I really must start blogging more regularly. My last effort was back in September, and I even signed out with a "I'll be back next week"... So 7 months later!
I finished the Biennial back in November, then a few of us decided to hold our own exhibition, and called it "Not Just" which lasted for 4 days at the Domino Gallery off Renshaw Street.
It was well received although unfortunately co-incided with the first snow of the winter so visitor numbers were subdued. Anyway the Liverpool Echo wrote a nice piece and decided we were called the "Not Just Collective", and well, if it says it in the papers it must be true, so the Not Just Collective was born.
Our second exhibition "Recurring" started as a one night event on LightNight - 17th May, but has expanded somewhat and will now run for 11 days to 27th May at the Galley in Camp & Furnace. The plans for this are coming together so I'll blog again in a few weeks (promise!) with loads of details about Recurring
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Liverpool Biennial 2012 - Week 1
Unbelievably its two years since I was stood in a shop
window in my pants as part of Liverpool Biennial 2010, and as I now live up
here again, I’m able to devote more time to this year’s art fest, but this time
welcoming visitors, not shocking them!
Having duly signed up, been interviewed, and deemed worthy
to represent our great city, I joined my fellow volunteers last week for a
walkthrough tour of most of the venues.
We met in the Cunard Building, an amazing Edwardian creation
(actually built in the reign of George V, but let’s not get bogged down by
details) constructed when materials and labour were cheap and companies sought
to outdo each other in the glamour stakes with their premises. Biennial 2012 has taken over the entire
ground floor, which is split into 2 sides, one West, one East; one Light, one Dark,
most of the artworks were in the process of being installed on our tour so
there’s lots I haven’t seen yet. But I
was able to get a peek at Andrea Bowers “City
of Sanctuary”; Superflex’s “Liverpool
to Let”; Pamela Rosenkranz’s “Bow
Human” and Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse’s “Ponte”. And of course the
amazing space of the Cunard Building itself which would have been one of the
last sights of the old world for hundreds of thousands of people before they
ventured across the Atlantic to start a new life.
Next we went over to the new Open Eye Gallery, which
occupies space in the Equator, the covered link between Latitude and Longitude,
the black granite buildings at Mann Island which you either love or hate. For the record, I love them. I’ve seen Kohei Yoshiyuki’s “The Park” before at Tate Modern, when it was housed in a dimly lit corridor, but for Liverpool it’s been housed in a pitch dark room, and you are handed a torch so you can get the full voyeuristic experience.
But no time to stop as we were off to Bluecoat for our lunch break. Unfortunately the setting up of the Bluecoat was in full swing so we were unable to even get a sneaky peek of the inside works whilst we were there, although it was hard to miss Dan Graham's "2-Way Mirror Cylinder Bisected By Perforated Stainless Steel", especially as it blocks the path
Next stop was FACT, and again much of the installation was
still going on, however Pedro Reyes kindly took time out to give us a briefing
of his “Melodrama and Other Games”
were visitors can participate in a set of newly imagined games. The snakes & ladders themed Melodrama
looks interesting and the pillow fighting sounds fun.
Our final destination of the day was the former Royal Mail
sorting office in Copperas Hill. LJMU
has bought the building, but before the rebuilding starts, they have given it
over to Biennial. I love going into
buildings that have recently been vacated, the things that companies leave
behind, that weren’t important to them, are fascinating to me. A pillar covered in stamps here, a rack full
of mailbag labels there, empty mail chutes, and quiet engineers’ workshops.
The Ground aka 3rd floor (don’t ask..) is housing
the Bloomberg New Contemporaries exhibition, together with Jorge Macchi’s “Refraction” which is the only part of the
main Biennial strand “The Unexpected Guest” to be located at Copperas Hill; and
on the 1st aka 4th (it must be a Royal Mail quirk) you’ll
find “City States” We were given a
briefing at most of the 13 separate exhibitions here, but again a lot was still
being set up.
The walkthrough gave us an excellent introduction to a
number of the city centre venues but with much ongoing installation work going
on, it was just a taste of the feast to come.
The 7th Biennial opened on Friday evening which I
spent as a guest rather than a host in Liverpool Cathedral for the only UK (and
only the 3rd in the world) performance of A Crimson Grail, a
fascinating piece of music for 100 electric guitars and 8 basses, by the New
York born, now France based composer Rhys Chatham. Luckily I arrived early as
it turned out to be far more popular than was envisaged, with the cathedral
packed with 1,800 guests and I hear that hundreds more were turned away. Unfortunate for those that arrived later, but
those lucky to get in were treated to an intense, emotional journey as the
sound ebbed and flowed through the Great Space before building to an awesome
crescendo which you felt permeate your entire body. A truly magical experience.
Onto on the weekend proper and I had signed up to invigilate
at the Tea Factory on Saturday and Sunday.
This is hosting two series of photographs, “Men Only” and “My Storie” by a young South African photographer Sabelo Mlangeni. I’d never come across his work before but it was fascinating to see the difference in the two series, and yet the similarities between them. I was lucky enough to meet Sabelo himself when he popped in Sunday with his friend.
This was my first time welcoming visitors to Biennial and over
the weekend I had some interesting chats to people from Germany, Spain, France,
China, Italy, Mongolia, yes Mongolia, and of course all four corners of the UK.
I rounded off my weekend meeting Alex for our reliable
standby of Omelette and Chips at The Brink.
So that was my weekend, back to the boring Mon to Fri life, but my mind
is already on this coming weekend when I’ll be at Copperas Hill.
Talking of The Brink, this Saturday (22nd) is their
1st birthday. If you have
never been, you really are missing out. The alcohol free cocktails are mouth-watering,
the food, I recommend the Posh Fish Finger Sandwich, or the Holumi Salad, or
the Quarterpounder, or.. well anything on the menu really is delicious.
All of the above is just the briefest of introductions to this year's Biennial. There is so much going on, that you really need to get yourself here for at least a weekend to take it all in. I mean, I haven't even mentioned "The Lift"...
