali the artists are obliged to go to Dakar in Senegal in order to apply for UK visas. As both artists are blind they are unable to travel unaccompanied which naturally further adds to travel and accommodation costs. The main mobility issues which Ole described in his white paper are as follows: Lack of harmonised visa and work permit handling procedures at (EU/EC) embassies and consular services across the world. Schengen embassies / consular services, in spite of the provisions of the Schengen Agreement, often seem to avoid taking overall responsibility for the entire Schengen area. The distance often travelled in accessing embassy or consular services in the artists / performers country of origin (or neighbouring country) entails vast amounts of time for travel and is extremely costly for artists. Artists are required to leave the Schengen area and return home to re-apply or renew the visa at a Schengen representation in their home country. Pauline Hadaway, director of Belfast Exposed, expanded on the practical difficulties facing small institutions in handling British Home
Office red tape when inviting artists to the UK from outside the EU. Pauline has been active and vocal in challenging the new UK Border Agency regulations published in February 2008. These restrictive regulations mean that non-EU artists and cultural workers are granted entry to the UK only if they meet draconian entry criteria. The risk that artists from “complicated” areas are been excluded from entering the UK is obvious. A total of 230 people have been refused entry to the UK since 2005 based solely on ideas they expressed. Ideas, which were considered to be offensive by the Home Office. While most right thinking people would be offended by the views expressed by some of these people, including religious extremists and neo-nazis, the question of what constitutes ‘unacceptable views’ must be posed. What criteria are used to judge this and how is it proved that the views are unacceptable? The current restrictions have a presumption of guilty until proven innocent. Pauline gave the example of the artist Giuseppe Di Bella, who made postage stamps with some of the notorious images from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq which he intended putting into general circulation. However, they were impounded by the British authorities in London, who informed the artist that they would be ‘kept there indefinitely’. The story of the Abu Ghraib series inevitably points to the events of 9/11 and the Madrid and London bombings and their aftermath. Although the introduction of new security measures is understandable, we must wonder whether these new laws pose a threat to our freedom of speech and artistic expression and if they infringe our civil liberties. Lithuanian curator and ambassador of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (4) Lolita Jablonskiene presented the latest edition of the VAI publication Printed Project. When invited to curate the tenth issue of the journal, Lolita described how she “re-imagined the space of the contemporary city as a magazine, and projected places where the city’s strangers (who might well be migrants) congregate and where their voices are heard” — creating specific spaces that produce a convergence of contemporary art and an exploration of the art of living together. Entitled The Art of Living with Strangers the journal contains artistic and literary perspectives on intercultural dialogue, cross-cultural experiences and hybrid expressions. The Spanish MEP Maria Badia i Cutchet had to withdraw from speaking at the conference due to ill health, however her paper was presented in her absence. As a member of the Culture and Education Committee of the European Parliament, Maria has drawn the attention of the European Commission, Embassies and the foreign affairs departments of member states to the difficulties faced by artists, performers and performing arts organisations in relation to travel to the US. As Maria’s paper noted “in a time when global cultural exchange is of increasing importance both culturally and economically, performers and artists of all types – from household names to up-andcoming musicians, singers, dancers or actors; solo performers or artists as part of an ensemble, orchestra, dance company, or theatre company, are finding many difficulties in gaining access to the United States of America”. As a solution to this problem, Maria does not seek preferential treatment for artists. Rather she would be hoping to see them treated in the same as others working in similar fields, such as professional footballers, golfers, jockeys, racing drivers and tennis players, to name a few, who can all benefit from entering the US under the far simpler and cheaper Business (B-1) Visa system or even visa free. Maria is keen to change fear-driven, control orientated policies into more constructive ways of managing migration and encouraging cultural cooperation. In the subsequent discussions it was pointed out that consciousness among artists, cultural operators and others involved is necessary in order to resist the general development towards a more closed society. The wish to protect the freedom to cooperate and partake in global exchanges was shared by the conference participants, although it was noted that some sectors might require reciprocal conditions in order to maintain their activities on national level. A full conference report will be issued later this year – and concrete follow up activities will be discussed among ECA members and other partners involved in the coming months. Alex Davis (1) www.eca.dk (2) The Schengen Agreement allows the citizens of signatory states to travel within the Schengen area without being subject to police controls. The Agreement also provides for tougher controls on the EU’s external borders, harmonisation of visa and asylum policy and closer cooperation between legal and police services. The United Kingdom and Ireland are not part of the Schengen area. (3) www.freemuse.org/sw30534.asp (4) www.interculturaldialogue2008.eu
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
27
January – February 2009
Conference report The keynote speaker for the conference was the high profile international curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. His talk was focused on tracing his various connections and relationships with books, noting that along the way that as his kitchen had become so filled with books, he longer has space to cook! He also recounted how his very first exhibition had a literary impetus and was located in a kitchen – and he expressed an interest in thinking about the spaces and rooms of buildings as spaces akin to the pages of a book. Obrist also conducted ‘in conversation’ sessions with Rirkrit Tiravanija and Joseph Grigley, in which the artists perused a number of books taken from their own collections –their live interactions with the texts being digitally projected for the audience’s benefit. Tiravanija showed an early book project by him, which was derived from a plan for a student field trip, and was based on the form of a passport and had many foldouts and stapled on sections, mimicking the formats of visa and identity papers. He also mentioned a sound work of his that was issued as free CD included in a magazine – which featured the sounds of people cooking the recipes included in the publication. Tiravanija cited Michael Snows Cover to Cover; Ronald Barthes’s Migrateurs along with various publishing projects by General Idea, Fluxus and Martha Rosler as key influences on his practice. Tiravanija made the interesting point that for him some print techniques and their physicality – such as hand printing – offered potential forms of resistance, a way of “resisting certain speeds and slowing things down”.
Booked Out
Printed Matter Stand at the NY Art Book Fair. October 2008. Photo: Olive Barrett.
paintings featuring individuals engaged in conversation. As a deaf artist, Grigley explained that he was fascinated in how we actually see
Cora Cummins reports on The Arlis / NY Contemporary Artists Book Conference (Various locations, New York 23 – 26 Oct 2008). The ‘Art Libraries Society of New York / NY Contemporary Artists
“retired”. She noted that art practice had always taken place
Book Conference’, held October last year, coincided with the NY Art
symbiotically with the production of art historical, critical and
Book Fair (1). The conference was hosted in key venues in New York,
theoretical knowledge. As such the field of artists’ books could be seen
which have a relationship to the field of collecting artists’ publications,
as perhaps the best indicator to the future path of art history, theory
and The New York Public
and criticism. By way of explanation she pointed out many of the most
chiefly – The Museum of Modern Art
(2)
Library (3). The first panel discussion I attended was ‘Multiple Ideas: Artists Periodicals as Site for Collaboration and Distribution of Ideas’ which
well know contemporary artists are superb historians of their own work – and that “the long arm of the artist” was behind many so-called critical monographs.
was moderated by David Senior, Bibliographer at the Museum of
Lauf made, what was for me was one of the most important
Modern Art Library. As part of this session David Reinfurt and Stuart
points of the entire conference – she argued against the segregation of
Bailey outlined how their publishing venture Dexter Sinister
the field of artists’ books and publishing into a separate branch of
originated in explorations of a ‘just-in-time’ model and economy of
medium-specific study. Instead, Lauf asserted that books are a vehicle
print production that “ran counter to the assembly-line realities of
equal to any other manifestation of an artist’s work – and thus it is the
large-scale publishing”. Theirs is a thrifty print-on-demand model,
duty of writers, artists, curators, critics and librarians to show these
whereby publications are only printed when a reader / buyer orders
works as part of and alongside any other productions in the artists
them. Costs are also kept low by utilising local resources and alternate
oeuvre. By way of example cited the genre-defying bookworks by
distribution strategies, in order to “collapse distinctions of editing,
artists such as Carl Andre, Sol LeWitt, Joseph Beuys, Mark Dion,
design, production, and distribution into one efficient activity”.
Maurizio Cattelan, Tobias Rehberger and Christian Philip Mueller.
Bailey and Reinfurt also spoke about the importance of ‘spin’ as their work is quite lo-key and ephemeral – often taking the form of
Amongst other books, Grigley showed pages of his own book Kitchen Conversations – which was composed of reproductions of
And in these terms, she even suggested that Damien Hirst’s auction catalogue could be considered as an artwork / artists book.
pamphlets. Thus, art galleries were a crucial platform for them, rather
Another engaging speaker was Buzz Spector – artist, critic, and
than bookshops where their modest works would be lost on the
professor of art at Cornell University. In his presentation Are We Asking
shelves. In the gallery context, they talked how they curated and
the Right Questions?, Spector pondered, “we have art criticism and
presented their publications, having designed various hybrid shipping
literary criticism – but what do we call the critic who writes about
container / display cabinets.
artists’ books?” Spector argued along the same lines as Lauf that the
Emily Roysdon, an artist concerned with language, memory,
field of artists books comprised a diverse “zone of activity” – the latter
collectivity and the processes of history, talked about editing LTTR, a
being a term from Johanna Drucker’s book The Century of Artists Books.
queer / feminist journal. LTTR had operated on the basis of open-
As he explained, Drucker’s book was a valuable resource as it is not shy
submission, the theme of each edition dictated by the material they
about declaring how the ‘community’ of book artists, is rife with
received; and it existed only for a short run of five issues. Key issues for
ideological and technical oppositions – offset versus letterpress,
Roysdon were notions of shared labour and notions of “organic
unique versus edition – along with the perennial and overarching
organisation”. Indeed Roysdon admitted that LTTR came to an end for
dispute about what exactly is an artists book? (4)
the fundamental reasons of “running out of stream, energy and
Spector was also interested in the huge variety of modes of
money”. To some extent, Roysdon felt that this state of affairs was a fair
physical and mental engagement offered by books. By way of
trade off against autonomy and accessibility gained by working with
demonstration he presented amusing slides of himself reading tomes
no expectation or desire for financial reward.
of different formats and dimensions in various positions in his library
In light of the low profile of much artist led publishing, the next
/ office at Cornell. And from the conference lectern he showed a
talk was particularly interesting – ‘Outside Looking In: The State of
couple of different editions of Gerhard Richter’s Atlas – a small-scale
Artists Books Criticism’. Dr Cornelia Lauf of Universita Iuav di Venezia
version with many images on each page, that could be flicked through
– an independent curator and long-time editor of artists’ books – began
quickly; and a large –almost sculptural – coffee table version with one
the proceedings with her talk Truth and Lies in Art and Books. Lauf
image per page and blank interleaves that encouraged a slower and
observed, “Criticism of artists books does not exist, because it is not a
more immersive form of progress through the book. Related to this, he
money making area”. Lauf also argued that the academic divisions
was also interested in the notion of how artist’s books should be
between art history, theory and practice were “flip sides to the same
displayed – he was critical of vitrine style or “glass cage” modes of
coin” and that the division between history and practice should be
gallery and library presentation of artist’s books.
sound and the ways in which verbal conversations have been are visually encoded in paintings throughout the history of art through pose attitude and gesture. He has had experience of numerous speech recognition and synthesis devices, yet he finds that the basic visual tools – a notebook and pencil – to be far more effective for immediate and spontaneous communication. Issues of appropriation and reproduction were considered in the talk ‘Limited Edition: The Artists Book as Art Multiple’. In this context Bettina Funcke discussed one of her curatorial projects that had featured an installation of Xerox reproductions of Avalanche magazine; and Brian Kennon talked about his book works Cindy Sherman’s I’d Like to Fuck (2003) and Black and White Reproductions of the Abstract Expressionists (2002). Kennon’s works – published under the self-styled Loose Cannon imprint, in particular seemed to be striking challenges to the notions of the sanctity of intellectual property and copyright. As he put, his works could be seen as “bootleg catalogues”; which he noted were often mistaken for legitimate monographs on the artists whose work he plunders. As an artist who has a strong interest in artist’s books and selfpublication (5) I came to this conference with a sense of anticipation and excitement. In the event, it mostly lived up to my expectations. But I was surprised that even in New York, a global centre of contemporary art practice and discourse, there were occasional lapses – with occurrences of the classic bugbear of conferences; the delivery of presentations offering no more than overviews of the speakers biography and activities, with little correspondence to actual subject at hand. Nonetheless, overall I was impressed – if not slightly daunted – by the sheer scale of activity within the field of artists publishing that was revealed over three days of conference and the plethora of high quality publications presented at the NY Art Book Fair. What emerged as one of the most interesting issues was the question of the critical and theoretical appraisal of what is such a vast field – which paradoxically considering its printed form too often goes un-documented and textually un-remarked upon. Hopefully this critical vacuum will not persist indefinitely (6). Cora Cummins Notes 1. The NY Art Book Fair, is an annual event organised by Printed Matter, which showcases artists books, fanzines, art journals and magazines, specialist publishers and dealers (www. nyartbookfair.com). Printed Matter (founded in 1976) the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of publications made by artists. www. printedmatter.org The visual artists Ireland publication Printed Project was exhibited at the NY Art Book Fair, with the support of Culture Ireland. 2. Details of the the Museum of Modern Art/Franklin Furnace Artist Book Collection can be seen at www.moma.org 3. The New York Public library collects artists’ books as part of its holdings. www.nypl.org 4. Johanna Drucker’s book The Century of Artists Books; Granary Books 2004 is regarded as one of the key texts in what is still an under theorised and historicised field. 5. I am co-editor with Alison Pilkington of The Fold www.theworkroomelsewhere.blogspot. com and I teach in the area of print at IADT Dun Laoghaire. 6. The subject of artists publishing is set to be discussed again later this year, and closer to home – in September (25 – 27) the Whitechapel Art Book Fair, at the Whitechapel Gallery, London will feature a programme of talks and events www.thewhitechapel.org
28
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet ARTISTS Books
VAI west of IRELAND REPRESENTATIVE
The Rest of Ireland Rep Aideen Barry's WEST OF IRELAND REPORT
Helena O’Connor, Maire Clinch, Michelle Hall,
Artists: Dara McGrath, Conor McFeely, John Reid,
Michelle Connolly, Darragh O’Callaghan, Fiona
Marianne O’Kane Boal, Rachel Andrews. Title:
Fullam, Linda Rafferty, Karen Azoulay, Alan Butler,
Deconstructing the maze. Published: Oct 2008.
