Cultural stuff I have been to in Wales - Jan/Feb 2009

Shutdown - a series of seminars by Bloc, Creative Tecnology Wales at Venue Cymru, Llandudno

Ffresh 2009- student moving image festival held at the Aberystwth Arts Centre - 11-13 Feb

3 Men Running - Marc Rees in performance at Sherman Cymru

Marriage of Figaro - Welsh National Opera

Boulevard of Broken Dreams - music by Charlie Barber, Choreography Jean Abreu - at Sherman Cymru

Sweet Baboo and Threatmantics - Fragmented Orchestra project at the Millenium Stadium

Gallops! - Mathrock electronica from Wrexham seen at Clwb Ifor Bach

BP Portrait Award 2008 - at Aberystwth Arts Centre

Overview- a painting exhibition at the Elysium Artspace an artist and volunteer run space in Swansea

Ian Grainger, Printmaker - BayArt Gallery, Bute Street, Cardiff

Ruthin Craft Centre Touring Exhibition by Nancy Baldwin & Gordon Baldwin, painter and potter respectively - exhibition at Mission Gallery, Marine Quarter, Swansea

Supernova - British Council Touring Exhibition at the Glynn Vivian Arts Gallery, Swansea

Welsh Curry Awards 2009 - hosted by the festivals company held at The Point

Yarn and Yarn - a bi-weekly Knitting group meeting at Chapter (and City Road)

Northern Bloc - Llandudno - Thursday 29 Jan 2009

On Thursday I attended Shutdown:

The personal computer promises everything faster, better, cheaper. You can even conduct your social life online. But does this shift risk damaging our local economies and communities? What happens when you turn your back on the computer and use technology to build communities in real life instead?

The workshops and seminars explored the uses and implementation of social media technologies and of open methodologies in the area of research and creative practice. The event focused on the practical.

The presenters at the seminar were:

Adrain Bowyer: Wealth without money

Look at your computer setup. Imagine if you hooked up a 3D printer. Instead of printing on bits of paper this 3D printer makes real, robust, mechanical items. To give you an idea of how robust these items are think of Lego bricks and you`re in the right area. You could make lots of useful stuff, but interestingly you could also make most of the parts to make another 3D printer. That would be a machine that could copy itself.

This talk will be about RepRap - the Replicating Rapid-prototyper. This 3D printer will make items by building them up in layers of plastic. This technology already exists, but the cheapest commercial machine would cost you EUR 30,000. And it isn`t even designed so that it can make itself. So what the RepRap team are doing is to develop and to give away the designs for a much cheaper machine with the novel capability of being able to self-copy (material costs will be about EUR 400). That way it`ll be accessible to small communities in the developing world as well as individuals in the developed world. Anyone will be able to swap designs for anything to be made on RepRap using the Internet in the same way that music is currently shared. The RepRap machine is being distributed entirely free to everyone using open-source - so, if you have one, you can make another and give it to a friend.

Paul Miller -Why Don’t You? -School of Everything

In the 80s and 90s, the kids TV show `Why Don`t You` was more revolutionary than you might think. Its full title was `Why Don`t You Just Switch Off Your Television Set And Go Out And Do Something Less Boring Instead?` and it was all about the interesting stuff you should do instead of watching telly.

Now there are a whole range of internet services that have a `Why Don`t You ethic`. They`re not interested in creating a service that sucks people in - instead they focus on getting people out doing stuff with other people. In the case of School of Everything that`s about learning new stuff but there are others such as Meetup.com, ThePoint.com, PledgeBank.org, Dopplr.com that are all about helping people organise activity and not about them uploading their brains. This presentation will look at how you design an online service that helps people do things in the real world.

Simon Whitehead - Movement Artist

Simon will talk about the development of his practice - from working as a dance artist in a theatre setting to his current movement work, which often involves basic technologies and technologists. He will discuss several projects which combine the use of basic, often renewable technologies such as solar and wind power, mobile phones, sound and film, with an element of collaboration - working with other artists , the public and animals.