So, until next week, when I'll give you my review of Copperas Hill installations, play safe and be nice to each other.
Liverpool Biennial 2012, the UK Biennial of Contemporary Art
- www.biennial.com
- presenting work by 242 artists in 27 locations across the city runs until 25th
November
Friday, 29 June 2012
Liverpool Cruise Terminal
Having watched cruise ships using the new City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal for the past 4 years, a recent round British Isles cruise on P&O's Arcadia was the first time I'd had the opportunity to use the terminal and I can't say I was impressed.
We arrived on early on Friday 22nd June and by the time the first passenger were going ashore the weather had taken a turn for the worse with torrential rain and gale force winds.
As I now live in Liverpool I was intending to remain on the ship until the afternoon, so was happy to sit on the upper decks and and watch how the terminal operates.
There are two ways off the floating stage, one via a small building which houses security checks (not used as the ship has her own) and a tourist info desk and small shop. After walking through this building you then use the same, rather dilapidated, covered ramp as incoming Isle of Man passengers which takes you up onto Princes Parade opposite the new, temporary, turnaround facility. The second ramp is an open air one which leads you up onto the road near to the No12 office building.
For some unknown reason, the excursion coaches were parked on the empty plot at the northwest end of Princes Dock and not on the newly landscaped turnaround car park, which meant passengers had to use the open air ramp and then walk along Princes Parade in the driving rain to get to the coaches, this was not a good introduction for first time visitors, and also meant they completely missed the tourist info desk. The incline on the ramp at low tide was far too steep for many of the passengers and whilst a minibus appeared to be operating from the stage to the coach park for some people it was far too small and infrequent to cater for all that needed it. There is also a small "buggy" which appears to be only used by staff, I never saw any passengers being carried on it.
We disembarked during the afternoon and used the main, covered, ramp which was fine.
Early in the evening, the Captain told us we would not be sailing to Dublin due to the high winds and would remain in Liverpool overnight and sail to Cork at 16:00 the following day.
A lot of crew and some passengers disembarked at various times during the evening/night and the cruise terminal staff who were left on duty all night were doing a good job pointing people in the right direction to enjoy Liverpool's nightlife.
The following day, the Cruise Terminal remained closed and it was as if we didn't exist. No disabled transport, no tourist office, no shop, nothing. Passengers were just left to their own devices. To be fair to the cruise terminal staff (only 2 of them at a time) who were on duty, they continued to do a superb job in giving out advice and directions and helping passengers up the steep ramp to the shore. But the terminal managers and Liverpool council need to explain why they just ignored a ship with 1900 passengers on board and provided no facilities whatsoever.
In the other ports that we berthed alongside we were greeted and bid farewell by bands (Cobh and Belfast), or a pipe band (Invergordon). But all was silent in Liverpool, I know they normally play piped music with a Liverpool theme when ships are sailing, but for us again, there was nothing.
Speaking to passengers after we had sailed, everyone was very enthusiastic about the city and were impressed with the redeveloped waterfront, but no-one seemed impressed with the terminal and especially the gradient on the ramps. A few passengers were from the Southampton area and had been following the on-going dispute over the repaid subsidy, a couple asked me why we weren't using the new terminal and were surprised that this was it, and wondered where the £21m had been spent.
My solutions to the various comments above:
We arrived on early on Friday 22nd June and by the time the first passenger were going ashore the weather had taken a turn for the worse with torrential rain and gale force winds.
As I now live in Liverpool I was intending to remain on the ship until the afternoon, so was happy to sit on the upper decks and and watch how the terminal operates.
There are two ways off the floating stage, one via a small building which houses security checks (not used as the ship has her own) and a tourist info desk and small shop. After walking through this building you then use the same, rather dilapidated, covered ramp as incoming Isle of Man passengers which takes you up onto Princes Parade opposite the new, temporary, turnaround facility. The second ramp is an open air one which leads you up onto the road near to the No12 office building.
For some unknown reason, the excursion coaches were parked on the empty plot at the northwest end of Princes Dock and not on the newly landscaped turnaround car park, which meant passengers had to use the open air ramp and then walk along Princes Parade in the driving rain to get to the coaches, this was not a good introduction for first time visitors, and also meant they completely missed the tourist info desk. The incline on the ramp at low tide was far too steep for many of the passengers and whilst a minibus appeared to be operating from the stage to the coach park for some people it was far too small and infrequent to cater for all that needed it. There is also a small "buggy" which appears to be only used by staff, I never saw any passengers being carried on it.
We disembarked during the afternoon and used the main, covered, ramp which was fine.
Early in the evening, the Captain told us we would not be sailing to Dublin due to the high winds and would remain in Liverpool overnight and sail to Cork at 16:00 the following day.
A lot of crew and some passengers disembarked at various times during the evening/night and the cruise terminal staff who were left on duty all night were doing a good job pointing people in the right direction to enjoy Liverpool's nightlife.
The following day, the Cruise Terminal remained closed and it was as if we didn't exist. No disabled transport, no tourist office, no shop, nothing. Passengers were just left to their own devices. To be fair to the cruise terminal staff (only 2 of them at a time) who were on duty, they continued to do a superb job in giving out advice and directions and helping passengers up the steep ramp to the shore. But the terminal managers and Liverpool council need to explain why they just ignored a ship with 1900 passengers on board and provided no facilities whatsoever.
In the other ports that we berthed alongside we were greeted and bid farewell by bands (Cobh and Belfast), or a pipe band (Invergordon). But all was silent in Liverpool, I know they normally play piped music with a Liverpool theme when ships are sailing, but for us again, there was nothing.
Speaking to passengers after we had sailed, everyone was very enthusiastic about the city and were impressed with the redeveloped waterfront, but no-one seemed impressed with the terminal and especially the gradient on the ramps. A few passengers were from the Southampton area and had been following the on-going dispute over the repaid subsidy, a couple asked me why we weren't using the new terminal and were surprised that this was it, and wondered where the £21m had been spent.