Hazel Lim, Cathy Henderson, Seamus Nolan, Niall de Buitlear, Rob Costello, Benjamin Gaulon, K Bear
120 pages, full colour .23x28cm. Soft cover. silk
Koss, Tim Lloyd, Jack Phelan, Sharon Phelan, Tim
paper. Edition: 750. Available: daramcgrath@
Redfern, Paul Murnaghan. Vox Pop contributors:
As another year draws to a close, I have decided to
hotmail.com
mariannejok@gmail.com.
Rene Zechlin, Mary McCarthy, Oliver Dowling,
Contributors: Dara McGrath, Conor McFeely, John
Jeanette Doyle, Peter Fitzgerald, Patrick T Murphy,
Reid, Marianne O’Kane Boal, Rachel Andrews.
Aisling Prior, Jesse Jones, Mark Garry, Cliona
I am currently conducting VAI info clinics in the West, but I have also started to move a little outside my borders, albeit tentatively. The general remit of my role encompasses the counties of Mayo, Sligo, Galway, Leitrim and Roscommon. However,
One of Ireland’s greatest art lecturers passed away last week – and his loss is felt by all in Galway and beyond. Lochlann Hoare, formerly of Ballymurry, Roscommon taught at the Galway / Mayo Institute of Technology until his retirement in 2006. For over 30 years, Lochlann was an inspirational teacher. He made a major contribution to the development of the Art and Design Dept at the Galway/ Mayo Institute of Technology; and was one of the main contributors to the development of the visual arts in Galway and the West. He was a visiting lecturer at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and a frequent visiting lecturer on the art teachers’ diploma course at Limerick School of Art and Design. He developed a special relationship with the University of Ulster, where his Foundation Course in Galway was seen as a model. Lochlann took a genuine interest in each individual student, of which many of us were privileged to dominate his time in tutorials. Geraldine Quinn (fellow Lecturer) wrote on his retirement from the Art and Design Department in 2006: “He taught with passion and conviction and led stimulating seminars. Students greatly valued his tutorials; these were energising, challenging and motivating. He was respected by students through the decades, and his insights were always relevant. He encouraged debate and questioning. Seeing their developing confidence heartened him. He frequently enlivened discussions by recalling his own days at art college in London in the heady Sixties, and relayed many anecdotes.” Lochlann was also a practising artist and exhibited throughout the west of Ireland including the Galway Arts Festival (1981 and 1983); UCG Gallery (1984), Spanish Arch Gallery (1988) and EV+A Limerick (1989). This inspirational man will
Deconstructing the maze
Publisher: Dara McGrath and John Reid. Format:
Ireland rep for the VAI.
A Great Loss to Galway and Beyond
Artists Books
Expanding Remit ... try to expand the remit of my role as the West of
Image: Lochlann Hoare with his former student international jeweller Slim Barrett, at the Cluain Mhuire Show in 2006.
January – February 2009
the role meant that covering interesting initiatives outside of these areas was not possible. So in the new year I hope to branch out a bit. I am interested to hear about organisations and artist-led practices, outside of the West (as well as in) – in order to get a bigger picture of activities; and also to look at examples of best practice. Keep your eyes peeled for clinics, which will be held in Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, and Limerick in the new year. More recently, I held an info clinic in Ennistymon Courthouse Gallery and Studios, which was well attended and raised some important concerns about the welfare of the arts in the county of Clare. I hope to focus on Clare in the next report, where I will look at the county arts plan and the ambitions for cultural activity over the next three years. I will also focus on artist-led initiatives like Deirdre O’Mahony’s XPO project, the post-grad programmes of the Burren College of Art and problems faced by artists living in the county. I hope to continue to act as an advocate for Visual Artists Ireland; and I am extremely interested to hear from organisations that have thus far not benefited from being in the represented areas of Northern Ireland and the West. I will also be continuing my duties in the West – and it is my hope that in the new year the VAI will facilitate more info clinics in the West. Professional practice workshops are in the pipeline, along with a symposium on contemporary curation practices – which will hopefully be held in Galway in February / March.
Content:
and
Marianne O’Kane: Isolate Zones:
De-construction Dara
McGrath.
and
Creation-Intro
Deconstructing
the
Harmey.
Essay maze-
MARKS
Photographic portfolio, 21 full plate images
Circa and The Stinging Fly recently launched their
John Reid. Beautiful images in an awkward space-Essay
joint publication Marks at Studio 6, Temple Bar
Conor Mc Feely; The Testing Room-film stills. 20 full
Gallery and Studios, Dublin. Marks features the
plate images. Rachel Andrews: The Topography of
outcomes of collaborations between six writers
Demolition in the Maze-Essay. Description: Emerging
who were paired with six visual artists. The brief for
from a previous project, Two Minds, Artists+
each pairing was to fill four pages with whatever
Architects Collaboration (2006-2007). Deconstructing
they wished, through a collaborative exploration of
the maze is the publication that accompanies the
the possibilities. The pairings were: Caitríona
photographic and multi-media installation that was
O’Reilly (writer), Isabel Nolan (artist); Kevin Barry
held on site in Oct 2008, located in the kitchen
(writer), Sean Lynch (artist); Nuala Ní Chonchúir
building of the former prison facility.
(writer), Cora Cummins (artist); Alan Jude Moore (writer), Bea McMahon (artist); Sinéad Morissey
The LAB: 40 exhibitions 06 – 08
(writer), Benji de Búrca (artist); Sean O’Reilly (writer),
Description: An illustrated book of exhibitions
Peter Maybury (artist) ; The launch (DATES?)
held in the Centre from May 2006 to May 2008
featured readings by Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Kevin
edited by Gemma Tipton with essays by Mick
Barry and Alan Jude Moore, and a soundwork by
Wilson and Joseph R WolinPublished: October 2008.
Peter Maybury. Available from: www.stingingfly. org / www.recirca.com
ISBN: 978-0-95542811-1-1. Content: Edited by Gemma Tipton with essays by Mick Wilson and JR Wolin. Artists: Sean Hillen, Esther Shalev Gerz,
Wicklow Photographs
Marie Falksten, Susanne Mooney, Ian John Coghlan,
Artist: Peter Evers. Title: Wicklow Photographs.
Linda O’Keefe, Barbara Vasic, Bea McMahon, Des
Dimensions:
Kenny, Michael McLoughlin, Gillian Kenny, Jeanette
No.of
Doyle, Vera Klute, Christine Mackey, Alan Phelan,
Contributors: John Moriarty (courtesy of Lilliput
Rhona Byrne, Alan Burns, Maire O’Mahony, Priscila
Press), and Selina Guinness (introduction).
Fernandes, Sarah O’Neill, Keith McCann, Aoife
Isbn: 978-0-9560637-0-0.
Pages:
250mm 192.
x
250mm.
Format:
Hardback.
Merrigan, Fiona O’Connor, Fiona Whitty, Marie
Published: 2008. Available: www.wicklowphotographs.com /
Louise Molly O’Dwyer, Niall de Buitlear, Stephen
www.peterevers.ie
Gunning, Hannah Doyle, Michael Murphy, Michelle Deignan, Doireann Wallace, Brian Fay, Mark Beatty, Frederica Bastide Duarte, Ian Charleworth, Paul
YOUR BOOK LISTED HERE
Flannery, Roisin Lewis, John O’Connell, Cora
If you are an artist and have recently produced (in the last 12 months) a monographic publication, simply email the following details to jason@visualartists.ie – date of publication; title; dimensions; number of pages; format (eg: spiral, stitched perfect bound, hard-back / soft-back etc.); list of contributors; ISBN number (if relevant); short description (two or three lines).
Cummins, Alison Pilkington, The Fold, Mary Nunan, The Third Person, Alan Mongey, Janine Davidson, Tom Moore, Fiona McDonald, Nicholas Ward, Sarah Browne, Gayle Anderson, Kevin Gaffney, Frances Hayes, Alan Burns, CX Hayden, Felicity Clear, Katrina Maguire, Thomas Brezing, Naomi Sex, Aisling Conroy, Seamus Donovan, Tracy Hanna, Kevin Cosgrove, Sophie Linehan, Myrna Epstein,
be missed. May he rest in peace.
Visual Artists Ireland Living Artists' Archive The VAI Living Artists Archive is intended as a central point of research for curators, artists and researchers looking at current practice across visual art disciplines in Ireland. The archive is stored electronically on a computer and based at the offices of Visual Artists Ireland. Artists can choose to be part of the archive when joining Visual Artist Ireland or renewing their membership. At the time of taking up or renewing membership, artists may provide a CV and four images of current work for the Archive on a CD. These will be electronically stored and accessible in the Visual Artists Ireland office. As a first outing, the archive will be made available to researchers as part of the 'Ireland at Venice' pavilion during the Venice Biennale 2009 and other events in which Visual Artists Ireland take part. Information on how to get your incuded in the archive can be found at www.visualartists.ie/ap_artistsarchive.html
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
29 Art in the public realm ROUNDUP
Art in the public realm
Art the Public Realm Roundup Recent public art commissions, site-specific works, socially engaged practice and other forms of art outside the gallery.
Work created during 'No Man's Land'
Work created during 'No Man's Land'
Paradigms Creaked
UNIT
ART IS GOOD FOR YOU
Piia Rossi outlines ‘no man’s land’ a PRINT-BASED project THAT EXPLORED notions of location aND space. The project ‘No Man’s Land’ which ran at the Original Print Gallery from October 8 – 19, was an experiment in what can happen when a gallerist allows an artist space and time to play with an idea. During this the course of this alternative print exhibition; the Original Print Gallery, Dublin was transformed from a commercial space to a factory of ideas. I am a Finnish artist living and working in Dublin; and for the last couple of years my art practice has been concerned with ideas of home, space and territory. In recent times my work has developed into participatory projects that allow me to combine my experience in running educational workshops with my studio practice. Crona Connolly, the Director of the Original Print Gallery, was aware of my work and suggested working in collaboration with her to run a participatory print exhibition in the Original Print Gallery. This was a rare alliance and opportunity for an artist – to work creatively and spontaneously in a gallery environment. The communal nature of the project was quite daunting as I had to relinquish my personal vision and control of the project to the other participants. The title chosen for the project, ‘No Man’s Land’, reinforced this principle, as it refers to a fictional designate and describes an area not assigned to any owner. It soon became apparent that both of our roles in the ‘No Man’s Land’ project were to be multifaceted: facilitators, administrators, guides and artists. This offered me and Crona an opportunity to present a project that explored the true nature of collaborative art projects, as well as experience ideas-driven creative practice. For our heterogeneous group of participants ‘No Man’s Land’ offered a chance to experience first hand the nature of printmaking. In advance of the intervention, this group of contributors were gathered from the fields of architecture, urban planning, design and illustration and invited to explore their differing perspectives of a utopian or personal ‘no man’s land’. Each participant was given a preparatory pack containing a handbook outlining the concept of the project, their brief, background and technical information on the print technique they would be utilising, as well as the materials they required to create their work. The different print techniques and their qualities were outlined and thought was given to the most natural correlation between participant and technique. Monoprinting was assigned to the architects for its quality of line and adaptability, screen-printing to the designers and illustrators for its strong planar characteristics and so on. On the first day of the gallery intervention I drew a single longitudinal line around the gallery walls, staking the territory of ‘No Man’s Land’ which the collaborators map / vista merged or connected with. Each day, we were on hand in the gallery to show participants how to utilise the differing print techniques and to assist them with any queries they
Diagramatic outline of the 'Unit' project.
