Friday, 8 October 2010
4ip
Just found out channel 4's 4ip fund is to be axed in a series of funding reviews. I've been talking to Forma about approaching this fund for over two years, in fact I approached them and recieved some positive feedback, but we did nothing with it and now it's no longer availble, a lesson to be learned and learned and learned.
Stretching New Boundaries
I was short listed for the Strange Cargo: Stretching New Boundaries commission. I met with Lisa and Brigitte who run strange cargo, they had some really interesting ideas about using social networking to boost participation, and to some degree that is what the commission was organised around. I felt quite confident, this is after all exactly what my PHD is about, and I have a track record in producing this kind of work.
Just found out I wasn't successfull, its really not very encouraging, if I had written the brief for the commission it would not have been much different to how it actually was. On relfection I made a real point at the interview about not super-imposing and external idea, but developing a conversation around a theme, I think maybe i over played this, when does 'I don't want to parachute an idea in become', 'I haven't really got an idea, but I'm sure something will come along'. I am properly disapointed, i've asked the curators for a quick chat, but I wonder the wisdom of advocating this way of working, from the standpoint of being a relatively unknown artist with a small track record of works. Perhaps next time - if there is one - I flag up this approach but temper it with discussion of some thematic focus. Ho hummm .......
Just found out I wasn't successfull, its really not very encouraging, if I had written the brief for the commission it would not have been much different to how it actually was. On relfection I made a real point at the interview about not super-imposing and external idea, but developing a conversation around a theme, I think maybe i over played this, when does 'I don't want to parachute an idea in become', 'I haven't really got an idea, but I'm sure something will come along'. I am properly disapointed, i've asked the curators for a quick chat, but I wonder the wisdom of advocating this way of working, from the standpoint of being a relatively unknown artist with a small track record of works. Perhaps next time - if there is one - I flag up this approach but temper it with discussion of some thematic focus. Ho hummm .......
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Inspiring Digital Engagement Festival
I spent yesterday at the Inspiring Digital Engagement festival in Sheffield, oragnised by Karen Martin and Ann Light. The theme of the conference was digital inclusion and engagement, and how the arts might assist in this. I presented Landscape-Portrait as a case study. I have to say some of the presentations was quite painful, where technology is seen as some magic salve which produces coherence and unity for a group. As I go to conferences more and more the presentation of documentation; "Here's some ladies buying some plastic tubes" really needs attention, were all talking about inclusion and the mute voices are those that participate in the projects, its ironic perhaps when everyone is talking about this social web moment mm.
Some interesting bits came out of it though, the project People Voice Media, working with two groups within the Burmese and Karen Community in Sheffield. There is apparently a feeling of mistrust between these communities that the project wished to address. The project website was hacked by someone in Thailand and made to look like the Burmese community had been involved. The real culprit apparently was the Burmese government.
Thumbprint use that most ubiquitous of new technologies, mobile phones, to engage people in place and ideas. As Andrew Wilson said, mobile phones aren't technology, their ubiquity makes them just stuff and texting is doing stuff. When we talk about technology then we are already operating along a divide.
One other thing, in this moment of funding crisis in the arts. Speaking to one of the other presenter about the curse of the Olympic Inspired logo. As I understand it no funds are made available to organisations for sporting this logo, rather its a convenient badge when the Olympics need to justify their support of grass roots organisations, in fact once you display this logo, rather than open doors for organsiations, its reduces the amount of funds you can apply for.
Some interesting bits came out of it though, the project People Voice Media, working with two groups within the Burmese and Karen Community in Sheffield. There is apparently a feeling of mistrust between these communities that the project wished to address. The project website was hacked by someone in Thailand and made to look like the Burmese community had been involved. The real culprit apparently was the Burmese government.
Thumbprint use that most ubiquitous of new technologies, mobile phones, to engage people in place and ideas. As Andrew Wilson said, mobile phones aren't technology, their ubiquity makes them just stuff and texting is doing stuff. When we talk about technology then we are already operating along a divide.
One other thing, in this moment of funding crisis in the arts. Speaking to one of the other presenter about the curse of the Olympic Inspired logo. As I understand it no funds are made available to organisations for sporting this logo, rather its a convenient badge when the Olympics need to justify their support of grass roots organisations, in fact once you display this logo, rather than open doors for organsiations, its reduces the amount of funds you can apply for.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Ars Electronica 2010
Just sitting in Linz airport returning from Ars Electronica. I am experiencing quite a mixed response to to the festival. My general feeling is that this festival has lost it relevance, it was always quite insular and novelty obsessed. It felt that in order to address this issue an external relevance has been super imposed, this year a familiar exploration of the axis of environmental concern explored through technology . This well worn path, in the hands of the Ars machine, has manifested as 'Repair', which showcased technological and cultural reworkings that actively address environmental issues. Having said that a good majority of the works, and most of those taking part in the Prix Ars Electronica, had very tenuous links to the theme of the festival. In the main the works which engaged me had very little to do with the theme.