My solutions to the various comments above:
- A covered walkway needs to be developed to get passengers from the ship to the coach parking area.
- A system of ramps which give a less steep incline at low tide.
- The building with tourist information, and toilets etc open at all times when a ship is alongside.
- A proper disabled/less abled transfer facility which runs at all times.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Manx Grand Prix – the future.
It appears that the Isle of Man government has completed a review of how much revenue they receive as a result of the Manx Grand Prix http://www.manxgrandprix.org/ held on the island in August/September and have concluded it’s not making enough.
They have calculated that the event sees spending by visitors of £5.9m, of which the government get £630,000 in VAT receipts, plus another £125,000 in other receipts making total revenue of £755,000 – however the government spent £815,000 staging the event. They have estimated that to become profit making the fortnight long event would need to see an increase in spending to approx £10m.
Now obviously the MGP isn’t as busy, or as revenue generating as the TT http://www.iomtt.com/ held in May/June each year but I think it’s wrong to look at these race meetings in isolation. The island is seen as a mecca by motorsports enthusiasts and as well as the TT and MGP fortnights, the Manx Rally http://www.manxrally.org/, Rally Isle of Man http://www.mir.co.im/, Southern 100 http://www.southern100.com/ all take place annually, and throughout the year various owners clubs, on both 2 and 4 wheels head across to enjoy some of the best driving roads in the British Isles. The government should take all these events and meets into account and recognise that drivers and riders see the island as a year round destination to enjoy their cars and bikes. If the accountants start peeling away individual events which they don’t see as profitable we have a real danger that the whole island starts to lose it’s hard earned identity as this mecca.
So whilst the Isle of Man government and Manx Motor Cycle Club must work together to increase the number of visitors and thus the revenue coming onto the island, the government must also step back and look at the bigger picture to ensure riders and drivers continue to be tempted onto the island throughout the year.
As for me I’ll be doing my bit again this year by attending both the TT and MGP, although I’ll be sticking to 4 wheels, and letting my Skoda Octavia vRS stretch its legs around the mountain circuit (seen in the picture here at Guthries Memorial, looking north towards Ramsey - although obviously facing the "wrong way"...)
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
The Mayor of Liverpool
Liverpool City Council voted this evening to create the post of elected Mayor, and the residents will be voting for this in May. This is good news and a springboard to get this city progressing and growing. I hope Joe Anderson gets elected as he has shown he has the vision and capability to get the job done. But you never know perhaps someone else from the world of business will throw their hat into the ring.
I've read that Herbert the hairdresser is to stand too, well I remember Herbert from my early years on the gay scene in the city in the early 80s and he's a lovely guy, a great Liverpudlian and an ambassador that shows the world that we are loud and proud, but please Herbert, think again and leave this job for a serious politician or businessman/woman. There's plenty for you and everyone else to do to drive our city forward, but not this job.
I always love pointing out to visitors the big gold doors in St George's Hall with their inscription "SPQL" "Senatus PopulusQue Liverpool" - our new Mayor should adopt that as his/her motto, a big bold statement for a big bold city!
I've read that Herbert the hairdresser is to stand too, well I remember Herbert from my early years on the gay scene in the city in the early 80s and he's a lovely guy, a great Liverpudlian and an ambassador that shows the world that we are loud and proud, but please Herbert, think again and leave this job for a serious politician or businessman/woman. There's plenty for you and everyone else to do to drive our city forward, but not this job.
I always love pointing out to visitors the big gold doors in St George's Hall with their inscription "SPQL" "Senatus PopulusQue Liverpool" - our new Mayor should adopt that as his/her motto, a big bold statement for a big bold city!
Thursday, 26 January 2012
I'm back in Liverpool and everything...
It’s been a while since putting virtual pen to paper and of course I’ve finally left exile in dat der London and moved back to Liverpool. I’m still working a couple of days a week down in the capital so plenty of Virgin train miles being clocked up for the next few weeks.
There are some exciting things happening up here at the moment and it’s those that I’ve decided to comment on in what I hope will be a more regular blog this year.
Firstly is the ongoing saga of Liverpool Waters - www.liverpoolwaters.co.uk - a massive redevelopment of the central docks area between the Pier Head and Huskisson Dock. Since these docks were effectively (and physically in some cases) closed to shipping they have been largely abandoned and left to rot. And ever since Peel Holdings, owner of this land, as well as the rest of the operational Port of Liverpool www.merseydocks.co.uk, put forward this redevelopment plan it has been subject to countless revisions. The latest setback is the verdict of UNESCO who want more changes less it comprises Liverpool’s World Heritage Site (WHS) status. The WHS badge is important but it cannot be used as a barrier to progress. One of the highlights of the WHS is the trio of buildings (Royal Liver, Port of Liverpool and Cunard Buildings) at the waterfront, but it’s worth realising that these buildings wouldn’t exist if the city had been awarded WHS 100 years ago, and it’s exactly this Liverpool tradition of reinventing itself in pursuit of commercial gain that UNESCO, and various campaigners, are trying to stifle. Nobody is suggesting that any new building will interfere with these jewels of our heritage, and the important buildings within the Liverpool Waters site will be kept and enhanced, it’s the wastelands around them that Peel wish to put back to use and we should support this.
Now I have divided opinions about Peel, and wish they’d do more doing and less talking about their projects. For instance the Seaforth River Terminal http://www.peel.co.uk/projects/seaforthinriverterminal should have been operational by now, yet construction has still not started; however they have delivered in other areas, notably Media City and the Salford Quays developments, and more importantly they are big hitters in regeneration and therefore we need them as much as they need our land.