Art is Good For You – website screengrab.
Art is Good For You was a digital art project by
'No Man's Land' participants at work.
had. The work evolved continually over the week, as the collaborators designed, played with and marked the ‘terra incognito.’ The participant were given carte blanche – as well as printing and displaying their works they were also given the opportunity to embellish their vision by drawing or expanding from the work directly onto the blank canvas of the gallery’s walls, marking a new way of experiencing the space. The collaborators artworks explored not only differing print techniques, but also the different ways we see and feel the world personally. Whilst one participant viewed the no man’s land as the confusing, suffocating, mosquito ridden area he had experienced between national border posts in Asia, another papered an area in the gallery with mini maps of a city’s lost urban spaces. Conversations, collaborations and even renegade interventions happened daily, as the white cube that is usually the gallery space transformed into a symposium on interactions. Paradigms creaked if not shifted a little as this commercial space in Temple Bar turned into a creative arena. On some of the days there were up to eight people at a time busily inking up and printing their works. This hive of activity and energy attracted the attention of many passers by and encouraged people to come in and enquire about the project, it also brought to life the various print techniques and was a wonderfully thought provoking experience not only for the participants but also visitors to the gallery. This was one of the primary objectives of this project for Crona and the Original Print Gallery. We feel that the success of this project was in its overall collaborative nature where the roles of the artist, the gallerist, the facilitator, the participants and the audience got completely merged and the final result, the exhibition, eroded the image of the artist as a solitary worker creating instead a community of co-creators. Crona and I would like to thank all the participants: Ashling Bracken, Karen Brett, Amelie Conway, Art Defective, Adrian Duncan, Bob Gray, Andrew Hetherington, Samantha Martin-McAuliffe, Harry McLaughlin, Stuart McLaughlin, Eóin Murphy, Rowena Neville, Aíne Nic an Riogh, Amy O’Sullivan, Luke O’Sullivan, Ellen Rowley, Rachel Russell, Annika Šimko and Henk VanderKamp. Piia Rossi
Saoirse Higgins, which utilised Bluetooth technology and took place in area around Thomas Street, Dublin 8 from (10 – 17 Nov). Submissions of
Work by Ruth Lyons
artworks in the form of images, text, video, animated GIF files and sound were requested and 32 artists were selected to participate by Mike Stubbs, director of FACT Liverpool. The selected artworks were disseminated to the mobile phones of people in the area via Bluetooth hubs located along Thomas Street in Café Noto, NCAD, The Digital Hub, and IMMA. The project aimed “to express something of
Hope Apparent Hope Inherent – publicity image for 'Unit'.
‘Unit’ is a project initiated by Sarah Searson and commissioned by Laois Arts Office involving four curators each working closely with an invited artist (13 Nov – Feb). The curators and artists were asked to commit to spend time working within Portlaoise and to respond to that experience. The curator /
the creative dialogue in and around the ‘creative corridor’ of Thomas Street and offer this to the public.” It was organised as part of a Dublin City Council artists’ residency programme and was one of a series of events taking place during the ISEA (International Symposium for Electronic Art) presymposium week. http://artisgoodforyou.wordpress.com http://www.isea2009.org
artist pairs are Padraic E Moore and Theresa Nanigian; Cliodhna Shaffrey and Vera Klute; Sally Timmons and Ruth Lyons; and Sarah Searson and
GRACELANDS
Hope Inherent (Jennie Moran & Tara Kennedy).
‘Gracelands’ was a screening, sculpture, and
Hope Inherent aim to undertake an
performance event curated by Vaari Claffey in
“environmental study” of Portlaoise Prison, with
partnership ship with the Model Arts and Niland
the hope of changing perceptions. Vera Klute’s work draws its inspiration from the hospital with the objective of offering “some small insights into the patterns of a modern society as viewed through a small town’s hospital and its cycles of life”. Nanigian’s research unfolds “the complex status that exists for populations at various stages of connection with Portlaoise”. Ruth Lyon’s intention is “to commence an investigation towards the possible construction of a physical means or purpose by which movement might be facilitated in a direction towards Portlaoise”. The project aims to “investigate the seen and unseen visual cultural aspects of Portlaoise and explore its social, economic and geographical contexts”. Project planning began in June 2008, but the main focus of the artists’ time runs from early November to February ‘09. A follow-up publication of the findings will be produced in 2009. http://www.laois.ie/LeisureandCulture/Arts/
Gallery, which recently took place on Grace Weir and Joe Walker’s land near Dromahair in Co. Leitrim (1 Nov). The site surrounds Weir and Walkers home – The Mimetic House, designed by architect Dominic Stevens. The notion of the ‘mimetic’ was echoed in the selection of works for the programme. According to the press release “The works and situation also address the idea of making ‘gatherings’ – mimicking a festival in its format and in the collective experiential reception of the works”. The artists who participated in the screenings were Johanna Billing, Aleana Egan, Lars Laumann, Joan Jonas, and Sarah Pierce. Karl Burke and Isabel Nolan presented new work on site and shelter/warmth units designed by Rhona Byrne were supplied. AUDIO DETOUR It’s an Audio Detour: Forever and Ever by the Audio Detourists a 30 minute long audio walking tour on iPod, which is available on an ongoing basis from the Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar was launched earlier in 2008. The walk / tour is experienced by pairs of participants, who are each given a separate iPod and headset at the Project Arts Centre box
30
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
ART IN THE PUBLIC REALM ROUNDUP office. The participants listen to two separate audio
Deconstructing / Testing
The Green Room
recordings, which consist of spoken directions, a site-specific soundscape, and text. The directions they hear lead them on separate but synchronised and intersecting routes from the Project Arts Centre out onto the city streets on a short walking tour that finally leads them back to their starting point. The tour’s sound and words were commissioned specifically for the spaces encountered on the route. The sound elements were composed by Alex Synge; the text written by Fiona Hallinan; and routes were choreographed by Maebh Cheasty. Fiona Hallinan
Dara McGrath Deconstructing the Maze – installation view Pauline Keena Are you Sure you Had a Baby
Colonisation – website screengrab.
has also been commissioned to create an Audio Detour in collaboration with Caoimhín O’Ragallaigh for the exhibition ‘Self as Selves’ at IMMA which continues until 19 March 2009. http://www.notalittlepony.com/audiodetour Fiona Hallinan Audiotour, Launched April 2008
'The Green Room' was a collaboration between
for a period of four months. The project is intended
visual artist Pauline Keena and a group of mothers
as “a reaction to the modernisation of the
who experienced the loss of an infant. An exhibition
environment that we inhabit” and aims to deal with
presenting the outcomes of the project was shown
our relationship with nature and how we infringe
in the Education Exhibition Room at Dublin City
upon it by imposing nature back onto the urban FORUM
Gallery, The Hugh Lane (21 Oct – 11 Nov 2008). The
environment.
exhibition was accompanied by a publication
www.colonisation.ie Dara McGrath Deconstructing the Maze – installation view
FLOOD
featuring texts by the participants and an essay by Professor Timothy Emlyn Jones entitled Creativity and Loss: Are you sure you know what you know? The
Artists: Dara McGrath, Conor McFeely, John Reid
publication can e downleaoded as a free PDF from
and writer Rachel Andrews Curated by Marianne
the Kildate Arts Office website.
O’Kane Boal,
Andy Parsons Forum– installation view.
Forum an installation by Andy Parsons, based on A View of the Forum in Rome by the 18th Century engraver and architect Piranesi, was presented at the Lakeland Forum Leisure Centre, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, (26 Sept – 5 Oct). As the press release noted “the work is in two parts – there is the large sculptural assemblage based on one element of the Piranesi, which is deliberately ramshackle in appearance; and the adapted version of a Piranesi
Room
embarked on the Green Room project in the clinical
Commissioner: Self-commissioned
environment of the Rotunda Hospital in 2007 –
Date of Project: 14 – 20 October 2008.
2008. As the exhibition press release noted “by
Location: The former Maze / Long Kesh Prison
implicating the process of grief and mourning in an
facility, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
artmaking process, the project allowed the mothers
Project Partners: Arts Council of Ireland, Arts
to explore a range of emotions around the loss of
&Business Northern Ireland, Robinson McIlwaine
their infant – profound grief, unspeakable loss and
Architects, Mc Quillan Group. Office of the First
sense of failure”. funded by Kildare County Council Supports for
Flood is a Dublin-based contemporary art project
Project Description: Emerging from a previous
Professional Artist programme to carry out the
curated by Paul McAree and Rachel O’Hara McAree
project, ‘Two Minds, Artists and Architects
work as part of her research into her own practice.
which “was initiated out of a desire to organise
Collaboration’ (2006-2007), Deconstructing the
Her previous career as a neo-natal mid wife was the
projects with a different modus operandi to
maze was a site-specific photographic and multi-
impetus for ‘The Green Room Project’ and allowed
traditional art spaces in Dublin - providing
media installation, located in the former facilities
her to work with the mothers in an informed and
opportunities for the presentation and dissemination
kitchen that responded to the demolition of the
sensitive way. Keena is currently researching the
of work in alternative ways”. The initial projects do
former prison facility.
work of linguist and psychoanalyst Julia Kristeva.
not use any exhibition space instead each takes the
Multi-Media artist Conor Mc Feely utilized two
Through ‘The Green Room Project’, the artist’s
form of a leaflet / poster available for free on
black boxes / projection rooms designed by architect
idea was to “investigate and explore, through an
request.
John Reid to present his video works, The Testing
engagement with ideas, processes, procedures,
Rooms.
materials and making how the physicality of grief
first of these projects and has been available by
Dara McGrath’s long-term photographic
request since 1 December 2008. “Nanigian’s poster
documentation of the demolition of the site was
looks at the role of the artist in a humorous yet
presented as two back projections of selected images,
The exhibition comprised of a series of framed
disarmingly honest way, composing a private
which were integrated into the kitchen’s physical
prints, drawings, stained glass and a number of
manifesto of often competing and contradictory
structure. Also presented by McGrath were 5
poignant miniature baby garments, as well as a
fears, hopes and aspirations.”
additional back projections that also exploited the
neon signage artwork, by the artist entitled Are You
structure of the buildings interior rooms
Sure You Had a Baby, inspired by a comment made to
Flood will organise exhibitions from 2009, initially on an ad-hoc basis, which changing venues
itself”.
one of the mothers after the loss of her child. Crossing Times
The research and development phases of this project
project.
Title: Crossing Times
and the subsequent exhibition forms part of Kildare
Artist: Maeve Collins
County Council’s Arts in Health Programme, which
Medium: Time based temporary sound and film
is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
www.theresananigian.com www.flooddubin.com
and with examples of civic buildings from 1960s. The contrast between the precision and glamour of
Garden Snake
public instillation
the Piranesi piece and the sculpture it stands in
The ‘Sculpture in the Walled Garden,’ project, now
Location: Meeting house Square, Templebar, D2.
front of can be seen as a metaphor for the way that
in its second year at has commissioned the sheet
Date: 21 December – Winter Solstice 2008 (12.15
some grand architectural schemes may fall short of
metal sculpture Composition with a Serpent by
low tide – 19.04 high tide – sound. 16.40 dusk
their lofty aims”. The work follows on from the
Romanian artist, Virgil Scripcariu, which was
–projection)
recent installation Romantic at Teach Ban Nua
unveiled on 26 October. Scripcariu’s work was
Description: Crossing Times used sound and film
Gallery, Drumcliffe Co Sligo.
described as being “influenced by Oriental,
projection to explore “where time and tide overlap”
Romanesque, and Byzantine art, and centred on the
in a contemporary urban environment. Between the
COLONISATION
human figure – the themes with which he engages
Colonisation is a project initiated by Sinéad Carey,
examine the universal tension between good and
which involves reclaiming urban space by placing
evil and he offers a Orthodox Christian and solution
plants around the city. The project, which began in
to this problem”. In Composition with a Serpent a
February ‘08, consists of eight phases – phase three
pregnant woman is protected by the unborn child
is currently underway and comprises a residency
in her womb, representing ‘good’ who slays the
programme run by Dublin City Council Arts Office
serpent who represents ‘evil’.
multi-denominational primary school in Ranelagh
could be expressed in a vocabulary specific to
allowing for a flexibility of approach with each
engraving, which has been laboriously transcribed
– through which the artist is working with the
Keena, an artist from Clane, Co Kildare was
Project budget: €32,800
Theresa Nanigian’s I will be a Phenomenon is the Andy Parsons – research image for Forum
in the ISANDS Newsletter, bereaved mothers
Minister and Deputy First Minister
Flood – website screengrab.