For example: the work by Ei Wada - Braun Tube Jazz Band - used old tv as as interface, making use of their electromagnetic properties to perform stonking noisey electronic music. This performance, in the use of the old tv's underlines the point, the use of old tech isn't what this work is about for me, the aural performance is everything, the use of cathode ray tubes to do this, whilst providing some nice cinematic images, a la Cronenberg's VideoDrome, feels inconsequential to the work.
My particular interest in going to Ars was to check out the Digital Communities section. I was disappointed without ever really getting involved, which is a failing on both sides.
I am the first to hold my hand up to a point made by Richard Sennet in his excellent lecture 'The Craftsman' that technologies have made us very poor at social collaboration, I can easily hide behind some tech rather than actually talk to someone. Sennet cited the example of Googles Wave service, which was set up to host social interactions that engender change online, however as Sennet claims, because of Waves linear structure the quality of the discussion, in particular its discursive nature was lost, with just the main trajectory held in focus, leading to what Sennet has termed a 'Brutal Simplification'.
I think this is what I might have experienced in the Digital Communities area. Set up as an ad hoc internet cafe, speakers corner, international tuck shop come lounge, the lack of an accessible structure, whilst sounding great on the text description, left a lot of people bewildered and intimidated. What digital communities don't seem to lack are more white boy-men, sat behind laptops deep in concentration and listening to hip hop and South Parks alternately. Everyone is obviously welcome, but come on, this surely needs to be looked at. At first I really thought it was a pastiche of some self referential hacker fest, which might have been more promising, but no, this was for real. I sat for an hour thinking that some self organising node would come along and animate the space, I even tried myself, but then south parks finished and I decided to look elsewhere.
Digital Communities, to me this might be thought about as communities who have engaged or have been engaged via digital means, for Ars obviously it means existing communities online communities who need to communicate in a public space, not sure I think that is true.
What i did find in the Future Factory section was some serious thinking about how technology can be rethought to engage specific communities of interest, rather than the other way round. Ken Banks software project Frontline SMS allows a mobile phone to be used as a one to many communication hub, in situations where web acess is limited. He cites it's use in regions of Africa where mobile phone ownership is high. I am thinking of uses in some of the environments I am asked to make work in the UK would benefit from a direct communication channel.
As with the previous Ars I have been to, there is much to criticise about this event, it felt more like a trade show this year, with its centrally located galleries at the Tobacco Factory, there were corporate sponsors stands all over the place, yet it still shows some interesting work. Honestly though I think it could be much tighter, in terms of aesthetic, intellectual and conceptual rigor, that this might result in a smaller show might be for the good of Ars, which does now have the atmosphere of a big chill music festival, as much about aspirational lifestyle as art works.
For example: the work by Ei Wada - Braun Tube Jazz Band - used old tv as as interface, making use of their electromagnetic properties to perform stonking noisey electronic music. This performance, in the use of the old tv's underlines the point, the use of old tech isn't what this work is about for me, the aural performance is everything, the use of cathode ray tubes to do this, whilst providing some nice cinematic images, a la Cronenberg's VideoDrome, feels inconsequential to the work.
My particular interest in going to Ars was to check out the Digital Communities section. I was disappointed without ever really getting involved, which is a failing on both sides.
ARS Electronica Festival 2010: Richard Sennet - The Craftsman (english) from Ars Electronica on Vimeo.
I am the first to hold my hand up to a point made by Richard Sennet in his excellent lecture 'The Craftsman' that technologies have made us very poor at social collaboration, I can easily hide behind some tech rather than actually talk to someone. Sennet cited the example of Googles Wave service, which was set up to host social interactions that engender change online, however as Sennet claims, because of Waves linear structure the quality of the discussion, in particular its discursive nature was lost, with just the main trajectory held in focus, leading to what Sennet has termed a 'Brutal Simplification'.
I think this is what I might have experienced in the Digital Communities area. Set up as an ad hoc internet cafe, speakers corner, international tuck shop come lounge, the lack of an accessible structure, whilst sounding great on the text description, left a lot of people bewildered and intimidated. What digital communities don't seem to lack are more white boy-men, sat behind laptops deep in concentration and listening to hip hop and South Parks alternately. Everyone is obviously welcome, but come on, this surely needs to be looked at. At first I really thought it was a pastiche of some self referential hacker fest, which might have been more promising, but no, this was for real. I sat for an hour thinking that some self organising node would come along and animate the space, I even tried myself, but then south parks finished and I decided to look elsewhere.
Digital Communities, to me this might be thought about as communities who have engaged or have been engaged via digital means, for Ars obviously it means existing communities online communities who need to communicate in a public space, not sure I think that is true.