Some vested interests are complaining about the plans on the table, and whilst not all of the plans appeal to me either, what is the alternative? Yes I’d love to see these docks still full of ships, but that’s firmly in the past now. There is some scope to have modern larger ships berthing at tidal river quays, and some of the current dockland would be needed to support this, namely the proposed cruise terminal, but that still leaves an awful lot of land. We need something special to lure commercial and residential tenants to these areas, supported by a world class transport and communications network. After living in London for 20 years, I have seen the way Canary Wharf has grown spectacularly and what a pleasant place it is to work and live, and that’s exactly what I want to see on the banks of the Mersey – only better of course!
Another development which has emerged over the last few days is a deal thrashed out with the government by the leader of Liverpool City Council, Joe Anderson, which would see the city bypass the planned referendum on an elected Mayor and go straight to the election for one. I totally support this. Elected Mayors of various cities around the world are seen as a powerful force to ‘sell’ their city to investors, and despite the negative press that Liverpool still gets in this country, it has a huge international reputation, especially in the vitally important countries of China and Brazil. This deal means we would get a good 12 month head start ahead of the other key cities planning to have Mayors. The sooner we grab this opportunity and get our new Mayor working night and day to secure the rebirth of our city the better.
The last thing I want to spout off about today is the news that the Dept of Transport has again delayed the decision on allowing the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal (CLCT) to be used as a turnaround facility (the original grant to build it was given for use as a berth for day calls by visiting ships rather than as a starting point for cruises). The City Council has offered to pay back some of this grant, but other ports including Southampton are calling on a full refund to be made. Having cruised out of Southampton I have seen how big an operation turning a modern cruise ship around is, and to be honest, although the CLCT is in a fabulous location, I can’t see how it would be able to accommodate this. The floating stage would need to be bigger, and able to handle lorries, a terminal building would need to be built on one of the vacant plots of land at Princes Dock, and a large parking facility would have to be provided. Even then we would only end up with one berth for one ship at a time. A better idea in my mind would be to pay back nothing, keep the CLCT as a calling point and for Peel (yes them again) to bring forward their cruise terminal plans and get it built, a floating stage off the old Waterloo Dock with a terminal built on the former river entrance there would still be close to the Pier Head and would have more room for the necessary support services
So there you go, plenty of big things on the horizon. They need to happen. It’s the job of everyone in this city to make sure they do.
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Existere lives on...
This weekend saw the third, and final, day of Existere performances. The decision by http://www.jocjonjosch.com/ not to film or photograph the installation is I think the correct one, watching it on film would not be able to convey the power of the piece, either from the performer's experience or the audience's. It was such a powerful creation, but you needed to "feel" it, not just see it. For the couple of hundred of people taking part (and I include the audience as taking part) it will live on in our memories for a long time to come.
I've met some lovely new friends - hello Peter! http://spencertunickandme.blogspot.com/ and even had someone "come out" to me... perhaps being naked leads to everyone being honest with each other, and themselves.
This afternoon I went to Tate Modern and had a look at the Taryn Simon exhibition. Whilst interesting, I'm not sure Bankside is the ideal venue, it felt as if her work deserved a smaller more intimate showcase, I was going to have 30 mins in the Miro, but the Sunday crowds had arrived so I'll leave my second visit for the Friday evening quiet(er) time.
All in all a productive and enjoyable weekend, but tinged with sadness by the appalling tragedy in Norway. I cannot begin to imagine the pain that the family and friends of all those teenagers are going through, but I hope they are able to find and draw comfort from each other, one thing Existere left me with is the sense that by coming together, and protecting each other, we can withstand whatever is thrown at us.
I've met some lovely new friends - hello Peter! http://spencertunickandme.blogspot.com/ and even had someone "come out" to me... perhaps being naked leads to everyone being honest with each other, and themselves.
This afternoon I went to Tate Modern and had a look at the Taryn Simon exhibition. Whilst interesting, I'm not sure Bankside is the ideal venue, it felt as if her work deserved a smaller more intimate showcase, I was going to have 30 mins in the Miro, but the Sunday crowds had arrived so I'll leave my second visit for the Friday evening quiet(er) time.
All in all a productive and enjoyable weekend, but tinged with sadness by the appalling tragedy in Norway. I cannot begin to imagine the pain that the family and friends of all those teenagers are going through, but I hope they are able to find and draw comfort from each other, one thing Existere left me with is the sense that by coming together, and protecting each other, we can withstand whatever is thrown at us.
They are not dead,
Who leave us this great heritage
Of remembered joy.
Who leave us this great heritage
Of remembered joy.
They still live in our hearts,
In the happiness we knew,
In the dreams we shared.
In the happiness we knew,
In the dreams we shared.
They still breathe,
In the lingering fragrance windblown,
From their favourite flowers.
In the lingering fragrance windblown,
From their favourite flowers.
They still smile in the moonlight's silver
And laugh in the sunlight's sparkling gold.
They still speak in the echoes of words
We've heard them say again and again.
And laugh in the sunlight's sparkling gold.
They still speak in the echoes of words
We've heard them say again and again.
They still move,
In the rhythm of waving grasses,
In the dance of the tossing branches.
In the rhythm of waving grasses,
In the dance of the tossing branches.
They are not dead;
Their memory is warm in our hearts,
Comfort in our sorrow.
Their memory is warm in our hearts,
Comfort in our sorrow.
They are not apart from us,
But a part of us
For love is eternal,
And those we love shall be with us
Throughout all eternity.
But a part of us
For love is eternal,
And those we love shall be with us
Throughout all eternity.
Anon.
Monday, 18 July 2011
Sheltering from the elements
Can't believe it’s been 8 months since Liverpool Biennial, but lots been happening in my life, went on a lovely 2 week cruise around the Mediterranean with Martin, which included first visits to Rome (fantastic, shame about the hassle from people trying to sell you crap); Ajaccio on Corsica (very beautiful) and Gibraltar (bit of a dive, can't think why Spain wants it..). Came back to find my contract at Dept for Business wasn't being renewed after 9 years (thanks Vince) but I was overdue for a move, had just got lazy there, so took a month off which included a week on the Isle of Man with my sister for TT Race Week which was amazing, so much so that I've already booked for next year and will be signing up to do some marshalling too. Came back and started a new contract at Dept for Education. My flatmate has decided to retire and will be selling up and moving to Somerset, so come next spring I'll be homeless (well in London anyway), I'm looking to buy a house in Liverpool as I feel after 21 years down here my time in exile is drawing to a close and it’s time to head home for good. I've been spending more and more time up there over the last year or so, so feel the time is right to move.