Responding to an advertisement by the artist
Title of work: Deconstructing the maze / The Testing
low and the high tide times on the 21st December the tide is re-presented in the form of an audio piece, played within the sound scape of the city. A looped four-minute film projection will be screened beginning at dusk, under a clock that keeps its own time. The issue of our alignment in time and space to the sea and the universe is explored temporary installation.
www.kildare.ie/arts/artsservice
YOUR WORK HERE ! If you have recently been involved in a public commission, a percent for art project, socially engaged practice or any other form of ‘art outside the gallery’ we would like you to send us images and a short text (no more than around 300 words) in the following format – Artists name. Title of work. Commissioning body. Date that the commission advertised. Dates project was sited / carried out. The project budget (NB artwork / site work). Type of commission Project partners. Brief description of the work
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
31
January – February 2009
Opportunities
Opportunities FUNDING FUNDING Pollock-Krasner Grant Established painters, sculptors and artists who work on paper (including printmakers) are invited to apply for the PollockKrasner Foundation Grant. Criteria for grants are: recognisable artistic merit and demonstrable financial need (professional and/or personal). Grants are intended for a one year period. The Foundation will consider applicant’s need on for all legitimate expenditures relating to his/her professional work and personal living, including medical expenses. Size of the grant is determined by individual circumstances of the artist. To apply, send a cover letter, application form (available online) and slides of current work to: Address The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc. 863 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA Email grants@pkf.org Website www.pkf.org Deadline Ongoing RESIDENCIES RESIDENCIES WAC & Cow House Studios Each year Cow House Studios, an artists’ space set on a 180 acre farm near Rathnure, Co. Wexford, provides two residencies open to Irish and international artists, and one residency open to international artists only which is run in partnership with Wexford Arts Centre. All residencies run for 10 weeks. Cow House Studios provide shared accommodation, 24-hour access to the 2,400 square-foot open plan studio space that contains a wood shop, darkroom and computer lab and individual spaces measuring 18sqm (natural light). 2009 residencies will run from 14 Sept – 1 Dec. The International Residency also provides an opportunity to exhibit at Wexford Arts Centre. The programme provides an opportunity for international artists to live, work and exhibit in Ireland. Full details of the application process are available
online. Website www.cowhousestudios.com www.wexfordartscentre.ie residency/index.html Deadline 30 January 2009 Tyrone Guthrie Centre The Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig offers residencies to established professional artists from Ireland and abroad in all disciplines, and also organises a Regional Bursary Scheme for younger, emerging artists in co-operation with 27 local authorities throughout Ireland. Residencies are offered for between 1 week and 3 months. The Centre offers accommodation, dark room, music room and performance room. Cost starts at €150 plus utilities per week. To apply, established artists should send a letter of application accompanied by documentation of previous work and description of the work that they intend on undertaking while at the Centre, or if you are an emerging artist, contact your local authority for information on the Regional Bursary Scheme. Address Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig Newbliss, Co. Monaghan Telephone 047 54003 Email thetgc@indigo.ie Website www.tyroneguthrie.ie Deadline Ongoing Atelier Azur The Atelier Azur runs residencies in Casaterra, Italy, and Hval Station in Hønefoss, Norway. They aim to re-establish Hval Railway Station as a site that functions as a place that supports artistic transition and inspiration. Shared accommodation and studio space is provided, as well as facilities for painting, drawing and sculpture. To apply, send a proposal of work to: Email atelierazur@hotmail.com Website w w w. a t e l i e r a z u r. n e t Deadline Ongoing
Nadine, Belgium Nadine, a transdisciplinary laboratory for contemporary artists, invite applications to its residency programme for curators, researchers, painters and artists working with film, multimedia or performance art for a duration of 2 or 3 months. Professional equipment for filming, recording, montage, projection is provided. Artists are invited to send a short description of their project, accompanied by visual material (video/DVD/ photos). The period, duration, presentation technical support, etc., will vary according to each project and will be adapted to the artistic process as much as possible. Address Herderstraat 30 rue du Berger, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Telephone 0032 2 513 41 04 Email info@nadine.be Website www.nadine.be Deadline Ongoing O’ Italy O AIR is an international artist and theorist residency program based in Milan in the O’ Art Association headquarters. It offers space to experiment and time for reflection, discussion and verification. Residencies are offered to curators, researchers, and visual artists working in all media, who have at least three years experience as professionals, for a period of 2 weeks to 2 months. Accommodation, studio and basic equipment are provided. Further information on application procedures is available from: Address O’, Via Pastrengo 12, 20159 Milano, Italy Telephone 0039 (0) 266 823357 Email info-o.artoteca uovodicolombo.com Website www.o-artoteca.org Deadline Ongoing Blue Sky Project, Ohio The Blue Sky Project in Dayton, Ohio, seeks proposals from artists, filmmakers, writers, etc., for their summer residency programme. The Project runs for eight weeks from mid-June to mid-August at the University of Dayton. Mondays to Thursdays from 10am to 3.30pm are devoted to collaborations between artists and a small group of local teenagers, culminating in a final exhibition. Artists-in-Residence
invent the remaining structure of the residency, working together or individually on projects. Proposed projects should have an open-ended structure and be based on recent studio practice. They must be achievable in eight weeks and within a $1,000 budget (excluding final exhibition expenses) and must engage others in its articulation and production. Website www.blueskydayton.org Deadline January 31, 2009 1646, the Netherlands 1646 is an artists’ initiative/ project-space in The Hague which promotes exchange between local, national and international artists and art spaces, and works as platform for discussion, research, production and presentation of visual art. 1646 offers residencies to international artists/curators for a maximum of two months. To find out more about applying contact: Email email1646@hotmail.com Website www.enter1646.com Deadline Ongoing Art Factory, Poland Visiting artists work in close contact with other artists and cultural organisations in Bialystok, north-eastern Poland. Residencies are non-prescriptive and process-based, allowing artists, designers and writers to develop projects in response to their new environment. Collaborative projects are encouraged. Accommodation in university dormitories or with host families and studio space is provided for an eight week period. Participants have the opportunity to display their work at the end of the residency. Applications in English or Polish should include a letter of application, CV and documentation of recent work (min. 10 pieces), and be sent to: Address Art factory, ul. Wyszynskiego 9/77, 15-888 Bialystok, Poland Telephone 0048 784 780 491 Email art.factory.bialystok@gmail com Website www.myspace.com artfactorybialystok Deadline 28 February 2008 Frans Masereel Centre Visual artists working with
painting, drawing and print are invited to apply for residencies of up to three weeks per year, with possible extension, at the Frans Masereel Centre in Kasterlee, Belgium. Artists in residence have access to assistants, teachers, 4 lithographic hand presses, 3 engraving presses, 4 offset presses and darkroom. Accommodation in 4-person apartments is provided free of charge. Artists contribute a fee of €75 per week for studio/material costs. Address Frans Masereel Centre, Zaardendijk 20, 2460 Kasterlee, Belgium Telephone 0032 14 852252 Email fransmasereelcentrum@ vlaanderen.be Website www.fransmasereelcentrum.be Deadline Ongoing Atelier Pressé Papier The Atelier Pressé Papier in Quebec invites applications from media artists, photographers, printmakers and woodworkers interested in taking part in its residency programme. The Atelier provides working and living space, access to technical assistants, computers, a large press for engraving and lithography, a small press for wood engraving, two print tables for screen printing and a dark room. Residencies may last from one month to one year. Artists in residency pay for their accommodation, but rent is set according to individual artists’ financial situations. Applicants should have some experience of printmaking and/or photographic techniques. Enquiries and applications should be addressed to: Address Atelier Pressé Papier, 73, 75 rue Saint-Antoine, Trois Rivières, Québec G9A 2J2, Canada Telephone 001 819 3731980 Email p r e s s e . p a p i e r. a t e l i e r @ t r. cgocable.ca Deadline Ongoing Norton Island Residency The Norton Island Residency Programme (Maine USA) is a non-profit initiative that invites visual artists and writers to apply for its summer 2009 residencies. Residencies take place on Norton Island, a remote, 150-acre island off the coast of Maine, for a period of two weeks. 16 writers and 6 artists will be selected for residencies starting on 15 June and 1 July 2009. Residents will be
provided with accommodation in log cabins. Facilities in the main cabin include a library, conservatory cabin equipped with an upright piano, stereo, computer with internet access and wi-fi. Application fee $25. To apply, complete an online application and send samples of your work to: Address Eastern Frontier Educational Foundation & Norton Island Residency, 446 Long Ridge Rd Bedford, NY 10506, America Email webmaster@easternfrontier. com Website www.easternfrontier.com Deadline 1 March 2009 The Griffis Art Center Twice a year a visual artist is selected for a five month residency at The Griffis Art Center in Connecticut. Their AIR programme offers an opportunity for professional artists to explore their full creative potential. The apartments for the International Artists are located in Sapphire House and the Gemfire Studio in a quiet residential neighborhood. To apply, complete an application form (available online) and submit along with two letters of recommendation, images of recent work, and $25 application fee, to: Address The Griffis Art Center, 147 State Street, New London, Connecticut 06320, America Telephone 001 860 447 3431 Email director@GriffisArtCenter.com Website www.griffisartcenter.com Deadline 15 February 2009 Interspace Interspace New Media Arts Centre (Sophia, Bulgaria) calls for application from film and media artists to apply for their AIR programme. I-Space provides access to assistants, computers, and equipment (audio and video). Expenses for provided accommodation must be covered by the artist. Please send your portfolio, a motivation letter and a project proposal to: Address 27 Benkovski Str., Ent. 2, fl. 1, ap. 18, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria Telephone 003592 94 33 470 Email home@i-space.org Website www.i-space.org Deadline: Ongoing
32
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
Opportunities THE Meet Factory The Meet Factory International Atelier Residential Programme (Czech Republic) offers artists working with drawing, painting, film, multimedia and sculpture the opportunity to work as an AIR for between 2 to 12 months. The Meet Factory provides 4 to 6 ateliers for international residents, accommodation, and sound and recording studios for emerging artists. Applications should be sent to: Address Meet Factory, Zborovská 46 Meet Factory o.p.s., Praha 5, Czech Republic Email david@noise.cz Website www.meetfactory.cz Deadline Ongoing Burg Beeskow, Germany Burg Beeskow provides studio space and accommodation for artists, facilities for traditional art media, including pottery (clay and kiln) and engraving. Artists may stay for between 2 and 6 months and cost for rent of studio, accommodation and food is €15 per day. To apply send a proposal and documentation of your work to: Address Frankfurter Straße 23, 15848 Beeskow, Germany Telephone 0049 3366 20579 Deadline Ongoing Lower Saxony Media AIR Programme 2009 The Foundation of Lower Saxony at the Edith-Russ-Site for Media Art, Oldenburg, will award three six-months work stipends (€10,000 each) from July to December 2009. Submitted project proposals from artists working with new media will be reviewed by an international jury. A minimum residency of one month is required. Artists in Residence will be integrated into the institution’s activities. Studio and accommodation are provided. Information on application procedures is available online. Address Edith Russ House for Media Art, Peterstrasse 23, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany Telephone 0049 441 2353208 Email i n fo@ e d i t h - ru s s- h a us. d e Website www.edith-russ-haus.de Deadline 28 February 2009 (postmark)