Simon will discuss some of his most productive collaborations in more detail, exploring how his work often involves working closely with technologists, such as long-standing collaborator Barnaby Oliver, who now lives thousands of miles away in Melbourne as well as more commercial relationships which have resulted in projects such as Walking to Work.

Simon will discuss several projects which don`t foreground the use of technology and the factors which influence these decisions. He will be rounding off his presentation with some observations about his experience of making his work and finding and developing an audience for it in his location in rural west Wales.

The Public - West Bromwich - money n' innovation gone bad

Arts Council pulls funding for troubled West Bromwich arts centre
£500,000 annual grant withdrawn with centrepiece gallery still not working seven months after building opened

West Bromwich's arts centre: the most ill-judged building since the Dome

What looks like a magenta fish, cost £52m and closed before it opened?
The fate of the Public arts centre in West Bromwich should make us re-evaluate the worth of publicly funded buildings

It’s not what West Bromwich needs and it’s not going to kickstart regeneration, says Tony Ward; while Sally Luton argues that it will provide a centre for innovation and creative expression

want to see list

Gravitas - Earthfall on 10 March at Sherman Cymru

twelthfloor by Tanja Liedtke on Tuesday 24 March at Sherman Cymru

Miss Brown to You by Hijinx Theatre on 4 April at wmc

BBC National Orchestra Wales

BBC 2 Wales programme: Hoddinott's Hall of Music - shown on BBC2W at 19.00 on 26 January 2009

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales play Hoddinott, Sibelius, Ravel, Beethoven, Simon Holt and Varese

Art Tribute to Alun Hoddinott by Lubna Chowdhary

The 50 most influential movers and shakers on the welsh arts scene - according to the Western Mail

1 Ruth Jones
2 Russell T Davies
3 Duffy
4 John Fisher
5 Bryn Terfel
6 Michael Sheen
7 Katherine Jenkins
8 Matthew Rhys
9 Alun Ffred Jones
10 Andrew Davies
11 Nick Capaldi
12 Judith Isherwood
13 Peter Florence
14 Tessa Jackson
15 Michael Tooby
16 Peter Stead
17 Michael Bogdanov
18 Jo Bartlett and Danny Hagan
20 Pauline Burt
21 Steven Moffat
22 Owain Arwel Hughes
23 Mari Beynon Owen
24 Terry Hands
25 Chris Ricketts
26 Ann Sholem
27 Geraint Talfan Davies
28 Tim Rhys-Evans
29 Cefin Roberts
30 John E McGrath
31 Thierry Fischer
32 Peter Finch
33 Tim Baker
34 Karl Jenkins
35 Sir David Rowe-Beddoe
36 Gruff Rhys
37 Peter Doran
38 Pablo Janczur
39 Gareth Jones
40 Rebecca Evans
41 Kathryn Gray
42 Dannie Abse
43 Doreen O'Neill
44 Llyr Williams
45 Gillian Clarke
46 Aled Jones
47 Catrin Finch
48 Peter Gill
49 Rhod Gilbert
50 Roger Burnell

Disclosures

Today I attended Disclosures, a project by Gasworks.

Disclosures seeks to scrutinise the notion of openness across fields of cultural production at large. A first reading of openness refers to situations in which the viewer, reader, listener or internet user becomes emancipated through egalitarian participation, collaborative authorship and/or the breaking down of hierarchical and social boundaries.

I didn' attend Saurday's presentations with seminars on Node.London and Open Congress. Instead I opted to attend sessions on 'Blue Skies, Grey Skies' to explore the limitations of FLOSS as a tool and as a model. I went to the morning seminar, presented by Toni Prug from LSE and attended a Resource Camp held by Critical Practice with the aim of drafting a set of guidelines for open budgeting.

The ResourceCamp will explore the ‘elephant in the room’ of open organisations and art institutions – the management of money and more generally the administration of resources. Through presentations, discussions and dissent we aim to draft ‘open’ budget guidelines for all.