Anyway back to the subject in the title. Back in May I was surfing around t'interweb looking for art projects to get involved in and saw a call for participation for JocJonJosch - it’s the first time I'd heard of them, but after a bit of research, their work looked interesting, and as luck would have it they were having an open meeting about their House (later Existere) project the following evening. So off I went to Battersea and my first visit to Testbed1, an old industrial site full of character, surrounding by the trappings of (borrowed?) wealth in new apartments.
Meeting the team of Joc, Jon and Joschi (ah, that’s were the name came from) I got a good feel for what they were trying to achieve and immediately wanted to be part of the project (and yes OK, I fancied Joc too...) (I can't help having a thing for posh boys) (unrequited I'm afraid and I've since met his wife Tessa who is equally lovely) (Ed: can we get back to the plot please..)
Anyway a few weeks later and it was time for the first rehearsal which seemed odd at first as we worked in small groups but when it came to bringing everyone together it all seemed to fit into place with ease - JocJonJoshch and the choreographer had obviously put a lot of thought and work in beforehand, because it’s always difficult to make something look easy. We had another rehearsal, this time in the performance venue last week and (ok I'm really condensing a lot of hard work into a paragraph here) after a few tweaks we had an almost finished product to show to the public.
The basic premise is to form a human shelter which we hold together against the elements, thus protecting those within. Testbed1 is a very effective venue, being an old derelict and dark space, but with one corner lit from above by a skylight under which we would build our structure. So on Saturday I arrived in the rain and met some of the people I'd met at rehearsal, and some new faces and we split into teams (or columns), which in turn would combine to form the structure. We did 5 performances to different sizes of audience, with the middle performance the most memorable. As we entered the space the rain was falling on the skylight, but as the structure came together, it seemed like the monsoon season had arrived, the sound of the torrential rain and the darkness which descended over the room, meant that all you wanted to do was hold everyone closer together, you became so aware that 60 people, all naked, were at their most vulnerable and the group needed to protect each other, it only lasted for a few minutes, but the emotion of that moment, and the elation when we got back to changing rooms of having performed at just the right moment was a profoundly moving experience.
We performed again on Sunday, a few of the faces were different and we had another mixture of sunshine and rain during the 5 performances. The only problem with being the structure is you can't see the structure as the audience sees it. Existere is only being performed over 3 dates, so just 1 left, next Saturday (23rd July), it’s not being filmed or photographed so the only way to experience it is to get yourself along to Testbed1 to, not just see it, but be part of it. It’s free, just go to www.jocjonjosch.com and print yourself a ticket. This is a once (literally now) in a lifetime experience which you shouldn't miss.
As with all the projects I've been involved in, I've met some amazing people, from all walks of life. And hopefully will be working with some of them again after Existere becomes just a memory (but what a memory!) for all those involved.
Anyway back to the subject in the title. Back in May I was surfing around t'interweb looking for art projects to get involved in and saw a call for participation for JocJonJosch - it’s the first time I'd heard of them, but after a bit of research, their work looked interesting, and as luck would have it they were having an open meeting about their House (later Existere) project the following evening. So off I went to Battersea and my first visit to Testbed1, an old industrial site full of character, surrounding by the trappings of (borrowed?) wealth in new apartments.
Meeting the team of Joc, Jon and Joschi (ah, that’s were the name came from) I got a good feel for what they were trying to achieve and immediately wanted to be part of the project (and yes OK, I fancied Joc too...) (I can't help having a thing for posh boys) (unrequited I'm afraid and I've since met his wife Tessa who is equally lovely) (Ed: can we get back to the plot please..)
Anyway a few weeks later and it was time for the first rehearsal which seemed odd at first as we worked in small groups but when it came to bringing everyone together it all seemed to fit into place with ease - JocJonJoshch and the choreographer had obviously put a lot of thought and work in beforehand, because it’s always difficult to make something look easy. We had another rehearsal, this time in the performance venue last week and (ok I'm really condensing a lot of hard work into a paragraph here) after a few tweaks we had an almost finished product to show to the public.
The basic premise is to form a human shelter which we hold together against the elements, thus protecting those within. Testbed1 is a very effective venue, being an old derelict and dark space, but with one corner lit from above by a skylight under which we would build our structure. So on Saturday I arrived in the rain and met some of the people I'd met at rehearsal, and some new faces and we split into teams (or columns), which in turn would combine to form the structure. We did 5 performances to different sizes of audience, with the middle performance the most memorable. As we entered the space the rain was falling on the skylight, but as the structure came together, it seemed like the monsoon season had arrived, the sound of the torrential rain and the darkness which descended over the room, meant that all you wanted to do was hold everyone closer together, you became so aware that 60 people, all naked, were at their most vulnerable and the group needed to protect each other, it only lasted for a few minutes, but the emotion of that moment, and the elation when we got back to changing rooms of having performed at just the right moment was a profoundly moving experience.
We performed again on Sunday, a few of the faces were different and we had another mixture of sunshine and rain during the 5 performances. The only problem with being the structure is you can't see the structure as the audience sees it. Existere is only being performed over 3 dates, so just 1 left, next Saturday (23rd July), it’s not being filmed or photographed so the only way to experience it is to get yourself along to Testbed1 to, not just see it, but be part of it. It’s free, just go to www.jocjonjosch.com and print yourself a ticket. This is a once (literally now) in a lifetime experience which you shouldn't miss.
