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.

Don't BLOCK the BLOG

DON’T BLOCK THE BLOG strongly opposes any form of internet censorship, and requests the support of national and international bloggers, media, and free speech organizations to help our cause by continuing to highlight the issue of the unfair blanket ban of blogs.

the current blogosphere...

On the news that Abdullah Gul is officially the 11th President of Turkey I decided to report on some of my favorite blogs...

me and others - reverts to the recent rain fall in Istanbul rather than talk about Gul

ignore me if you can- in the posting farewell my pretty, the author feels so strongly that it has provoked her to leave Turkey.

The Istanbulian a fantastic site that I just discovered today, reports that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan official website was hacked 3 days ago.

Erkan's Field Diary as ever points to a number of interesting articles, including this one from the New York Times.

James in Turkey posts about day two thousand, six hundred and fifty-nine of Ahmet Necdet Sezer, former President of Turkey.

and finally here is the BBC's Have your say

Mehmet Kavukçu

Mehmet Kavukçu, originally uploaded by louise makes stuff.

How cool is this! This is the work of the Turkish artist Mehmet Kavukçu in Eski Kilise /Zafer Meydanı, Çanakkale. The building is in fact a church in the gypsy area. This installation was part of the Troia Festival. The Arts projects were curated by Denizhan Özer and Seyhan Boztepe, under the title Borderline. I have uploaded my photos to Flickr.

Mehmet also made an installation on 2004 in the cistern in Istanbul. I found a photograph of it on the web - it looks amazing. Mehmet is based in Erzurum.

Geliblou

57. Alay Sehitliği (The 57th Regiment Cemetery for Martyrs, originally uploaded by louise makes stuff.

I visited Çanakkale Arts festival a few weekends ago and have only just got around to posting my photos on flickr. While I was there I took the opportunity to visit Gelibolu/Gallipoli battlefields. It was a memorable visit and I have enjoyed adding information from various websites about the cemeteries and monuments I visited.

Sites that were particularly informative include:
diggerhistory2
nzetc
wikipedia
e-turkey

COWS

The Cow Parade is in town. The cows are gathering around shopping malls, major squares and attractions around Istanbul including Şişli, Nişantaşı, Harbiye, Beyoğlu, Bebek, Ortaköy, Sultanahmet and shopping malls; Kanyon, Akmerkez, Profilo, Metro City ve Cevahir. The cows arrived on August 1st and will leave on 31 October 2007 (1 Ağustos – 31 Ekim 2007). People seem to be intrigued by them, both locals and tourists. The last time I saw cow parade was in Athens, most of the ones on central Athens were trashed, partly due I believe to the student riots that had been taking place around the city last year.



Continuing the cattle theme, it has been reported by the BBC today that Gordon Brown has been called back from his holiday because of an outbreak of foot and mouth has been reported in Surrey, England.

Feeling HOT HOT HOT!

Turkey reeling under extreme, scorching temperatures

Urban regeneration ZONE

Roma neighbourhood of Sulukule awaits demolition. Sulukule situated in Fatih along the Golden Horn is one of the largest and central districts of Istanbul, in the heart of the city. Since it constitutes the old quarter of the city conquered by Mehmed II the Conqueror, even today it is also called as the "real Istanbul" or the "first Istanbul".

Human Settlement Association is an NGO which is working as volunteer legal council for the people of the Sulukule in their case against the Fatih Municipality, in regards to the proposed urban renewal and gentrification of the gypsy settlement. They are also working to organize the Festival called 40 days and 40 nights, which will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Roma people of the Sulukule with music, arts and crafts, and festivities for the months of March and April.

Zaman Today 23 April concert

On the back of continuing scare mongering related to the fear of a pending earthquake in Istanbul, Sulukule renovation is used by Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI) to qualify for demolition. It could be interpreted as pressure to complete the Urban Regeneration Project for Istanbul City of Culture 2010 or simply an excuse to open the way for speculators to make a hefty profit. This situation is seen by the decision makers in black and white; Sulukule should be left as it is OR raised to the ground What is missing from this blinkered view is participatory decision making; taking into account the views and ideas of the communities that are effected. Decisions that should be made sensitively and for the benefit of the people and city.

The video below is from Sulukule online