What i did find in the Future Factory section was some serious thinking about how technology can be rethought to engage specific communities of interest, rather than the other way round. Ken Banks software project Frontline SMS allows a mobile phone to be used as a one to many communication hub, in situations where web acess is limited. He cites it's use in regions of Africa where mobile phone ownership is high. I am thinking of uses in some of the environments I am asked to make work in the UK would benefit from a direct communication channel.
As with the previous Ars I have been to, there is much to criticise about this event, it felt more like a trade show this year, with its centrally located galleries at the Tobacco Factory, there were corporate sponsors stands all over the place, yet it still shows some interesting work. Honestly though I think it could be much tighter, in terms of aesthetic, intellectual and conceptual rigor, that this might result in a smaller show might be for the good of Ars, which does now have the atmosphere of a big chill music festival, as much about aspirational lifestyle as art works.
Friday, 25 June 2010
Shaftesbury Open Space Commission
I spent yesterday in Shaftesbury Dorset after being shortlisted for the 'WIDE OPEN SPACE' commission. Shafestbury is famous as the backfrop for the Hovis advert !
The brief was to produce a proposal for a public art project. I would imagine we were shortlisted for a project I and architects civic completed in Burnley where Proposals were used in an iterative way, to gradually build a mandate for the projects we were developing with residents and the council.
My feeling is my presentation of the ideas behind this approach did not translate well to the Shaftesbury Civic society (who made up the interview panel), I just cant get away from the fact that what they really wanted was a stone carved monument, which is fine, but why select me for the shortlist, cabaret perhaps ?
One thing to learn, always check out who the commissioning panel will be and tailor content accordingly - I think I know that but temporarily forget. Hohum.
The brief was to produce a proposal for a public art project. I would imagine we were shortlisted for a project I and architects civic completed in Burnley where Proposals were used in an iterative way, to gradually build a mandate for the projects we were developing with residents and the council.
My feeling is my presentation of the ideas behind this approach did not translate well to the Shaftesbury Civic society (who made up the interview panel), I just cant get away from the fact that what they really wanted was a stone carved monument, which is fine, but why select me for the shortlist, cabaret perhaps ?
One thing to learn, always check out who the commissioning panel will be and tailor content accordingly - I think I know that but temporarily forget. Hohum.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Cornmarket Plaza Commission, Dublin 2010 - A feeling of rejection
Just received a very strange thanks but no thanks email from Dublin City council. This has never happened to me before, but after shortlisting a set of candidates and commissioning them to produce comprehensive proposals, the interview panel, which consisted off:
Anne Graham, (Engineer, ex Central Area Office Manager for DCC – who initiated the commissioning process
· Frances Hegarty, Artist
· Ruairí Ó Cuív, Public Art Manager
have decided - and I quote:
"After carefully examining and assessing all the proposals we have decided that no team offered all the requirements of the commission. Therefore, Dublin City Council will not be nominating anybody for this commission at this time. " mmmm - and interesting development in the role of professional art managers, one where they have to go through with a publicly accountable procedure with little appetite for actually commissioning the work ? certainly one that is very frustrating for all the artists involved and a general waste of resources.
Anne Graham, (Engineer, ex Central Area Office Manager for DCC – who initiated the commissioning process
· Frances Hegarty, Artist
· Ruairí Ó Cuív, Public Art Manager
have decided - and I quote:
"After carefully examining and assessing all the proposals we have decided that no team offered all the requirements of the commission. Therefore, Dublin City Council will not be nominating anybody for this commission at this time. " mmmm - and interesting development in the role of professional art managers, one where they have to go through with a publicly accountable procedure with little appetite for actually commissioning the work ? certainly one that is very frustrating for all the artists involved and a general waste of resources.
Friday, 21 May 2010
Cornmarket Plaz Commission, Dublin 2010
On a more upbeat note I have just got back from Dublin, where I along with civic architects and curator Andrew Chetty, were shortlisted for a commission. The location of the commission, on a triangular public space in Dublin is incredibly demanding site, as it is bordered on all sides by traffic.
Our proposal incorporated a community engagement strategy, partnered by Create Dublin and the Digital Hub, an architectural intervention designed by civic:
and a curatorial programme put together with partners; Forma, Transmediale (Germany), Forma Arts & Media (UK), Sonar (Spain), Radar (Mexico) and DoDig (Turkey).
We will see what happens, but either way its interesting what they decide to do as Dublin has been hit hard by the financial downturn, and the role of a public art commission such as this, is very contentious. It would be my plan to interview the council arts officer about the project as part of my PHD.
Our proposal incorporated a community engagement strategy, partnered by Create Dublin and the Digital Hub, an architectural intervention designed by civic:
and a curatorial programme put together with partners; Forma, Transmediale (Germany), Forma Arts & Media (UK), Sonar (Spain), Radar (Mexico) and DoDig (Turkey).
We will see what happens, but either way its interesting what they decide to do as Dublin has been hit hard by the financial downturn, and the role of a public art commission such as this, is very contentious. It would be my plan to interview the council arts officer about the project as part of my PHD.
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