As with all the projects I've been involved in, I've met some amazing people, from all walks of life. And hopefully will be working with some of them again after Existere becomes just a memory (but what a memory!) for all those involved.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Liverpool, Expo 2010, and a disinterested Tory minister
I thought I’d use my blog this time to highlight an exchange with the government minister Damian Green. Whilst I’m glad to receive a reply to my letter, I’m not altogether surprised that he completely disregarded the points that I made and instead chose to make another generalising statement with no factual basis behind it. So much for the Tories listening powers.
Damian Green was on BBC Question Time on 3rd February, and in my letter to him I took issue with a comment he made about overseas trips made by Liverpool City
My letter on 4th February read:
During the BBC Question Time programme last night, 3rd February 2011, whilst answering a question regarding the decision by Liverpool City Council to withdraw from its participation in the “Big Society”, you made a somewhat throw-away comment that Liverpool councillors had made visits to China, which could have led members of the audience to conclude that those councillors had been wasting tax-payers money on such trips.
You should be aware that Liverpool was the only UK city to have a dedicated pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai China generally, and the city of Shanghai
The event was regarded in Liverpool as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to consolidate existing and forge new relationships in the world’s emerging markets and to showcase Liverpool’s track record of urban regeneration under the Expo theme of Better City
During the 6 months of Expo 2010 over 770,000 visits were made to the Liverpool Pavilion and the city council estimates that over £50M of inward investment will come to the city as a direct result of those visits.
The pavilion’s main sponsor was Peel Holdings, which has interests in ports, airports, renewable energy, media and property development across the
On 18th February Damian Green wrote back to me:
Thank you for your letter about Liverpool .
I am as convinced as ever that Liverpool City Council’s decision to pull out of the Big Society project was indeed politically motivated, and that the main victims of this will be the people of Liverpool .
When government ministers themselves are busy making trips to China , India , Brazil
Indeed Green’s fellow minister Mark Prisk, Minister of State at the Department for Business said "I hope the success of the British contribution to the Shanghai Expo will become a symbol which embodies the determination that the UK and China
This success was recognised recently when Liverpool Vision won the China Recognition Award, The accolade was to celebrate the successful delivery of the Liverpool Pavilion.
Runner up was The Peel Group. Chairman of The Peel Group, John Whittaker, also attended David Cameron’s Trade Mission toBeijing in November 2010 as part of a large delegation of prominent UK businesses, and last month Mr Whittaker met China ’s Executive Vice Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to the UK
The Recognition award, sponsored by UK Trade and Investment and the Northwest Development Agency, is given in recognition of named individuals or organisations that have made a significant contribution to developing links with Greater China during 2010.
Philomena Chen, Head of Asia Pacific Development for UK Trade & Investment, said: “There was an outstanding level of entries for the North West region this year, and our winners of the China Recognition Awards are the individuals who have shown the greatest commitment to forging links with mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan.
“Liverpool’s involvement in the Shanghai World Expo, and the success of the Pavilion were key to demonstrating Liverpool’s commitment toShanghai and China
"It put the city and theNorth West
"In addition, The Peel Group’s role as lead sponsors was instrumental in encouraging engagement withChina with a view to securing inward investment into the North West
Clive Drinkwater, International Trade Director for UK Trade & Investment North West, said: "This year’s North West England Greater China Recognition Awards recognise Liverpool Vision and The Peel Group as two organisations which have done the most to strengthen the links between our countries and businesses in the region.
"We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to these extremely worthy winners, who have worked closely with UK Trade and Investment and been of invaluable help in allowing us to offer assistance toNorth West
Runner up was The Peel Group. Chairman of The Peel Group, John Whittaker, also attended David Cameron’s Trade Mission to
The Recognition award, sponsored by UK Trade and Investment and the Northwest Development Agency, is given in recognition of named individuals or organisations that have made a significant contribution to developing links with Greater China during 2010.
Philomena Chen, Head of Asia Pacific Development for UK Trade & Investment, said: “There was an outstanding level of entries for the North West region this year, and our winners of the China Recognition Awards are the individuals who have shown the greatest commitment to forging links with mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan.
“Liverpool’s involvement in the Shanghai World Expo, and the success of the Pavilion were key to demonstrating Liverpool’s commitment to
"It put the city and the
"In addition, The Peel Group’s role as lead sponsors was instrumental in encouraging engagement with
Clive Drinkwater, International Trade Director for UK Trade & Investment North West, said: "This year’s North West England Greater China Recognition Awards recognise Liverpool Vision and The Peel Group as two organisations which have done the most to strengthen the links between our countries and businesses in the region.
"We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to these extremely worthy winners, who have worked closely with UK Trade and Investment and been of invaluable help in allowing us to offer assistance to
Monday, 22 November 2010
Biennial 2010, the end, almost
Last weekend saw my last visit to Biennial 2010, and two more sessions in Daniel Knoor's Naked Corner. Saturday I chose a fun slogan with "Snap, Crackle and Pop", and on Sunday I decided to finish with the more serious and, to my mind, thought provoking "Capitalist Tool"
The hours spent in the window watching Liverpool pass by allow you plenty of time to study your fellow humans. I made two observations in particular: firstly the city is still the capital of live music, it seemed that every other lad who walked past was carrying a guitar. And secondly it was interested to watch couples as they passed in cars; where the girl was driving, the lad was more likely to be looking at the shops and pointing me out; but where the lad was driving, the girls tended to be texting - all this was a totally unscientific study but amused me anyway…
Before my session on Saturday, I visited the Walker for the Wolfgang Tillmans' exhibit. It was interesting that the artist and curator had chosen to display the works intermixed with the existing artworks in the gallery which gave you a different insight into some of the "old masters" that I normally tend to speed past.
Sunday afternoon I took in the Biennial pieces in FACT, and had a hot chocolate and cake with the ever lovely Anna (twitter @thespyglass) before heading over to Renshaw Street.