Kunsthaus Tacheles, Kunsthaus Tacheles (Berlin) invites application from artists working with painting, sculpture, media art and drawing for its AIR programme. Tacheles aims to promote an international dialogue between different artists from different disciplines. Studio space only is provided. For more information contact: Address Kunsthaus Tacheles, Oranienburgerstraße 54/56-A, 10117 Berlin, Germany Telephone 0049 30 2826185 Email office@tacheles.de Website http://super.tacheles.de/cms/ Deadline Ongoing TICA, Albania The Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art welcomes applications for its 2 month residency programme from artists working with drawing, painting, sculpture, media art and film. The ongoing TICA AIR programme provides a return flight ticket, shared accommodation and studio space in Tirana, Albania, a monthly allowance of €400 and the opportunity to take part in an exhibition/public presentation at the end of the residency. To apply, send your CV, 300 words max. about your practice, 300 words max. on why you would like to do the residency at TICA and documentation of your work (800 x 600pix .jpeg/QuickTime format video for email submissions, or printed images for postal submissions), to: Address Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art, c/o Delta Publicity, Rr. Luigj Gurakuqi, Pall 89, Sh. A, Kati 12, Tirana, Albania Email contact.tica@gmail.com Deadline Ongoing Glass Centre, Sunderland The National Glass Centre calls for applications for its ongoing Artist in Residence programme. Applications are welcomed from both individuals and collectives for short or long-term residencies. The Centre’s facilities include a visiting artist’s studio, wireless internet access, an experienced hot glass studio team on hand to support the production of new work, excellent exhibition spaces and an experienced curatorial team and external panel of advisers. Applicants do not need to have any experience of working with glass first-hand,
but should have an interest in working with glass in new ways, exploring the diversity of glass or its relationship with new media, film and video, science, architecture and design. To submit a proposal, send a statement (max. 150 words), current CV, contact details, proposal (max. one A4 page) and project timetable and budget, if relevant, to: Address Creative Director, National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, Sunderland SR6 0GL, England Email info@nationalglasscentre.com Website www.nationalglasscentre.com Deadline Ongoing Artistay in France Artistay is a new initiative that aims to secure residency places for international artists who wish to complete a residency in France. Artistay works with a network of professional residencies in France and their goal is to match suitable artists to residencies that will complement their practice. They offer their services free of charge and without obligation. Artists send an application to Artistay who will then examine your application, consider what residency may be right for you, and submit an application on your behalf. If the application is successful then Artistay will pass on all contact details to you and you will then be free to communicate directly with the residency facilitator and decide whether or not the residency is right for you. Applications should include a current CV, documentation of work, short description of the work that you intend to complete on the residency, letter of recommendation/professional reference (if possible), preferred dates and length of stay for residency and any other information that you feel is important. Email apply@artistay.com Website www.artistay.com EXHIBITIONSIRELAND EXHIBITIONS CUSTOM HOUSE STUDIOS The Custom House Studios are inviting submissions for exhibitions for 2009 and 2010. Custom House Studios are currently constructing an extension and renovations – set to reopen March 2009. The gallery is located on street level and enjoys high visitor numbers. There is a full programme of
exhibitions. Please send letters of interest, CVs and documentation of work to: Address John Mc Hugh, Unit 1, 15 Westport Industrial Park, Newport Road, Ireland. Closing date 30 January 2009. ‘My Space’ Project ‘My Space’ is a project initiated and curated by Cecilia Moore commissioned by Breaking Ground, the PerCent for Art programme for Ballymun Regeneration Ltd. Six minigalleries will travel to non-gallery venues throughout Ireland until June 2009. ‘My Space’ exhibits artworks, installations and materials exploring ideas of identity, personal interests and opinion. Artists wishing to participate in the project should email Cecilia at: Email cecilia.myspace@gmail.com Website www.ceciliamoore.ie Deadline Ongoing until June 2009 Projecto Electro Projecto Electro is a new Electro Art Club project from media art collective MART. It aims to offer a new platform for upcoming artists and musicians using digital media. MART are encouraging artist to submit new work and ideas for inclusion in Projecto Electro nights, video art projections from MART artists/ VJ’s, the Performance Zone (merging contemporary dance and theatre), interactive digital games and vox pops. For more information please contact Ciara on: Telephone 087 9699945 Email info@mart.ie projectoelectro@gmail.com Website www.mart.ie www.myspace.com projectoelectro Deadline Ongoing Guerrilla Video The International Guerrilla Video Festival Dublin 2009 will be held from 19 to 20 February 2009 in Parnell Street, Rathmines and Moore Street. The IGVFest is a mobile festival integrating video art with the urban and social environment. Works relating to the social conditions of the site will be projected onto building facades, monuments and temporary structures. Themes to be addressed on the sites include: Parnell Street (immigration, demographic
shifts, cultural hybrids); Rathmines (urban planning, gentrification, periphery); Moore Street (maintaining of traditional culture, Potemkin village). Submissions should include your single channel work on DVD (NTSC or PAL), completed submission form from their website and supplemental information about the work or artist. Send submissions to: Address International Guerrilla Video Festival, 244 Fifth Ave, Suite J245, New York, NY 10001, USA Website www.igvfest.com Deadline 23 January 2009 International EXHIBITIONS INTERNATIONAL Wet Sounds 2009 Wet Sounds, the Underwater Sound Gallery by Newtoy, will return in summer 2009 and is now open for proposals for sound work, performances, and installations for its second UK tour. Wet Sounds takes place in public swimming pools. Work accepted for the event will play throughout Wet Sounds’ installations 2009 -2010. Audio work should be between 4 and 10 minutes duration. Performance work should be durational or take place throughout the event, performed in the water or elsewhere in the pool area. Installations should engage the audience and compliment the swimming pool and Victorian Baths, e.g. decorative work, lighting, sculpture, plants, interactive work. Performances and installations/interventions will command a fee of £150. For more information please contact Joel at: Email wetsounds@newtoy.org Website www.newtoy.org/wetsounds html Deadline 9 March 2009 Glass Centre, Sunderland The National Glass Centre welcomes proposals for exhibitions and ideas for the commissioning and production of new work. The National Glass Centre is looking to work with artists across all art forms and no previous experience of working with glass necessary. Access to an external panel of advisors and an experienced hot glass studio team who support the production of new work is provided. Ideas may reflect the diversity of glass or its relationship with new media, film and video, science, architecture and design. To submit a proposal, send a
statement (max. 150 words), current CV, contact details, proposal (max. one A4 page) and project timetable and budget, if relevant, to: Address Creative Director, National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, Sunderland SR6 0GL, England Email info@nationalglasscentre.com Website www.nationalglasscentre.com Deadline Ongoing Manifest, Ohio The Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, announces a call to artists for ‘Mythography: An Exploration of Narrative Art’, that will run from 6 March to 3 April 2009. Juried by a committee of professional and academic advisors. Submission open to all. $10 entry fee per work submitted. For more information see website of contact Jason Franz at: Telephone 001 513 861 3638 Email jason@manifestgallery.org Website w w w. m a n i f e s t g a l l e r y. o r g / mythography/ Deadline 30 January 2009 APW Gallery, New York APW Gallery announces a call to artists for ‘World of Imagination Vol. 2’, an exhibition featuring 2,000 12 x 12 inch paintings. Exhibition will be held from 6 to 29 March 2009. Artists from all over the world may submit up to 5 paintings on canvas. Entry Fee: $50 (everyone will be accepted and featured in this exhibition). One exhibitor will be given the chance to present a solo exhibition in the APW Gallery. The jurors are Hans Yim, Kerry Lee. For more information contact Hans Yim or visit the APW website. Email info@apwarts.com Website www.apwarts.com/ worldofimagination Deadline 30 January 2009 Art Below Art Below provides artists with advertising space on the London Underground, turning ad space into art space. For a fee, your work will be displayed for a period of 2 weeks in a station of your choice. There is also a web page for online viewing. Telephone 0044 20 8948 4491 Email info@artbelow.com
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
33
January – February 2009
Opportunities Website www.artbelow.com www.myspace.com/artbelow Deadline Ongoing Land / Dream-SCAPES Call for entries for ‘Landscapes/ Dreamscapes’, a 2-D show that will take place at the JayKay Gallery (Switzerland), a renovated farmhouse in Carrogue, near Lake Geneva in Switzerland. All entrants will be considered for a Reflect-arts show in New York City. The jurors will be Juliette Pelletier and Karen Hafsett Nye. Entry fee is $30 for 4 images and $5 for each additional entry. For more information please contact Juliette Pelletier or visit their website. Telephone 001 646 3440864 Email info@reflect-arts.com Website www.reflect-arts.com/jaykay09 Deadline 31 January2009 FEED 2009 FEED is a national juried biennial exhibition organized by 1708 Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. Entries for FEED 2009 are open to artists working in any media. 5 winners will be chosen who will each receive a $1,000 honourarium and the opportunity to exhibit multiple works at FEED 2009. Images of work should be submitted as 72dpi .jpegs and DVD submissions should be sent in their entirety (no clips or trailers). Entrance is $30 for 5 pieces of work. The jurors are Ashley Kistler, Director of the Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Mark Sloan, Director and Senior Curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston. Website www.1708feed.org Deadline 30 January 2009 ‘21st C Watercolour’ Call for entries for the Royal Watercolour Society open competition ‘21st Century Watercolour’. Artists are invited to submit up to three water-based paintings on paper for consideration for the exhibition. Entry is £10 per work and prizes include cash, purchase awards and art materials. Successful entries will be exhibited at the Bankside Gallery from 20 Feb – 15 March 2009. Handing in dates are 14 and 15 February 2009. For more information please see the Royal Watercolour Society’s website.
Website www.royalwatercoloursociety. co.uk www.banksidegallery.com Deadline 14 January 2009 Mount Pleasant Gardens Artists are invited to submit work for the Mount Pleasant Gardens Annual Sculpture Exhibition. The show, scheduled for September 2009, will feature all types of sculpture in ten acres of landscaped gardens near Chester in Cheshire. Entrance fee of £50 covers submission of up to 8 pieces, and organisers will charge 20% commission on sales. To apply contact: Telephone 0044 1829 751592 Email louiseworthington@btinternet. com louisedarlington@btinternet. com Website www.mountpleasantgardens. co.uk Deadline 28 February 2009 Little Women! Call for female artists to submit work for the 13th annual Little Women! exhibition, celebrating International Women’s Day. The show will be an unthemed exhibition of small work that will take place from 7 to 28 March 2009 at the Willis Museum in Hampshire. To submit work contact: Telephone 0044 1256 478493 Email linda_hasking@hotmail.com Deadline 14 February 2009 ‘Overview’ of Painting Artists of all media are called to submit work to ‘Overview’, an exhibition that will aim to be representative of both painting today and work in other media that reacts to the practice of painting and/or the artist as a painter. The exhibition will take place from 20 Febr – 20 March 2009. Submission fee of £7 applies for up to 5 pieces of work. Submissions should be sent on a disk as .jpegs. Work can be for sale and 30% will be charged on sales. To submit work, post your submission to the gallery and email for an application form. Address Elysium Gallery, 41 High Street, Swansea, SA1 1LT, Wales Email elysiumgallery@yahoo.co.uk Website www.elysiumgallery.com Deadline 31 January 2009
There is Beauty in the City There is Beauty in the City’ is a participatory project by Anna Francis that is open to everyone. Simply ask for a magnet or print off a template from the project blog, below, then take the magnet to your chosen beauty spot, photograph the magnet in situ and send in the photo as .jpeg (less then 2MB) to the email address for display on the blog and Facebook sites. Email thereisbeautyinthecity@yahoo. co.uk Www www.thereisbeautyinthecity blogspot.com Deadline Ongoing LENS-BASED NEwMEDIA Media LENS BASED / /NEW Roadside Attraction Another Roadside Attraction is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of new contemporary art. Approximately every eight weeks Another Roadside Attraction organises an evening of artists’ video and film screenings in The Griffin, Shoreditch, London. To submit work for consideration, please send a copy of your work (with stamped SAE for return) on DVD to: Address Another Roadside Attraction, 55 Bayford Business Centre, Bayford Street, London E8 3SF, England Telephone 0044 208 9814312 Email info anotherroadsideattraction.org Website www. anotherroadsideattraction.org Deadline ongoing Jersey City Museum The Jersey City Museum’s Media 1x1 Series is calling for submissions of videos that investigate the idea of ‘place’. Up to nine videos will be chosen for participation in the series which will play on three screens on the first floor of the museum from May to September 2009. Please submit work on unformatted DVDs (NTSC format only and preferably as .movs), a short synopsis of the work and contact details. Entries should be sent by post to the address below and enquiries may be made by emailing the curator, Natalie McKeever. Address Investigations of Place Video Program, Jersey City Museum, P.O. Box 428, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0428, USA.
