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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Visual Art / Events / Architecture The (social) media and the new pioneers of our virtual universe
Posted By Manoj P Kesavan on Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 2:11 PM
A special conference/fundraiser was hosted on Feb. 20, 2010. But it did not take place in one place — it started in Tokyo at 5 p.m. their time, and followed the time zones around the globe to end in San Francisco 24 hours later. During that period, tens of thousands of people in 130 cities around the world participated in it. This “largest global distributed conference ever” was the Pecha Kucha for Haiti event, and 100% of the proceeds went to the Haiti rebuilding efforts spearheaded by Architecture for Humanity. Most regular readers of this blog would know that Point8 Forum, the informal grassroots group this blog derives its name from, organizes Pecha Kucha in Charlotte. The series is held in most other cities by similar all-voluntary groups. And even more impressive is the fact that this whole event was planned and executed in around 20 days.
All this was made possible by media that barely existed five years ago; the word was spread through Facebook and Twitter and by various blogs, the event was streamed live on Ustream, with the founders chatting with the organizers and the audience around the world by Skype video. It was perhaps one of those not-too-common instances where the much-hyped “social media” delivered on all its promise.
PK for Haiti used new media for a rather traditional objective. But art isn’t often about tradition, and moreover, about having any immediate or tangible purpose. In fact, what artists often do is use a new medium for purposes it was never intended for, in the process expand the boundaries of that medium.
For example, Charles Westfall and Layet Johnson, two artists from the University of Georgia, set up a life boat with supplies for a day, and at 8:15 p.m. on Jan. 21, paddled off into the Atlantic off the N.C. coast ... on Google Earth! This performance piece, titled "Platonic Voyage" too was live on Ustream through which they stayed in touch with their landbound audience.
Another unconventional — if a bit irreverent — exploration/journey in the virtual world took place on Second Life, as an artist "recreated" Gandhi’s Salt March by advancing his avatar using a treadmill. You can see that and related projects recorded here.
As our connection to our non-immediate surroundings becomes primarily through the electronic screen, and as our socialization turns increasingly virtual, is the vast expanse of cyber space the last frontier? Are our contemporary Daniel Boones and Davy Crocketts out there in the fringes of the internet, staking it out for us less adventurous souls? Check out the art gallery near you to find out ... or just wait for their tweet.
Related: CPCC will be holding a half-day workshop to discuss Social Media and Visual Art on April 13, Tuesday afternoon at their main campus. Contact Alyssa Wood for more details: Alyssa.Wood@cpcc.ed.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Visual Art / Events Inside Gallery 9700F
Posted By Manoj P Kesavan on Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 2:53 PM
A small dimly lit room. Against the wall is a low double bed … and it is made of human hair. Everything is still at first. Then a hand wearing silver rings on two fingers emerges from the bed, slowly feels around, and reaches out towards you …
It is strangely haunting, but no, it is not one of my nightmares — this was the start/setting for an installation and performance piece, "Exploring Touch," by artists Austin Ballard and Paige Cochran, held last Friday at Gallery 9700F.
[caption id="attachment_41" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Scene from installation/performance by Austin Ballard and Paige Cochran. Image courtesy of Gallery 9700F."]
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But then Gallery 9700F is not really a “gallery” — at least not in the conventional sense. It is more of a private venue, at a walking distance from the UNCC campus, where a small series of unique events are held. It also happens to be the apartment where two architecture students, Zac Porter and Aaron Cote, live.
Cote and Porter, along with fellow student Charlotte Whitlock, started this project a few months ago, with guidance from their Professor Nora Wendl. It was conceived as “a series of openings (each pertaining to one — or more — of the five senses) that intersected contemporary art with the Home.”
In essence, installation art inhabits that indefinable realm between architecture and sculpture. Like the former, it responds to, and transforms the space it occupies, but often with the levity and the relative lack of restrictions, like the latter. Then the element of performance brings in a whole another dimension, adding the layers of immediacy, unpredictability, and often interactivity.
But ultimately what makes 9700F unique is the very fact that it all happens in a little apartment: the artists are no longer dealing with the abstract/universal space of a gallery/museum/public square, but are challenged to respond to the mundane personal and private space of day to day use. The result is surprisingly striking yet relatable. And because of that, this series of well conceived and executed works have also been some of the more intriguing experimental creations seen (or well, heard/smelt/felt …) around here recently.
The final installation in this series, by artists Landon Robinson and Josh Padgett focusing on Smell & Taste, will take place this Friday (12/11/09), at 6 pm.
Directions: Go to the Mallard Green Apartments (9800 Mary Alexander Rd. Charlotte, 28262), turn right at the entrance to the complex, and go to the very end of the road to Apt. 9700F. Or go to the UNCC campus, and join the other pilgrims as they start their trek from the front of the Storrs Building (Architecture School) at 5:30pm.