The journey back to London was productive, I got chatting to the young guy sat next to me, who was looking for a rugby team to play for having just moved south, so I talked about our team www.kxsrfc.com and he played for us this weekend, he's a very talented and enthusiastic flanker, and should be an asset to the team as we enter the second half of the season.
2010 Biennial has been amazing, I've done 5 visits and still didn't get around everything. It’s a worrying time for the arts as the government wields its spending axe, but knowing the people involved in Biennial and knowing the people of Liverpool, they won't let a bit of petty penny pinching in Whitehall spoil the party. Roll on 2012!
The hours spent in the window watching Liverpool pass by allow you plenty of time to study your fellow humans. I made two observations in particular: firstly the city is still the capital of live music, it seemed that every other lad who walked past was carrying a guitar. And secondly it was interested to watch couples as they passed in cars; where the girl was driving, the lad was more likely to be looking at the shops and pointing me out; but where the lad was driving, the girls tended to be texting - all this was a totally unscientific study but amused me anyway…
Before my session on Saturday, I visited the Walker for the Wolfgang Tillmans' exhibit. It was interesting that the artist and curator had chosen to display the works intermixed with the existing artworks in the gallery which gave you a different insight into some of the "old masters" that I normally tend to speed past.
Sunday afternoon I took in the Biennial pieces in FACT, and had a hot chocolate and cake with the ever lovely Anna (twitter @thespyglass) before heading over to Renshaw Street.
The journey back to London was productive, I got chatting to the young guy sat next to me, who was looking for a rugby team to play for having just moved south, so I talked about our team www.kxsrfc.com and he played for us this weekend, he's a very talented and enthusiastic flanker, and should be an asset to the team as we enter the second half of the season.
2010 Biennial has been amazing, I've done 5 visits and still didn't get around everything. It’s a worrying time for the arts as the government wields its spending axe, but knowing the people involved in Biennial and knowing the people of Liverpool, they won't let a bit of petty penny pinching in Whitehall spoil the party. Roll on 2012!
Sunday, 24 October 2010
3 Days in the Corner
Up to Liverpool for a 3 day Biennial blast, giving me plenty of time to take in the diverse nature of Britain’s biggest contemporary arts festival.
Before my Thursday session in Daniel Knoor’s “Naked Corner” I went to the Europleasure building for Alfredo Jaar’s “We wish to inform you that we didn’t know” an emotional, thought provoking piece that left me not so much angry as disappointed at the ignorance of the “civilised” world. Then next door for Cristina Lucas’ “Touch and Go” which is supposed to convey messages of the fragility of the capitalist system which passes through and leaves decaying remnants - yes it did, but it was also the perfect fun antidote to the Jaar installation.
I was joined by my twitter friend Scott (@merseytart) and stripped to our pants we took up residence in the window, our corporate messages were “A diamond is forever” (Scott) and “Just do it” (me). Performing with someone else was a very different experience to the other week, as the audience are not focusing solely on you and you can observe the interaction between viewer and model whilst occupying the same space. The most surreal moment was a woman down on her luck, albeit numbed by the effects of the can of special brew, who crossed from the other side of the road and licked a smiley face onto the window in front of us…
Friday morning came and I was alone, the message I had chosen was “Join the debate” and this brought out another aspect of the viewing public, whereas the earlier messages had simply been read, the audience took this one as an instruction, and I had countless people knocking on the window asking “what debate?” or “what are we debating?” Although the project is about the ownership of language, I put my own spin on this and invited the audience to debate about whatever they wanted, including two elderly ladies who starting a good natured argument about whether it was art, so I told them, there you go, you’re having your debate…
Friday afternoon I took in Laura Belém’s “The temple of a thousand bells” a most beautiful piece and in a classically perfect setting, followed by Danica Dakic’s “Grand Organ”, another uplifting piece which brought together the amazing organ of St George’s Hall, with the building’s other role as court of justice. The time period of the Hall’s conception was also inferred with the children looking like workhouse kids one minute and gentrified scholars the next.
On to Saturday and with no-one else taking part I had a split shift from 11am to 1pm and then from 2pm to 4pm. This gave me time for a quick look around the Biennial installations in the Bluecoat before heading to Renshaw Street. My chosen message for Saturday was “Capitalist Tool” which I felt probably sums up the objectivity of standing in the window, those portals for the manufacturers and retailers to prise your hard earned, or ill gotten, gains out of your pockets. Midday I met with my friend and fellow plinther (Gormley‘s “One and Other”) Jensen Wilder who bought me lunch, a delightful mug of “scousers’ breakfast” tea and brought me up to date with what was going on with his life. Then it was a quick tour of the upper floor of the old Rapid building, before my second performance of the day, which meant I was there when the 3:30 tour came around, which was informative and gave me a deeper insight into what I was actually doing!
Once dressed, it was off to St Luke’s church where I met some Spanish tourists who recognised me from earlier and wanted a clothed picture of me too, then to FACT for a warming mug of chocolate, and there I meet some ladies who asked “did we see you naked earlier?” Well at least people noticed what my face looked like!
A fast train to London, and onto the disorganised chaos that is public transport in the capital on a weekend. London is fun, but my heart was lagging 200 miles behind me as I descended into the Nether World of Hades, or the Northern Line as London Underground prefer to call it..
Before my Thursday session in Daniel Knoor’s “Naked Corner” I went to the Europleasure building for Alfredo Jaar’s “We wish to inform you that we didn’t know” an emotional, thought provoking piece that left me not so much angry as disappointed at the ignorance of the “civilised” world. Then next door for Cristina Lucas’ “Touch and Go” which is supposed to convey messages of the fragility of the capitalist system which passes through and leaves decaying remnants - yes it did, but it was also the perfect fun antidote to the Jaar installation.