Email natalie.mckeever@gmail.com Website www.jerseycitymuseum.org Deadline 6 March 2009 (postmark) Rhizome Writers Initiative The Rhizome Writers Initiative gives writers, artists, critics and curators the opportunity to explore in-depth a diverse range of topics related to contemporary art engaged with technology and to develop their own language and understanding of this field. If you have an idea on a topic related to new media art send your proposal to: Email editor@ rhizome.org Website www.rhizome.org Deadline Ongoing NanoArt The NanoArt International Online Competition is open to all artists. Participating artists will be provided with 3 high resolution monochromatic electron scans to work from. They will then use the electron scans as a starting point from which to make work. Artists can submit up to 5 images (artworks). All submitted works will be exhibited on the nanoart21.org site until 31 March 2009, together with artist’s name, web site and e-mail. The competition will be judged by Jeanne Brasile, artist, director and curator of the Walsh Gallery at the Seton Hall University and Rocky Rawstern, artist and former editor of Nanotechnology Now. Top 10 artists will be exhibited on nanoart21.org site for one year and will be invited to exhibit at the 3rd edition of The International Festival of NanoArt. For more information, please visit the competition site or enquire by email. Email 2008@nanoart21.org Website w w w. n a n o a r t 2 1 . o r g / h t m l / nanoart_2008.html Deadline 15 January 2009 Outcasting Outcasting is an internet based screening channel for all forms of moving image work. All films will be archived online and there will be the possibility of DVD distribution for selected works. All work should be submitted as full quality data files on DVD / MiniDV tape / or as Flash Movies and sent to: Address Outcasting, Michael Cousin, 116 Paget Street, Grangetown, Cardiff,
CF11 7LA, Wales United Kingdom Email contact@outcasting.org Website www.outcasting.org Deadline ongoing Rhizome Commissions The Rhizome Commissions Programme at the New Museum awards grants to emerging artists working with new media. Commissioned works can take the final form of online works, performance, video, installation, or sound art, and should creatively engage new and networked technologies or reflect on their impact. Projects can be made for the context of a gallery, public space, the web or networked devices. Rhizome Commissions awards should contribute substantially towards the total cost of the project and are usually in the region of $3,000 to $5,000. Proposed projects should be carried out within one year. More information about submission procedures is available from the Rhizome website. Submissions will be accepted from 15 January 2009 until the deadline. Website www.rhizome.org/ commissions/2009/procedures. php Deadline 2 April 2009 Kellicutt International The Coastal Arts League is now accepting entries for the 2009 Kellicutt International Juried Photo Show which will be on show in April and May 2009 at the Coastal Arts League Museum in Half Moon Bay, California. First Prize $2,000. The jurors for the competition are Michael Collopy, Charles Cramer and Janet Jones. Open to all photographers internationally and all forms of photography. Entry fee is $20 for first entry and $5 for each additional entry. For more information contact Jeff Klagenberg at: Telephone 001 650 4303677 Email jeff@shakesplace.com Deadline 31 January 2009 COMMISSIONS commissions Mayo VEC Mayo Vocational Education Committee (VEC) is offering a commission under the PerCent for Art Scheme in respect of two new school extensions and renovated premises at St. Patrick’s College, Lacken Cross, Co. Mayo,
and St. Brendan’s College, Belmullet, Co. Mayo. The budget for St. Patrick’s College is €34,800 and the budget for St. Brendan’s College is €36,500. Budgets should include artists’ fees, design costs, material, fabrication and all other associated costs, including VAT. The commission is a two-stage open competition. Projects will be evaluated by the Per Cent for Art Selection Committee of Mayo VEC. Successful entries will reflect the ethos and activities of the school communities. Full brief is available by request from: Address Sharon Moore, Mayo VEC, Newtown, Castlebar, Co Mayo Telephone 094 9024188, extension 245 Email smoore@mayovec.ie Deadline 27 February 2009 Shamrock Plaza Competition Commission Monaco Properties wishes to commission a work or works of art for a civic space in front of the new Shamrock Plaza building in Carlow. This commission is a result of the planning process engaged in with the County Council and should relate directly to the social, cultural or economic environment of the area. The budget of €30,000 should include artist’s fees, design costs, material, fabrication and all other associated costs, including VAT. The commission is a two-stage open competition. Projects will be evaluated by a Selection Committee comprising members of Monaco Properties, Carlow Town Council and the Carlow Local Arts Office. A full brief is available online or by request from: Address Monaco Properties, Waterford Telephone 051 857787 Email LGough@monaco.ie or ATobin@monaco.ie Website www.monaco.ie Deadline 12 noon, 31 January 2009 Harlow Art Trust Harlow Art Trust in Harlow, Essex, owns a significant collection of modern and contemporary public sculpture in Britain which is on permanent display in public spaces around the town. The Trust is now inviting submissions from practicing sculptors resident in the UK and Ireland for an open competition for the Lady Gibberd Sculpture Commission. The new work will commemorate the life
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The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
Opportunities and work of Lady Patricia Gibberd, former chairperson of the Trust. It is not intended that this should be a portrait. The Trust is looking for an emerging sculptor, able to deliver a creative work of public sculpture that is permanent, durable and low in maintenance costs for a new public space being developed in Harlow. The proposed commission is worth up to £35,000 depending on size, material and current prices of the successful applicant’s work. This sum should include design, fabrication and artist’s fee. Full brief is available on the website. For full brief contact Michael Paraskos at: Address Harlow Council (Arts Development), Civic Centre, Harlow, CM20 1WG, England Telephone 0044 20 8676 4610 Website www.harlowarttrust.org Deadline 4pm, 30 January 2009 STUDIOS STUDIOS Studio/Collective Dublin A group of approximately 40 artists and craftspeople working in any and all media are sought for a new city centre collective. The space on Drury Street, Dublin 2, will be mixed use with approx. 3,500sqft studio space and 1,500sqft retail space. The project has been designed to provide both retail and studio space to visual arts practitioners and craftspeople for a fee of €400 per calendar month inclusive (a deposit of the same will be required). The space is in a commercial area with good footfall. Interested parties can contact Claudia at: Email claudiaterry@gmail.com Deadline Ongoing CUSTOM HOUSE STUDIOS The Custom House Studios are inviting submissions for use of studio space for 2009 and 2010. Custom House Studios are currently constructing an extension and renovations – set to reopen March 2009. The Studios complex houses seven artists studios, gallery and a print studio. These facilities are housed in a historic restored Customs House building on the Quay in Westport, on a prominent redeveloped waterfront street. The studios are located up stairs overlooking the harbour. All studios have daylight and 24hour access. One studio is available for shorter stays. Please send letters of interest, CVs and
documentation of work to: Address John Mc Hugh, Unit 1. 15 Westport Industrial Park, Newport Road, Ireland. Closing date 30 January 2009.
Telephone 0044 161 2953841 Email l.m.kelly@salford.ac.uk Website www.pg.salford.ac.uk/gtas Deadline 6 February 2009
COMPETITIONS //AWARDS AWARDS COMPETITIONS Oxford Postgrad The University of Oxford is calling for applicants of high academic merit to submit proposals for their AHRC Postgraduate Studentships 2009. Starting in October 2009 these one and two-year awards for Research Master’s and Professional Masters’ degrees, and up to three years for doctoral degrees, are available in a range of subject areas including Fine Art, Film Studies and History of Art, Architecture and Design. UK students are eligible to apply for full awards covering fees and maintenance and EU students may apply for fees-only awards. Payments of up to £9,040 for Master’s awards and £12,940 for Doctoral awards are available per annum. £25 application fee. For more details on eligible subject areas/courses, residency eligibility criteria and academic eligibility criteria, and on how to apply for an AHRC studentship at Oxford, see the notes of guidance online. Website www.humanities.ox.ac.uk/ graduate_study/ahrc/ahrc notes_of_guidance Deadline 23 January 2009 University of Salford The University of Salford calls for potential PhD students at the university to apply for the positions of Graduate Teaching Assistants commencing in October 2009. The scheme offers UK and EU Doctoral students the opportunity to study for a PhD at the Adelphi Research Institute for Creative Arts & Sciences, University of Salford, while undertaking teaching duties in areas usually related to their PhD research. Successful candidates will work under the direction of an academic staff member for up to 180 hours over the academic year (average of six hours per week). Scholarships are worth £13,290 per annum. Suitable subject areas include Contemporary Arts Practice, New Media, Performance Studies, Film Studies, Museum Management and Heritage Studies, and Sound Art. For more information on application procedures please contact Linda M. Kelly at:
Porcelain Award Artists working with porcelain are invited to submit work for the 6th Zelli Porcelain Award. The theme of the award for porcelain sculpture is ‘Proverbs’. Artists are invited to choose from eight proverbs, each one from a different country. Short-listed sculptures will be exhibited in Zelli’s West End gallery from 19 to 31 October 2009. Short-listed entries will be judged by a panel of three experts and the winner will receive a prize of £3000. There will be an additional prize of £500 for the sculpture showing the best use of colour. £10 entry fee. For further details contact: Address Zelli Porcelain Award, 55-57 Chiltern Street, London W1U 6ND, England Telephone 0044 20 7224 2114 Email info@zelli.co.uk Website www.zelli.co.uk Deadline 26 September 2009 Prince of Wales Bursary The British School at Athens offers a bursary for a period of artistic study/work in Greece for British artists. All disciplines considered. Maximum bursary of £2,500. The British School is committed to the lasting and universal values of Greece and Hellenism, and to contributing significantly to present day intellectual and cultural life. Applications should reflect these principles. Applications should not be longer than two pages, and must include a statement of the applicant’s intentions, the amount requested from the Fund and a provisional work timetable. This should include some residence at the School. A CV, names and addresses of two referees and photographs/colour copies (not exceeding A4 size with true dimensions written on back) of not more than ten pieces of work, including stamped SAE for return of same should be sent to: Address The Secretary, The British School at Athens, Senate House, Malet Street, London W1E 7RU, England Deadline 16 January 2009
Edward Marshall Trust Artists and designers with eligible design projects (up to £50,000) that are both accessible by the public and inspired by an ideology relevant for today are invited to submit proposals for the Edward Marshall Trust Award that aims to promote projects that examine what objects mean and how they interact with the world. Further information is available on the Award’s website. Website www.edtrust.org.uk Deadline 31 January 2009 The City of Carouge The City of Carouge, Geneva, organises an open biennial competition in ceramics. The subject of the 2009 competition is a cup and its saucer, part of the same set. Competitors may submit one entry each, presenting no more than one set. The object must be an original, recently created work. The work must be in ceramics. The work of selected competitors will be exhibited in the Musée de Caroug from 19 September to 1 November 2009. Prizes include The City of Carouge 2009 Prize worth 10,000 Swiss francs (approx. €6,300), The Bruckner Foundation Prize for the Advancement of Ceramics worth 2,000 Swiss francs (approx. €1,200) and a prize of 1,000 Swiss francs (approx. €600) awarded by the Swiss Ceramics Association. An application form is available to download from the website and should be returned to the address below. Address Musée de Carouge, Case postale 1576 CH-1227-Carouge, Genève, Switzerland Email musee@carouge.ch Website www.carouge.ch Deadline 30 March 2009 INTERNSHIPS/ /VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEERS INTERNSHIPS S Dulwich Picture Gallery Graduates and post-graduate students wishing to pursue a career in the museum and gallery world are invited to apply for the ongoing placement scheme in the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London. Placements are for at least 3 days per week for a period of 3 months and they involve a variety of tasks from basic office duties to assisting with the running of the schools programme in the Gallery and Sackler Centre for Arts Education. Those able to commit for longer may be given particular projects or research that tie in with their
own interests and specialities. The position is unpaid but local travel expenses will be reimbursed. To apply send a covering letter and CV to: Address Education Manager, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London SE21 7AD, England Website www.dulwichpicturegallery.org. uk Deadline 4 May 2009 Ceramics Festival Students with an interest in ceramics are invited to apply for an opportunity to work alongside some of the most well respected demonstrators in the world during the International Ceramics Festival, Aberystwyth, Wales, from 3 to 5 July 2009. Student helpers are required to assist demonstrators, staff on the front desk, help set-up exhibitions and cup sale, assist with kiln building, firings and staged events, organise equipment and materials and for front of house. Helpers will have free access to the festival, accommodation, and a small payment towards expenses. Application forms are available online, or for more information contact Sophie Bennett at: Address International Ceramics Festival, Abwerystwyth Arts Centre, UWA, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales SY25 6RF Email sob@aber.ac.uk Website www internationalceramicsfestival. org Deadline 1 February 2009 Volunteering in Ecuador The Charlotte Miller Arts Project and ICYE-UK are seeking individuals with experience in the arts and volunteering sector to help run arts-based workshops with street children in the Guayaquil region of Ecuador. Placements are particularly suited to those who have worked in the educational sector, especially with children, and have a good grasp or arts-based community work. A conversational level of Spanish is also required for these placements. A limited number of six or 12 month long placements are available departing in June 2009, December 2009 or June 2010. Volunteers will need to fundraise in order to help finance direct costs. For details of how to apply contact Jebby Williams, Sending Co-ordinator, at: Telephone
