There have been some blips and blurps over the past few weeks on the greenmuseum blog as we settle into this new, fancy-pants version of WordPress. It didn’t like our old theme. So we changed to this one. It’s Green. To mark the occasion, here’s a link to an excellent interview of Maja and Reuben Fowkes of translocal.org, with discussion of everything from Sustainable Art with capital letters to curator Nicolas Bourriaud, pictured above. A quote:
In general we prefer to talk about the sustainability of art,
rather than Sustainable Art with capital letters, as our
primary interest is in the implications of a broad notion
of sustainability for the whole of contemporary art,
rather than just a niche area, such as is associated with
the term Environmental Art. Artists that consider the
ethical aspects of their formal decisions, such as what are
the implications of the use of animals in art or of people
in community art projects, are in that sense giving
precedence to ethics, rather than aesthetics.
“I thought one could fuse the political ideal of social change with artâ€
Emma Ridgway, curator of The RSA Arts & Ecology Centre, interviews Gustav Metzger
Born in 1926 to Polish-Jewish parents in Nuremberg, Gustav Metzger is an artist known for his radical approach. His work responds directly to political, economic and ecological issues. Creating manifestos and events in the UK since the early 1960s, he developed the concept of Auto-Destructive Art and Art Strike movements, which addressed destructive drives both in capitalism and the art industry. He still makes challenging work and his ideas continue to be influential.
With his Flailing Trees one of the centrepieces of the Manchester International Festival, Gustav Metzger’s reputation as a major figure in radical art continues to grow. Emma Ridgway talks to the artist about his long career in art and activism.
Friday morning at Earth Matters on Stage a small group of us piled into the video conferencing room in the Knight Library at University of Oregon to have a conversation with our interested counterparts in the UK. Our second, but certainly more ambitious, video conference of the day, it harkens back to the discussion surrounding travel, the arts and conferences that has been come up at the RSA here (also to be seen in our archives as part of our feed syndication).
From the Ashden Directory Blog:
Our DVD contribution to Earth Matters On Stage is now online. The interviewees address the question: ‘What Can Be Asked? What Can Be Shown? British Theatre in the Time of Climate Instability.’ (The interviews can also be watched individually.)
Quoting Rilke, Dan Gretton considers the value of quickening the pace of artistic response and cautions against the narcissism of frenzy.
On her allotment, Clare Patey explains how a year-long project changed the quality of the conversation amongst its participants.
From his office in the East End, Paul Heritage raises the question ofthose who are talked about rather than those who are talking.
With the Lake District as her backdrop, Wallace Heim asks how climate change differs from other political situations and how this might alter the ways in which theatre can be made.
Finally, Mojisola Adebayo performs the first moments of her play Moj of the Antarctic and wonders if some people in theatre think they’re above climate change.
You also can watch each person’s contribution as a separate sequence:
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Dan Gretton
Dan Gretton, co-founder of PLATFORMÂ
responds to Mojisola Adebayo’s question, ‘How far is art worth the damage?’ watch here
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Clare Patey
Clare Patey, artist and curatorÂ
responds to Dan Gretton’s question, ‘Can you talk about the role that slowing down and reflectivity plays, both in your creative process and your interaction with your audiences?’ watch hereÂ
Wallace Heim, co-editor Ashden Directory, academicÂ
responds to Paul Heritage’s question, ‘How can we listen to, see, feel and learn from those who are talked about rather than those who are talking in the great climate change debate?’ watch hereÂ
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Mojisola Adebayo
Mojisola Adebayo, artist, theatre-makerÂ
responds to Wallace Heim’s question, ‘What would you keep from theatre and performance practice and what needs to change in response to climate instability?’ watch hereÂ
The film is edited by Adam Clarke and directed by Wallace Heim.
‘What can be asked? What can be shown? British theatre and performance in the age of climate instabilit
Michaela Crimmin: “I have just been to the launch of the extraordinary – the wonderful – new work by Jaume Plensa outside Runcorn in Cheshire, part of Channel 4’s Big Art Project.This has been commissioned by a group of ex-miners wanting to commemorate the heritage of their previous industry; but with a positive rather than a nostalgic take. The artist and the miners worked with curator Laurie Peake and you could visibly see art expert, artist and local people thoroughly enjoying joining together to create something marvellous. “
For news of a panel debate here at the RSA around topics raised by this public commissioning initiative, featuring Grayson Perry, Munira Mirza, Andrew Shoben and Jonathan Jones, and hosted by Jon Snow see the main Arts & Ecology site.
Photo of Dream by Jaume Plensa courtesy of Channel 4
Theorist and curator Nicolas Bourriaud wrote his Altermodern Manifesto as part of Altermodern, the fourth Tate Triennial It proposes that the era of globalisation and creolisation compel us to new types of representation exist beyond the relativist scope of post-modermism. Go to RSA Arts & Ecology
Editors’ note: This commission is unique among those dealing with art and climate change in its focus on performance and theatre.
The Tipping Point Commissions are inviting artists to submit proposals for new performance work in the context of climate change. The proposals will be considered by a selection panel, leading to around four commission awards of at most £30,000.
The theme of climate change is intended to provide a springboard for the commissions. Artists are invited to submit projects that stimulate audiences towards the radical and imaginative thinking necessary to comprehend a world dominated by climate change. The Tipping Point Commissions are seeking proposals that offer creative reflections on a world that is rapidly changing and on humanity’s role and responsibilities within it.
Proposals can be made by practitioners of any performance discipline, as individuals or groups, by artists on their own or together with curators or producers.
Proposals must be submitted by 4 May at 5pm. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to develop ideas and attend an interview. The selection panel which will include:
Graham Devlin: Chairman, Tipping Point (Chairman of Selection Panel)
John Ashton: UK Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative for Climate ChangeÂ
Nick Starr: Executive Director, National TheatreÂ
Maresa von Stockert: Director, Tilted ProductionsÂ
Cecilia Wee: Writer, Broadcaster and Curator
The criteria for the TippingPoint Commissions and the application form is available here.For further information, contact Angela McSherry.
The RANE ‘Comprehending Nature’ Lecture Series for 2009 will include:
Andrej ZdravicÂ
9 March
Slovenian film and sound artist Andrej Zdravic has lived and worked across the US and Europe. Inspired by music and nature, he has created over 30 independent films focusing on the energies and spiritual aspects of natural phenomena. This screening of his film ‘Riverglass’ will be followed by a question and answer session.
Linda WeintraubÂ
20 April
Linda Weintraub is a curator, educator, artist, and author of several popular books about contemporary art. She is currently writing the fourth book in her eco-art series that is titled Avant-Guardians: Textlets in Art and Ecology. This series is designed to highlight and accelerate the integration of environmental principles throughout university art pedagogy.
Entry to the events is free, but you need to reserve a place.