I was joined by my twitter friend Scott (@merseytart) and stripped to our pants we took up residence in the window, our corporate messages were “A diamond is forever” (Scott) and “Just do it” (me). Performing with someone else was a very different experience to the other week, as the audience are not focusing solely on you and you can observe the interaction between viewer and model whilst occupying the same space. The most surreal moment was a woman down on her luck, albeit numbed by the effects of the can of special brew, who crossed from the other side of the road and licked a smiley face onto the window in front of us…
Friday morning came and I was alone, the message I had chosen was “Join the debate” and this brought out another aspect of the viewing public, whereas the earlier messages had simply been read, the audience took this one as an instruction, and I had countless people knocking on the window asking “what debate?” or “what are we debating?” Although the project is about the ownership of language, I put my own spin on this and invited the audience to debate about whatever they wanted, including two elderly ladies who starting a good natured argument about whether it was art, so I told them, there you go, you’re having your debate…
Friday afternoon I took in Laura Belém’s “The temple of a thousand bells” a most beautiful piece and in a classically perfect setting, followed by Danica Dakic’s “Grand Organ”, another uplifting piece which brought together the amazing organ of St George’s Hall, with the building’s other role as court of justice. The time period of the Hall’s conception was also inferred with the children looking like workhouse kids one minute and gentrified scholars the next.
On to Saturday and with no-one else taking part I had a split shift from 11am to 1pm and then from 2pm to 4pm. This gave me time for a quick look around the Biennial installations in the Bluecoat before heading to Renshaw Street. My chosen message for Saturday was “Capitalist Tool” which I felt probably sums up the objectivity of standing in the window, those portals for the manufacturers and retailers to prise your hard earned, or ill gotten, gains out of your pockets. Midday I met with my friend and fellow plinther (Gormley‘s “One and Other”) Jensen Wilder who bought me lunch, a delightful mug of “scousers’ breakfast” tea and brought me up to date with what was going on with his life. Then it was a quick tour of the upper floor of the old Rapid building, before my second performance of the day, which meant I was there when the 3:30 tour came around, which was informative and gave me a deeper insight into what I was actually doing!
Once dressed, it was off to St Luke’s church where I met some Spanish tourists who recognised me from earlier and wanted a clothed picture of me too, then to FACT for a warming mug of chocolate, and there I meet some ladies who asked “did we see you naked earlier?” Well at least people noticed what my face looked like!
A fast train to London, and onto the disorganised chaos that is public transport in the capital on a weekend. London is fun, but my heart was lagging 200 miles behind me as I descended into the Nether World of Hades, or the Northern Line as London Underground prefer to call it..
Thursday, 14 October 2010
The Art Wot I Was In
Its unbelievable that a year has passed since the end of Antony Gormley’s One & Other project on the Fourth Plinth. My unexpected hour in the spotlight was on Friday 2nd October at 6pm – and if you are going to stand naked in the middle of London
It was a fantastic experience which saw me actually taking part in an artwork for the first time, having just been an observer before. The various ways that 2,400 people came up with to spend their hour of fame was inspiring, whether it was just sitting reading a book; raising money for their charities; creating their own artwork within an artwork; or casting caution, and clothing, to the wind and celebrating the amazing piece of natural engineering that is the human body.
It also got me into tweeting, which is a fantastic way to interact with people (the tweets during TV programmes such as Question Time and The Apprentice are often more entertaining and informative than the programmes themselves).
Art participation is addictive though, and this year has seen me naked in Salford with Spencer Tunick (Everyday People) and up in my home city, in my pants, for Daniel Knoor (Naked Corner) at the Liverpool Biennial. I know, you’re thinking I’ll drop my trousers at the drop of a hat… and you’d be right! I think its overcompensation for being chronically shy as a child.
I’ll be back in Liverpool for another 3 days of the Biennial next week, more details about that in my next blog, but meanwhile, I’m over in Trafalgar Square this evening to meet up with some of the plinthers to mark the anniversary of the end of O&O and to have a look at the book of the project which was published today.
This weekend as there isn’t any rugby for Kings Cross Steelers RFC, I’ll be at Tate Modern for a longer look/walk/feel of the Ai WeiWei Sunflower Seeds installation in the Turbine Hall and at the Wapping Project Bankside to catch the Elina Brotherus exhibition before that ends next week.
Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy!
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
How much is that scouser in the window
The requirement to wear plain, unbranded underwear for my spell in Daniel Knorr’s Naked Corner, caused a dilemma, which lead to me ironing a pair of boxers for the very first time! Well it was a Sunday, so I had to look my best.
After choosing a slogan, “Vorsprung Durch Technik”, I was painted up and like a thousand mannequins before me taken to my shop window. Following a quick chat with the previous performer, I was left to watch the comings and goings on Renshaw Street, and for the comers and goers to watch me of course.
I’ve stood alone, and naked, on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth (One & Other, Antony Gormley 2009) but this felt very different, being on street level meant I was very close to the audience, and most of those didn’t know I was going to be there until they were 6 feet away.
The reactions were mixed: children pointing; middle-aged Germans who read the slogan and took it all very seriously; families who thought it all a laugh; or families where the father looked back for a little too long…; some people smiled, and some ignored the whole thing; a woman stopped her car, took a photo and shouted “you’ve made my day”; a war veteran gave me a thumbs-up; a group of teenagers, stood and studied, but declined the invitation to take part; girls headed into town for a drink; lads heading home with their shopping.
At 6pm, my time was up, time to leave the window empty for the night; time to get dressed and walk into the street; time to become just another face in the crowd. But time goes quickly and I’ll be back.
“Be seeing you”
when twitter ain't long enough
After using Twitter for a while, you suddenly realise that far from having not much to say, you just can't say what you want in 140 characters, so blogging it has to be.
I'll try to inform and entertain on here, hopefully I won't bore you.
I had a blog published the other week about my exploits at the Liverpool Biennial so the first thing to do is copy that, which I'll do, when I've finished my skinny latte....
I'll try to inform and entertain on here, hopefully I won't bore you.
I had a blog published the other week about my exploits at the Liverpool Biennial so the first thing to do is copy that, which I'll do, when I've finished my skinny latte....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)