0044 870 7743 486 or 0044 207 681 0983 Email international@icye.org.uk Website www.charlottemillerartproject. co.uk Deadline 1 June 2009 CONFERENCES CONFERENCES Cork Textile Conference A one day conference for artists and craftspeople with an interest in contemporary textiles will be held in Cork on 7 March 2008. The conference will feature lectures from some of Britain and Ireland’s leading contemporary textile artists as well as a choice of afternoon workshops in Stitch, Miniature Books, Print, Paper Casting, Collage and Paint/Stitch/ Collage with tutors Jan Beany, Anna King, Debbie Godsell, Dominic Fee, Mary Timmons, Lynn Kenny and Helen Stringer. Attendance costs €80. Registration forms available online. Email ctn@oeanfree.net Website www.corktextiles.com Deadline 7 March 2009 CALL FOR CALLS FORPAPERS PAPERS The Kumasi Symposium The Kumasi Symposium 2009, ‘Tapping Local Resources for Sustainable Education Through Art’, held in association with AfriCOAE, calls for the submission of proposals for theory papers, presentations, exhibitions and workshops to be presented at the symposium that will be held in Kumasi, Ghana, from 31 July to 14 august 2009. Proposed contributions should address one or more of the symposium strands and topics: Art Education Practice, Studio Practice, Curatorial/Museum/ Community Arts Practice, Art History/Criticism, Arts Administration/Management/ Marketing Practice, and Open Session. Expression of interest and proposals for plenary sessions and exhibitions/ practical workshops will be reviewed until 17 January 2009 and applications for individual paper presentation and participation will be reviewed until the space is filled. All submissions should be sent to: Email africoae@gmail.com Website www.afropoets.tripod.com/eta www.knust.edu.gh Deadline 19 June 2009
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
35
January – February 2009
Opportunities
WORKSHOPS / COURSES WORKSHOPS / COURSES TACTIC Workshops TACTIC is a cross-national laboratory for tactical art making: investigation, intervention, discovery, testing and application; a space for activists, artists and other interested parties to meet in Dublin, inform each other’s practice and develop creative projects and interventions. TACTIC is asking for submissions towards a series of workshops to be hosted in their residency space at the LAB in February and March 2009. Submissions welcome from artists, activists and collectives for ideas, themes and workshops that Tactic should host while at the LAB. TACTIC will document all projects worked on in its space. Please send submissions to: Email tacticproject@gmail.com Website www.tacticproject.blogspot.com Deadline20 January 2009 Master of Art in Public The Master Art in Public at the University of Ulster, Belfast, seeks to develop testing modes of working that are dialogic, participatory, interventionist or collaborative in intention and structure. Throughout the programme students will work with formal and informal external partners and be expected to develop self initiated, innovative practice based approaches. The course is available full-time or part-time. To apply please contact Susanne Bosch or Dan Shipsides at: Telephone 0044 28 90267321 Email s.bosch@ulster.ac.uk or dj. shipsides@ulster.ac.uk Website www.interface.ulster.ac.uk/ma4 Deadline 31 March 2009
Limerick Printmakers Bookings are currently being accepted for places on the following two-day weekend courses at Limerick Printmakers: PhotoEtching with Suzannah O’Reilly, 24 & 25 January 2009, €210; DryPoint Etching with David Lilburn 21 & 22 February 2009 (to be confirmed), €210; Silkscreen for Beginners and Intermediate with Vincent Casey, 22 & 23 March 2009, €200; Silkscreen for Intermediate and Advanced with Derek O’Sullivan, 24 & 25 January 2009, €200; Monoprint with Fiona Quill, 7 & 8 March 2009, €200; Mezzotint with Pamela Dunne, 21 & 22 March 2009, €250. Cost of all courses includes tuition and materials. For more information please see website. Places limited. For bookings please contact: Address Limerick Printmakers Studio and Gallery, 4 Robert Street, Limerick Telephone 061 311806 Email limerickprintmakers@gmail. com Website www.limerickprintmakers.com/ education Urban Design Course The ‘Art, Landscape, Place’ Urban Design Course at Birmingham City University is a continuing professional development course worth 15 credits towards an MA in Urban Design in the UK. The seven day course will run on Tuesdays from 10am to 6pm from 27 January 2009 to 10 March 2009. The course is designed to develop conceptual approaches towards placemaking using critical design thinking from arts and landscape practice. Work will take place on a live site with guidance from internationally renowned guest speakers tailored towards artists, researchers, design professional, developers and planners. The
course fee is £450. For further information contact Dr Noha Nasser on: Telephone 0044 121 3315894 Email noha.nasser@bcu.ac.uk Website www.bcu.ac.uk/cudos Deadline 27 January 2009 Applied Art Ulster Applied Art Ulster, in association with the University of Ulster, are running a series of Masterclasses in Ceramics, Silver and Jewellery, and Textiles which will be held in the Ormeau Baths Gallery in Belfast. The programme offers an international standard of practitioners across silver and jewellery, ceramics and textiles. The details of the Masterclasses are as follows: Ceramics Masterclass with Keith Harris, Wednesday 14 January 2009 from 1.30pm; Silver and Jewellery Masterclass with Junko Mori, Wednesday 18 February 2009 from 1.30pm; Textiles Masterclass with Shelly Goldsmith, Wednesday 11 March 2009 from 1.30pm. Tickets are free but capacity is limited. To reserve a place please contact Ormeau Baths Gallery on: Telephone 0044 28 9032 1402 Email mail@ormeaubaths.co.uk Rural Contexts ‘Shifting Ground: Public Art in Rural Contexts’ is a part-time course taught by Deirdre O’Mahony that will be run by Galway Mayo Institute of Technology from 26 January 2009. The aim of the course is to develop an understanding of the critical issues, history and context, research skills, and framework for developing sustainable visual arts and heritage projects in rural contexts. Informed by the
theoretical framework of the course the student will then produce a written paper and a completed project proposal. Course will run for one evening per week for 13 weeks from 6 to 9pm each Monday, starting on 26 January 2009. The fee for the course is €150. 25 places. Application forms and further information are available from GMIT. Applications should be sent, along with payment (cash, cheque payable to GMIT or credit card), to: Address The Lifelong Learning Centre, GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway City Telephone 091 742257 / 742496 / 742412 Email mary.maccague@gmit.ie or mary.creaven@gmit.ie Website www.gmit.ie Deadline 26 January 2008 Glass Lecture Bullseye Glass presents a lecture series by international glass artists and kilncasters Richard Whiteley and Brachlow which will travel to colleges and universities throughout the UK. Each day-long programme will consist of two three-hour sessions: one devoted to conceptual issues and the other to technical issues. The lecture tour will be at the University of Ulster Lecture Theatre in Belfast on 8 February 2009. Standard tickets cost £50 and student tickets are £25. Places are limited and tickets should be purchased in advance either from the Bullseye website or by contacting Karen Davies at: Telephone 0044 1955 651742 Email karendavies@bullseyeglass.com Website www.bullseyeglass.co.uk
PUBLICATIONS PUBLICATIONS Four Corners Familiars Four Corners Familiars is seeking proposals from artists, at any stage in their careers, to have a volume published in the Four Corners Familiars series. The series presents artists’ responses to classic novels and short stories and participants are encouraged to come up with innovative, distinctive ways of complementing the text, preferably far removed from traditional notions of illustration. Payment for successful proposals will be £750 plus 30 copies of their book. Application and submission details are available from: Website www.fourcornersbooks.co.uk/ OpenSub.html Deadline 10 April 2009 The First Time Project The First Time Project will be an annual hardback publication showcasing creative artwork from around the world. Each publication will be a themed, limited edition artists’ book. The project invites submissions for its inaugural publication from recent graduates, emerging and established artists. The first publication is scheduled for June 2009. For application form please contact Mark Brereton at: Email m.brereton@photographer.net Website www.markbrereton.co.uk Deadline 1 June OTHER OTHER Architecture Award The Arts Council invites applications for the Kevin Kieran Architecture Award. Named after the late Kevin Kieran, architect, distinguished academic and former consultant to the Arts
Council, this award, offered by the Arts Council in partnership with the Office of Public Works, aims to support the creative development of the architect and to direct funding towards architectural excellence and innovation. The biennial award is valued at €50,000 over a twoyear period offers an emerging architect the opportunity to develop and deliver a research project in the first instance. Following completion of this, the architect will be contracted to design and run a building contract for the Office of Public Works (OPW). For further information / application forms: Contact Aisling McKone, Architecture Assistant. Telephone +353 1 6180253 Email aisling.mckone@artscouncil.ie www www.artscouncil.ie Closing date Thursday 29 January at 5.30pm
Do remember to look at the advertisments in this VAN, also check our web site & subscribe to our e-bulletin for further opportunities. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our information we strongly advise readers to verify all details to their own satisfaction before forwarding art work, slides or monies etc. VAI exchanges with and sources information from: A-N:The Artists’ Information Company; The International Sculpture Centre (New Jersey / USA) and the National Sculpture Factory Cork.
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The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
January – February 2009
ADVOcacy and Lobbying
'Your Not Welcome' discussion panel. L–R. Noel Kelly, Pauline Hadaway, Yvette Vaughan Jones and David Jacques
You're Not Welcome (Any More) JOHN BYRNE DISCUSSES THE RE-DEFINITION OF THE ARTIST, IN LIGHT OF THE DISCUSSION ON THE IMPLICATIONS FOR ARTISTS AND ART INSTITUTIONS OF THE UK’S POINTS BASED VISA SYSTEM – WHICH WAS PRESENTED BY VAI AND BELFAST EXPOSED IN SEPTEMBER AS PART OF THE TALKS PROGRAMME OF THE 2008 LIVERPOOL BIENNALE. Over the last two decades, our understanding of art and, perhaps more
shows. As it becomes harder to justify the need to invite artists from
would go some way to explaining the general dismay which greeted
precisely, just what it means to be an artist, has been radically affected
countries whose political, economic and social circumstances are in
Vaughan Jones suggestions that curators may have to find ways of
by international mobility. Until the recent ‘credit crunch’, one of the
some degree of turmoil (and who, therefore, might have the most
inviting artists into the UK thought the channels of ‘visitor’ or
clearest manifestations of ‘globalisation’ has been the availability of
pertinent things to say about particular subjects or have the most vital
‘businessman’. On the other, it acted as a direct reminder of the lessons
cheap travel coupled, of course, with a concomitant growth in domestic
experiences to share), Hadaway argued that we may conceivably reach
handed to us via Structuralist and Post-Structuralist theory – and I’m
airline flight paths. As a result of this, more people from more varied
the stage were the curation of shows is overtly influenced by these
thinking particularly here of the writings of Edward Said – that our
walks of life have been sampling the delights of ‘other’ cultures – or at
policies. Her principal fear was that it may soon become just too
notions of identity and difference are produced in and through the use
least dabbling in the mass-produced fantasies of (inter)nationalism
difficult in terms of time, bureaucratic logistics and costs to put the
of language.
and identity provided by the major centres of the tourist and leisure
kinds of shows together that really matter. The result of this will,
Let’s face fact. We live in a global economy of image exchange.
industry. So successful has this form of globalised image production
perhaps, be a more sanitised and less edgy contemporary art experience.
This is underpinned by a commodity culture, which has successfully
been, that most major cities are now recognised as ‘international
On the other hand, Yvette Vaughan Jones, of Visiting Arts UK, poured
encoded us all to our roots. The recent credit crunch has, if anything,
destinations’ - ‘hubs’ of creativity and business success, ‘brands’ of
oil on these troubled waters. Though emphasising that she was not an
proved how much and how far, we are structured by notions of
foresighted governmental planning and, of course, ‘homes’ of culture.
agent of the state, Vaughan Jones pointed to the need to keep a ‘cool
exchange and trade. Within this globalised condition, culture is no
We all recognise them and, if they’re worth their money, most will play
head’ in the wake of these new forms of border control and to actively
longer some kind of ideological window dressing, its is now a core part
host to International Biennials of Contemporary art.
think of positive ways to re-use or subvert them.
of the economic foundation of most nations whose gross national
And this is where our new notions of the artist come in. No longer
However, as the debate unfolded and questions were asked. What
product is affected by the ‘soft’ culture industries and their related
bound by the traditional duties of studio-based practice, or the ivory
became the focal point of debate was not the direct impact of the new
markets of tourism and leisure. Welcome to Biennial land and the
towers of self-imagined elitism, they cohabit the new spectacular
border regulations themselves, but the ramifications of their
circulation of big name professional artists whose job it is to supplement
spaces of urban internationalism alongside Gucci, Armani, MacDonalds
re-definition of the category ‘artist’. According to the new UK border
the intercultural flow of ideas, art, commerce and capital. And, if there
and Subway. Their practices may either be based on a direct critical
regulations, artists (as we now know them) would have to find
is a way to counterbalance this desperate state of affairs, it’s not to be
engagement with their new-found fluidity, or simply a supportive
alternative ways of seeking entry into the UK. This is because – since a
found in the cold (and false) comfort of being a self-proclaimed artist.
celebration of the new ‘isms’ of exchange. Either way, the rhetoric’s of
statement of changes in UK parliament on June 30, 2008 – the category
Being an artist has long since been any guarantee, in itself, of alternative
exchange, trade routes, interculturalism and post-colonial discourse
of ‘artist’ has been dropped from a visa entry list of ‘Entertainers’ that
radicality.
are now the food and drink of a new contemporary hierarchy of
still includes Boxers, Jockeys, Fencers and Actors.