The camp was similar to an open space technology event with participants setting the agenda for the sessions. Together the group explored issues concerning 'Opportunity Cost', generosity, exploitation, transitional practice, case studies of open budget participation, definition and balance of resources, issues of defining value.

Peter Dunn gave a presentation, providing some pragmatic advice on managing distributed budgets. I supported Peter when he mentioned measuring in-kind income/cost incurred during a project so that a 'real' monetary value is assigned to project budgets. The group concurred that if we gave value and budgeted for in-kind generated income the institutions we work for would be burdened with a heavy debt. Interesting thought ;-)

Jem McKay pointed out a useful report: open budget evaluation by Harrow Council. This sites Influence, Information, Diliberation, Feedback, Independence as the upholding principles for open budgeting. With this in hand Jem and Peter offered a a much needed practical view point.

A mailing list will be started with the aim of distributing notes from the days discussion, and carry it on - perhaps towards the stated aim of creating the guidelines. Lets see.

I just found an interesting report at infonomics.nl looks like it's also worth a read in the perspective of working with transactions that are not traded in monetary system.

twgfoe

Previous News from 2007 from Tottenham and Wood Green, Friends of the Earth, on Hale Village London...

News on major developments: We have commented on major plans for Wards Corner and Lawrence Road, both in the Seven Sisters area, calling for carbon-neutral developments with lower amounts of parking. There is a community campaign on Wards Corner trying to save some of the historic buildings on site, which we are in contact with. This campaign had 350 local people to a public meeting on 28 February.

The Hale Village proposal for the GLS site at Tottenham Hale, with 1210 flats, 700 student rooms, 800 parking spaces, a hotel, school, shops and health centre got outline planning permission on 17 May.

The site has now been demolished. The developers are obliged to hold a design competition for the "flagship building" at the front of the site. One of the four firms of architects proposed cladding the building with Photovoltaic panels, making it effectively carbon neutral. That's what we'd like to see on all new developments.

The other application we opposed - for 16-storey flats on the Hale Wharf site - has been withdrawn in the face of our campaign. This is a big win for local people. We have since met the developers, Isis, and they have asked different architects to come up with plans for the site which have now been shown to local residents. It looks likely that we will get a better and more interesting design, with lower buildings and maybe up to 200 car parking spaces instead of 350.

a message from RUDI (Resource for Urban Design Information)

I don't have much faith in the apparent green and sustainable spin to this development. As ever the planners had a chance to do something different, even ground breaking, but instead it looks like the usual uninspiring typical architecture.

Current public information about the development plan for Tottenham Hale:

BDP was commissioned by Lee Valley Estates to provide a masterplan for the former GlS site located immediately adjacent to Tottenham Hale Station in the London Borough of Haringey in north London.

The residential-led scheme will include a mix of uses including office, education, health, a hotel and local retail. The residential element will comprise 900 private tenure units and 300 affordable units, and at a density in line with the GLA recommendations for brown field sites. The site will be fully accessible and permeable, and provide amenities for existing local residents and workers in the area.

Key sustainability features for the site include:

• CCHP (combined, cooling, heating and power generation) as part of a whole site-wide energy infrastructure scheme – biomass boilers that will provide a minimum of 10 percent CO_ savings from the site through provision of thermal energy for the district heating network
  
  
• Brownfield site adjacent to major transport hub
  
  
• Rainwater harvesting
  
  
• Green roofs

This scheme demonstrates how imaginative private sector investment can generate a mixed and sustainable development. The project will at the same time set a new and higher quality benchmark for future investment in the area and kick start the regeneration of Tottenham Hale.

Meanwhile in skyscraper news...

The Pacific Gyre

Eee PC

My Newest Toy, originally uploaded by Denni Schnapp.

I found this photo on flickr and just had to post it. I am very pleased with my little white one, but I have to say the blue Eee PC looks lovely. Even Stephen Fry is talking about it. Now I know Mr Fry is a bit of a collector so I am sure he will try and get every colour. I have even bought a Linux magazine and had a go at changing skype settings through the command window.

my favourite places to eat in Istanbul :-0 xo

I am still unpacking 4 weeks after returning from Istanbul. This morning I came across handwipes from some of my favorite places to eat in Istanbul.