Open up your senses - it promises to be a fulfilling journey. And who knows what dreams may follow afterward …
Also this Friday: Our "Blogger-in-Chief" Barbara Schreiber will have a show of her new work, titled Buyer’s Remorse – and other small tales for rough times, opening at the cool Dialect Gallery in NoDa [6 p.m.-9 pm, 12/11/09 @ 3204-C N Davidson St.]. Check it out!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Visual Art / Events Peregrinations in the burbs
Posted By Barbara Schreiber on Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Just as there are folks in the leafy suburbs who think that urban life is a living hell, so are there city dwellers who believe that culture evaporates once you stray a certain distance from downtown. Next week, though, some of the most interesting stuff is happening on the north side of town and beyond.
Trek out to Concord on Sunday, Nov. 15 for a studio open house at Patrick Glover’s and Ross Wilbanks’ vast new space at 152 Kerr Street, in the Gibson Village Neighborhood. Wilbanks characterizes the event as “a simple open house for the Kerr Street/Concord neighborhood, similar to a church meet 'n' greet where people can see the space and talk openly about what they would like to do ... Patrick and I are looking to use the space for a new process that is directly involved with the community around it.” In addition to art and film, the evening will include music by Erika Blatnik and Ben Henry. (Info: rosswilbanks@gmail.com or 704-580-5558.)
Closer in, Alfredo Jaar — installation artist, architect, interventionist, and filmmaker — will speak at UNC Charlotte, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m., in the Cone Center’s McKnight Hall as part of the university’s Distinguished Speakers Forum. The Chilean-born Jaar, who lives in New York, creates work that is deeply political and often takes place in the public sphere, incorporating such diverse elements as billboards, lights and fire to address a range of issues including inequality, deprivation and war. This event is free and will be followed by a reception and book-signing. (Info: Stephanie Schmidt at 704-687-7159)
Sonja Hinrichsen, one of the fall artists-in-residence at the McColl Center for Visual Art, has been teaching “Mapping Charlotte,” a special topics class, this semester at UNC Charlotte’s College of Arts & Architecture. Students were challenged to research and explore the city’s past and present with the goal of creating a collaborative installation employing photography, video, sound and other media. The opening reception for their exhibition, “Charlotte: A Layered Perspective,” is Nov. 19, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., at the college’s Rowe Main Arts Gallery. Perusing the class blog, you get the sense that this project was a total leap into the unknown for some of these students. Many are lifelong Charlotteans, and it’s probably safe to assume that they now have new ways of thinking both about art-making and their hometown. On Nov. 20, 10 a.m., Hinrichsen will give a lecture on the project in room 130 of the Rowe Arts Building. (Info: Janet Williams at 704-687-0208 or jwill416@uncc.edu)
And finally, a memo from the Shameless Self-promotion Department: Since some folks whose projects I was hoping to mention never got back to me, I’ll just use this remaining space to plug a show I’m in. Hope you can make to the Max L. Jackson Gallery at Queens University this Thursday, Nov. 12, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., for the opening of Approaches II/Annäherungen, an exhibition of work by four artists from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Germany (Jutta Bressem, Ines Diederich, Rainer Fest and Ulf Rickmann) and three Charlotte-Mecklenburg artists (Erika Diamond, Annabel Manning and me).
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Events Queens University brings the publishing world to Charlotte
Posted By Jeff Jackson on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 1:49 PM
Apologies to the fine offerings of the Novello and Charlotte Literary Festivals, but the most exciting literary event in town is being presented by Queens University.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Queens MFA program in creative writing is hosting a conference that brings the cream of the publishing world to Charlotte. The two panels focusing on magazine and book publishing are a must for all local writers and anyone curious about the mechanics of the publishing world.
The magazine panel promises insights into how literary and commercial periodicals work at the highest levels. The impressive list of participants includes top editors from The New Yorker, Paris Review, Tin House, and Antioch Review, as well as the International Creative Management agent who handles serial non-fiction sales.
The book publishing panel tackles how manuscripts get accepted for publication and the current state of the industry. It includes editors from Riverhead Books and Henry Holt, alongside top literary agents such as Peter Steinberg from The Steinberg Agency, Chris Parris-Lamb from The Gernert Company, Anne Edelstein from Anne Edelstein Literary Agency, and Tina Wexler from ICM. Both panels will include question-and-answer sessions with the audience.
The magazine panel begins inexplicably early at 9:30 a.m. The book panel starts at 4 p.m. On the plus side, Queens has generously opened both these events to the public for free. They will be held at the Sykes Auditorium and moderated by Queens MFA Chair Fred Leebron.
Schedule:
Friday, Nov. 6: MFA Alumni Panel on Editing — 4 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7 : Panel on Magazine Publishing — 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7 : Panel on Book Publishing — 4 p.m. (All events are at the Sykes Auditorium)
For more info/preview see: http://www.charlotteviewpoint.org/default.aspx?viewpoint=110&objId=117.
Official Calendar: http://www.queens.edu/upload/CulturalCalendar_Fall09.pdf
Also @ Queens: The Queens MFA program in creative writing is perhaps one of the best kept secrets in town.
They also host exceptional public readings throughout the year, including an upcoming reading by recent Pulitzer Prize Winner Elizabeth Strout on Nov. 19. (See: http://www.charlottecultureguide.com/event.php?id=6849)