Art no longer provides any automatic safe haven – or even
cultural production. This, of course, has encouraged a whole network
According to Noel Kelly, this has resulted in the visa authorities
counterpoint – to the world of commodity excess. In fact, as the new
of mainstream, (and not so mainstream) galleries, journals, curators,
becoming obstructive, and often openly hostile, towards any attempts
UK visa application process proves, it’s quite a handy tool to be used in
artists and critics to engage more directly with some of the key issues
at bringing artists into the UK who they do not regard as professional
the sanitisation of culture on a governmental level. The question is no
that may or may not face the future of our rapidly evolving planet – or
– and here a professional artist is being defined by the UK border
longer ‘how to be different’ from the morass of neo-liberal state control
at least until the recent shadow of more stringent immigration laws
agencies as somebody whose sole income, of at least £10,000 per
(and I’m afraid the feel good factor of Barack Obama provides no
have raised their ugly heads.
annum, is generated from their practice. The implications of this are
alternative here) – the question is now ‘how to make a difference’. If
Some of the implications of these newer, tighter, more ‘fit for
immense. For example, as Kelly pointed out, this would mean that
this means that artists – or those who once used to be called artists –
purpose’ barriers to human diversity and exchange were discussed in
81% of Irish artists would not be allowed into the UK if Ireland, as a
need to be prepared to find alternative ways to produce even the most
Liverpool at the ‘You’re not Welcome’ discussion panel . Hosted by
member of the EU, didn’t have exemption from the new rigours of UK
modest alternatives to the dominant flow of corporatised culture, then
Printed Project, this discussion focused on the particularly instrumental
border control. This observation, however, avoided the other direct
so be it. After all, in the age of ‘Postproduction’, cultural producers
imposition of a new ‘points style’ immigration system for entry into
inference of this assessment – in the eyes of the UK government, 81%
(artists?) are supposed to be able to use any means or combination of
the UK. Chaired by Noel Kelly, CEO of Visual Artists Ireland, a panel of
of Irish artists aren’t artists. One could safely assume that, in the UK
available media in order to manufacture effective projects that have
three speakers gave their initial impressions of these new laws whilst,
itself, the figure of ‘artists’ who derive their main source of income
impact and relevance – so what does it matter if its called art or not? In
perhaps somewhat ironically, a debate for international curators was
from other revenue streams (and therefore supplement their part time
a sense Yvette Vaughn Jones was right – what does it matter if ‘artists’
being hosted by Liverpool Biennial elsewhere in the UK’s current
artistic activity) is equally high. So does this mean that they are not
have to become visitors or businessmen to meaningfully engage in the
European Capital of Culture. For David Jacques, himself an artist, the
artists either? Perhaps not – the true consequence of this statistical
job of ensuring the now tenuous process of inter-culturalism – aren’t
possibility of freedom of movement and increased availability of travel
criterion is that well over 80% of practising artists are now regarded as
we all already visitors and businessmen whether we like it or not?
has had a profound effect on individual practitioners who have been
amateur. This will have big and perhaps hurtful implications to many
willing to engage and interact with the work and ideas of others.
people’s cherished notions – and shared self-perceptions – of themselves
Drawing from his own experiences, Jacques warned of the impact that
and each other as artists.
(1)
such new regulations would have on individuals whose identities and
In point of fact, it was more the implications of this semantic
subject positions will come under the direct scrutiny of cultural
bombshell – rather than the more pressing problem that this may be a
‘means testing’ forms. As Director of Belfast Exposed, Pauline Hadaway
far more effective way of black listing creative individuals than
drew attention to the impact that new and highly interventionist visa
targeting the vagaries of ‘undesirable’ nationality – that seemed to
control bureaucracy was having on the organising and selection of
cause most discussion at ‘Your Not Welcome’. On the one hand, this
John Byrne (1) ‘Your’re Not Welcome’ Saturday 20 September 2008. 2.00 pm – 4.00pm. Site, Hope Street Lecture Hall, School of Art and Design, Liverpool John Moores University, 68 Hope Street, Liverpool. Hosted by Printed Project (a Visual Artists Ireland publication) and Belfast Exposed. Speakers: David Jacques (Artist), Pauline Hadaway (Director, Belfast Exposed, and Yvette Vaughan Jones (Visiting Arts, UK). Chair: Noel Kelly (CEO Visual Artists Ireland).
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
39
January – February 2009
Problems
Pablo helguera's ART WORLD MANUAL
The Problem Page
The Collector
Our consiege / curator of agony responds to a selection of queries and conceptual quibbles – offering in return, nothing less than life-shattering, dilemma-inducing, paradigm-shifting nonsense.
The collector (or trustee)’s position within the art world is the most enviable of all, given that collectorship is not a profession but a hobby. Collectors don’t receive pressure or influence from any part of the AW(1). Collectors thus perform their activities in an entirely free but not altogether disinterested manner – given that some do regard this activity as a professional sport – competing with other collectors.
engaged person and moreover that I possessed
Busyness
no interest in community dealings.
Collectors rarely have any artistic background, and in general this background is not necessary for collecting, since they can be guided by specialists (curators, museum directors) who advise them in their
One hour and some 45 minutes later, I
shopping efforts. Nevertheless, collectors today have evolved from a passive to an active involvement in the
returned to refill my coffee cup. The two self-
AW. Before, toward the middle of the XXth Century, collectors would provide donations to institutions and
Dear Concierge of Agony,
styled ‘socio-naughts’ (for goodness sake!) were
would support artists by buying their work. Nowadays, collectors are stockholders in a high risk market
How busy do I have to be so that people believe I
still sitting on their arses chatting about the
where artists are their portfolio, and inasmuch the acquisition of the work represents a financial risk, they
am busy? I’ve been trying to explain to friends
importance of engaging with society. They
become directly involved in influencing the direction of the AW. An influential collector, for instance, who
and family – who work in conventional trades
feigned to ignore me, until I poked one with the
would get rid of all the works in his collection belonging to a certain artist, by flooding the market of these
and professions – just how busy I am at the
pointy end of one of my brushes “See here
works can very well cause a drop in the prices of such artist. On the other hand, given their economic and
moment preparing for the inclusion of a couple
you...” I began, and I continued thus “… isn’t all
physical mobility, collectors end up being better exposed to artworks and artists. Being the main clients of
of my works in group exhibition and the short
art socially engaged? It’s made by people for
galleries and museums, they are the ones with the best ability to pressure for certain kinds of art to be
biographical and explanatory text I have to
people … and you know how long I’ve been a
displayed. This is why it is understandable that immaterial art that cannot be bought is not greatly favored
submit for the publication. Artists are workers
member of my local badminton club; and on
by the AW.
too! How about some recognition?
any given Friday night am I not across the road
What makes a good collector/trustee? Like in any sport, The collectors have to fare well in the following
in the pub quaffing with you young messers.
categories: a) Quality of works in their collection; b) Amount of those quality works; c) Giving record
Hmmm – it reminds me of the time I tried to tell a
And what’s more getting the rounds in. Do you
(amount of works they have given or promised to give in the past) d) Supportive family (to make sure that
friend that curation and project-management are
know how many invitations to dinner parties,
the family will not fight the will giving works to the institution or change the mind of the collector at the
real jobs – they harrumphed and said “Mate, a
private views and weekends in the country I
last minute) e) Extent of institutional affiliation (a collector affiliated with more institutions dilutes the
fireman or a nurse is a real job …”. Anyhow, I advise
get? Or the number of committees, panels, boards, and associations…”.
giving possibilities) f) Interference with institutional agenda (it is preferable, in the best of all possible
you to take a completely different tack. Perhaps I am missing my pal’s point, but I took him to mean that it is most vulgar for an artist to ever declare to the
Only for the sake of brevity and in acknowledgement
public-at-large that they might be even more that
of the ever-shrinking attention span of most readers
moderately occupied. And you are of course doomed
have I abridged the lengthy but informative rant
to failure if you even attempt to explain your shock
you faxed into my under-concierge’s secretarial
and indignation that in recent times, in preparation
bureau. But let me assure you, in the popular
for your project you have had to spend your time in
parlance of the day – I so-oo get your point.
an unexpectedly ‘busy’ state. So please, for all of our sakes, try to maintain the myth that art is not a matter of (shudder) multi-tasking, research,
The Other RHA
negotiation, knowledge production, budgeting, administration and fabrication. Should the friendly but provocative question “what’cha up to then, dosser?” pop up again soon in conversation, I trust
Dear Concierge of Agony,
you know what to say. "Busy? Who me?"
Can you explain this? My studio compatriots and myself have recently had an outstanding proposal quashed. We are proposing setting up an educational outreach programme entitled
A Pressing Social Engagement
The Roving Hands Association – or R and H+ A for short. Our ambition is to establish an exclusive atelier system offering tuition from Dear Concierge of Agony,
masters and mistresses in the fields of drawing,
Having left some primed canvases to dry in my
sculptural modelling and impasto painting –
studio the other morning, I popped down to the
with a strong emphasis on the haptic. This is to
kitchen space of the shared studio warehouse
say we want to stress the hand and eye lustily
where I rent a space, and I happened on couple
ranging over the surfaces, contours and folds
of the newer tenants chatting over their herbal
and undulations of forms and persons. One of
brews.
our key tenets is for the artist, in order to truly
“Yeah, like totally. This whole renting-a-
apprehend and indeed contribute to the world
studio lark is getting so-oo bogus and redundant.
around them in a reciprocal – one might even
Especially
and
say relational and socially engaged way – is "go
collaborative practice is where it’s at”. “True,
on, don’t be afraid, and give it a good clenching
true. I feel really uptight sitting here, when I
grasp".
when
socially
engaged
should be out there, sharing the authorship and
It was intended that our classes would take
creativity. And just generally proselytizing for a
place on mid-week afternoons, in locations
sense of community and agency amongst my
scattered around the leafy enclaves of the city in
fellow citizens…”.
our private home studios – well heated and
Their glances fell on me. I felt strangely
luxuriously appointed with soft orientalist
conspicuous in my primer-spattered apron. The
fabrics and velour upholstered day beds – with
shorter one addressed me “… hey granddad –
the offer of fine clarets and burgundies. And the
heh, heh – you got to get with the community
first terms starter courses were to be labelled
man; you’ve got to socially engage. Get out more,
‘afternoon delight’. As our approach seems to
rather than being holed up here just making
gel so well with both traditional notions of
work for your gallerist and buyers; and stop
studio bound practice and the more rangy
being such a bread head…”.
aspirations of dialogical practoce, we are totally
I
acknowledged
to
two
young
whippersnappers with no more than a nod of
baffled by the powers-that-be’s indifference to and rejection of our proposal.
my head, but on returning to my studio I puzzled over their remarks. In fact, the more I thought
I do occassionaly wonder if all of the dilemmas sent
about it, I began to take serious exception to the
my way are entirely genuine.
suggestion, that in some way, I was not a socially
worlds, to have a collector who simply gives and doesn’t try to run the institution’s agenda, although most believe this is now a thing of the past) e) Curatorial aspirations (some collectors even attempt to curate- a big turnoff for institutions), and last but not least f) Interest in hosting (collectors need to supply the entertaining for most social instances in the AW). The following are a few etiquette musts for the good collector: 1. The collector will have to embrace his role and status in the AW. Some duties will involve attending
boring board of trustee meetings, approving budgets, listening to the director’s promotional speeches,
attending openings, and hosting gala and opening parties for institutional sponsors.
2. Collectors will have to excel in their patience. They must understand that the AW in its entirety is
always in constant competition for their attention. In social occasions, even in instances where they are
not interested in the least to someone’s conversation, they will have to show courtesy to those who
show him merchandise or invite him to social events.
3. The collector shall not abuse his/her power in the AW, forcing curators, dealers and artists to see his/her
personal family album, or seating them to see each work in their collection, especially if the collection
exceeds 4,000 works.
4. The collector should not be too cruel in the seduction process of a gallerist of artist, making them
believe that he/she is interested in them when he/she only wants to have fun.
5. Similarly, the collector should have certain regard toward dealers, curators and artists in social events
that he/she organizes. All these people will feel obligated to attend, listen the collector’s personal
stories, and nod approvingly to everything the collector says, including the most passing thoughts, for
as long as the collector speaks. It is important for the collector to realize that the reason that this
entourage has been assembled is purely for work reasons: the situation is similar to when the office
boss subjects his employees to an interminable story of his family vacations. The collector must
understand that his/her concerns, likely resulting from a comfortable position of money and privilege,
are generally fairly incomprehensible, irrelevant, and superficial to others who are not able to partake
in that kind of life.
6. Many collectors, when they start improving the quality of their collection, will start to look into ways
in which they can get rid of the works of certain artists who may not be “at the level” of the rest of the
collection, especially those that perhaps were acquired at an early stage of their hobby. This activity,
while essential, is delicate in extreme and can cause a complete downfall in the artist’s career. The
collector will have to observe the maximum discretion.
7. In some occasions some collectors who serve as trustees will have the opportunity to pressure the
museum director to exhibit the works of the artists that conform their personal collection, in order to
raise the value of this collection. It is unethical, nevertheless, to influence the museum to operate in
such a way without promising the donation of some works of this collection to the museum—or,
alternatively, if the museum is not interested in those works, to offer money toward the construction of
a new wing. Since the museum is risking its reputation by following the wishes of the collector, this
one will also have to show his/her support.
8. It is recommended for collectors that, in order to acquire certain perspective of the situation of others,
to take “reality courses”. These courses will have the objective to imagine their life without any kind of
financial resource or security, having to live exclusively out of their own talent. Given that this
experience can be extremely traumatic for most collectors, it is recommended to participate in these
courses for no more than three to four days at most.
Extracted from The Pablo Helguera Manual of Contemporary Art Style Guide, published by Jorge Pinto Books, New York. Copyright Pablo Helguera. Available at all good art booksellers in Ireland and worldwide. Further details from www.pintobooks.com Notes 1) AW – acronym for the ‘Art World’