I would like to register them here for future reference...

Anzer Sofrası in Sarıyer - fresh Black Sea cuisine
Çiya in Kadıköy - meze a plenty
Beşiktaş Balık Lokantası in Beşiktaş - Balik Kofte :-)
Canım Ciğerim in Beyoğlu - I love your liver...

I will be here all day if I carry on listing my recommends.

Last night at the Roundhouse - Glenn Branca's SYMPHONY No.13: Hallucination City

Glenn Branca performance, originally uploaded by louisemakesstuff.

Last night was SUPERB!

From the Roundhouse:

Frieze Music in association with Live Nation GLENN BRANCA SYMPHONY No.13: Hallucination City

Avant-garde composer and guitarist, Glenn Branca performs here as part of The Frieze Art Fair - Frieze Music presentation for 2007. There will be a performance of Glenn Branca’s epic Symphony No.13: Hallucination City for 100 electric guitars.

A piece of transformative beauty, it has been described by the Village Voice as “Branca’s most impressive work ever.” Glenn Branca, who started out as a member of NY punk outfit Theoretical Girls, began composing for electric guitar ensembles in the early 80s. His ensembles have featured members of Sonic Youth, Swans and Helmet.

Hallucination City was premiered in the World Trade Centre Plaza, New York, in 2001 to overwhelming public acclaim.

Symphony No.13 is in four movements; March, Anthem, Drive and Vengeance. Glenn Branca’s music is not conventional in any sense and in this piece the guitars use the basis of only two chords. Players need to be able to read basic staff notation and have the ability to follow a part measure for measure.

The playing technique includes plenty of double strumming and chording. Over the next few months Branca will closely supervise the recruitment of the 100 guitarists who will all be unpaid volunteers. Interested players, who must own their own guitar and small sized amp, can contact Branca at glenn@glennbranca.com, marking their email LONDON. In the run up to the performance those chosen to take part will be sent sections of the piece every few weeks to learn but the composer stipulates that these do not need to be memorized. The volunteers must be available for two day-long rehearsals and, of course, the event itself. Branca’s music has been used for film and performance by a diverse group of internationally renowned companies including; Alvin Ailey Company, Peter Greenaway, San Francisco Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theater and The Wooster Group.

Paul Chan at Antrepo 3

Paul Chan at Antrepo 3, originally uploaded by louisemakesstuff.

This projection by Paul Chan is in Antrepo 3 at the Istanbul Biennial. It is part of Dream House - it is a really fabulous piece, I could have watched it for hours. I have posted loads of pictures on my flickr site.

Paul Chan was born in Hong Kong in 1973 and lives and works in New York. He received an MFA from Bard College in 2002, a BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996, and is represented by Greene Naftali, New York. Recent solo exhibitions include Serpentine Museum (London), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, 2007), The Fabric Workshop and Museum (Philadelphia, 2006-07), Portikus (2006), Galleria Massimo De Carlo (Milan, 2006), Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, 2005), UCLA Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, 2005).

“The Public Turn in Contemporary Art”

Yesterday I went to my first Biennial event held at santralistanbul:

“Art and Negotiation in Public Space”
31 August – 1 September 2007

The international project “The Public Turn in Contemporary Art” - led and realized by santralistanbul in cooperation with ArtBOX.gr from Thessaloniki, University of Art and Design Helsinki from Helsinki and Maison des Métallos from Paris - is a series of activities on the role of contemporary art in creative transformation and democratization of public space. The project, realized between 31 August – 31 October 2007, brings together artists, writers, art historians and theoreticians working on the subject. The theme will be discussed in three panels, artist talks, a documentation exhibition and a book.

speakers included:
Socrates Stratis
Hou Hanru
Jörgen Svensson
BikvanderPol
Superflex


Do you copy?, originally uploaded by superflexnet.

The artists group superflex who participated in the 9th Istanbul Biennial talked talked bout their project super channel and resulting community led project tenant spin and projects under the banner SUPER COPY.

Jörgen Svensson talked about his project Neighbourhood Secrets towards Stavangar 2008 city of culture and his excellent project Public Safety in 2000, in the small Swedish town of Skoghall where Two American Policemen, for which he invited two American policemen to the village, who patrolled the streets of Skoghall for two weeks in full uniform. The local community treated the two policemen like moviestars. Everyone wanted their autographs, and they were invited to appear on TV and radio talkshows.

Bik van der Pol talked about their current project for the biennial where they have selected walls/sites around the city on which to project the video programme Nightcomers. There is also a blog. The artists have mapped the locations for the screenings here on google earth.


Hou Hanru presented a couple of European projects he has been working on including his project for Luxembourg 2007 city of culture focusing on migration and UrbanLab 2007.

10th International Istanbul Biennial

This coming week Istanbul will be swamped with artists and curators from all over the world as the Visual Arts Biennial launches. The Biennial is organised by İstanbul Kültür Sanat Vakfı (İKSV)...

NOT ONLY POSSIBLE BUT ALSO NECESSARY, OPTIMISM IN AN AGE OF GLOBAL WAR
is curated by Hou Hanru. Hanru curated Z.O.U. - Zone of Urgency for the 50th Venice Biennale - this was a fantastic exhibition that included artists such as Young-Hae Chang, and Shu Lea Cheang.

The Istanbul biennial sounds just as promising...

Turkish coffee and lemon juice

I had no end of recommendations for my Ankara bellyache from my Turkish friends, including mixing a spoonful of Turkish coffee with lemon juice and eaten or taken like a pill. Apparently you will go to the toilet once more and after that you will be fine. I was also told that taking yogurt with a spoonful of tea mixed into it will do the trick.

By the time I was given this advice I was already on the mend after drinking coke and eating pro-biotic yogurts. Honestly it worked!

However take a look at the Turkish Culture portal if you want to find out more - medicinal remedies come under the folk knowledge section. For eczema the patient is advised to eat hedgehog meat, which apparently is good for epilepsy too. ummmhh!

Belly Ache :-(

Today is Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) in Turkey to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar, the final battle in the Turkish War of Independence in 1922.

It is a public holiday so I get a day off, but I have spent the entire day at home recovering from belly ache that I contracted during a trip I made to Ankara on Tuesday this week. Two other colleagues fell ill at exactly the same moment with the same symptoms, right after we had a coffee in the morning during a meeting. I think it is related to the recent water cuts put in place by the Ankara authorities during August as a number of colleagues in Ankara have also been ill over the last few weeks. Having just read this article in the Turkish Daily News I am not surprised...

The cases of infectious diseases has increased in Ankara especially after August 1, the day the water cuts began,” said Secretary General of Ankara Chamber of Medicine Ercan Yavuz in an interview with the Turkish Daily News.

According to him, water cuts are not a remedy because the hygienic and fresh water should be kept in the pipes. It should be chlorinated and consumption limited. Otherwise, health problems arise due to practices employed to save water and the pressure shifts in the pipes when the water flow restarts.

You should not drink the tap water in Turkey anyhow, but when you see murky water coming out of your tap you wonder about bathing in it too. Take a look at Idili's istanbul polluted water photo in flickr.

Football Focus

Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe have both won a place in this years UEFA Champions League.
With just 17 days left in Istanbul it would be unfair to leave the city without having mentioned these beloved soccer teams. I have not had the pleasure of attending a football match here in Istanbul - although I was invited to attend the Beşiktaş match this weekend but my colleague has since blown me out! I am very disappointed, I live very close to the Beşiktaş stadium and enjoy the atmosphere as supporters arrive and depart from Taksim.

This post has also been prompted by Erkhan's field diary, a Besiktas fan, that points to this great site in english called TURKEY(TURKIYE) FOOTBALL(SOCCER)

The lights around the Fenerbahçe stadium are also something to behold.

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