Contemporary Istanbul launches a free iPhone/iPad app

Now you can follow all the buzz (and criticism) around the every expanding and booming Istanbul contemporary art scene with Contemporary Istanbul‘s iPhone/iPad application. Free to download, you can check it out here: http://itunes.apple.com/tr/app/icemagazineen/id503579960?mt=8

Streetmapping: Artist Lian Bell from Out of Site Festival 2007

In the summer of 2007, artist Lian Bell took to the pavement of Dublin to better get to know her neighbourhood. Although it’s a little while ago, I love this public art intervention/collaboration for its simplicity and foundation on talking, helping and sharing the city’s public space.

The entire intervention debrief is reproduced here in full courtesy of Lian Bell.

—

Dean Street pavement, Dublin
Sunday 26 Aug
12pm-6pm 

I planned to draw a map in chalk on the pavement of the Liberties area of Dublin, by asking passers-by for advice. The Liberties is an old area of the city full of intricate streets which have seen vast development recently and which looks set to continue at a hectic pace. The local community is an eclectic mix of older people, people who’ve lived locally their whole lives, immigrants, students and young professionals moving in to newly built apartment blocks. There is a lot of social housing in the area, with the reputation of being one of the poorest parts of the city centre, as well as having a recognised drug problem. However, parts of the Liberties are being gentrified and local businesses combine traditional markets (Thomas Street and Meath Street) with architecture and design studios, art galleries and antique shops (Thomas Street and Francis Street).

I moved into an apartment on Francis Street recently and don’t know the layout of the area at all well. To draw a map, I’d need a lot of help from passers-by. I was a little worried that if it didn’t work, or if something negative happened I would still be living around the corner. I did an hour of mental preparation before I headed out. It was a warm Sunday afternoon at a busy intersection with a wide pavement. Businesses nearby were open – a video, tanning and internet shop, a bookmakers, two pubs (Fallon’s and Nash’s), a Spar and a gallery.

As soon as I’d written a sign on a sandwich board (Hello. I’m drawing a map of the area. Can you help?) someone stopped and asked what I was doing. A young man living locally who was so enthusiastic about the idea even before I’d opened a box of chalk I was quite surprised. He promised to return later in the afternoon and even to bring me some water.

I drew the opening part of the map: what I could see from the pavement of the intersection and the street signs that were visible. I marked where we were with an X. Though I do know many of the main roads (probably about 15% of the map) and their names, I only wanted to fill in what people told me to, with the spelling mistakes, the warped scale, the missing streets.

Apart from one bathroom break, from about 12.15 to 5.45 I had about four 5 minute breaks – the rest of the time was filled with talking to people, explaining the project and filling out the map. In terms of getting people involved the event was far more successful than I had imagined it would be. People stopped and talked for long periods of time, argued with each other about the layout and names of streets, phoned and texted friends for help, returned through the afternoon, went to get other people to come and help, went to find out the names of streets they had forgotten. There were no negative comments (to me anyway) and the enthusiasm people had for the idea was a little overwhelming.

I regret not having more time to take stock of what was going on, maybe make a note of some of the stories and local history that people came out with and ask more about specific things that arose.

Attitudes towards the map ranged from puzzle-solving to friendly competition. Some people focuse¬d on how to make sections join up, some wanted to have their street put on it, some wanted to just make sure they added some street or placename to it. Some people sounded concerned with my request for ‘help’, asking if I needed directions. A couple of people offered maps.

All kinds of people stopped – tourists, locals, Dubliners, immigrants, kids, architects, a local historian, a couple of junkies, an alcoholic street artist, students. Irish, French, Swedish, German, Polish, American. Men came back and forth from the two pubs. A passer-by insisted on giving me 5 euro. Someone bought me a coffee. A young man from the bookies and a young woman working in a gallery around the corner came back throughout the afternoon. People chatted to each other around me.

Someone started talking about how there wasn’t enough street art in the area. A woman living in Blackpitts said the council should have a ‘real’ map of the area carved into the pavement – she was always giving directions to people who were lost around the area. Someone suggested varnishing the chalk map to the pavement. Some people were happy for me to cheat the map in the areas where the scale didn’t match up, others got me to rub out bits that were wrong.

The first man came back and talked about doing a version based around disabled access. One woman marked in a local food co-op with its opening times. One kid wrote his name in a corner. A man marked the layout of a local derelict church and an underground river. I gave a couple of boxes of chalk to kids and one to the street artist, who said he liked to draw Vikings and then played Raglan Road on a tin whistle for me.

At 5.45pm I packed up. Someone in the doorway of Fallon’s offered me a pint, but I was tired and went home. 

-Posted courtesy of Lian Bell

Art in Ruins

Art in Ruins is a Providence-based organization that celebrates the city’s postindustrial heritage as a source of creative inspiration.  In their mission statement, they express that:

“We at ArtInRuins believe that decay is beautiful, but not necessary. Artists live and work in the buildings that the city or developers have often forgotten, and now that Providence is becoming a hip town (or a suburb of Boston) these buildings and the artists, musicians and businesses who lived and worked in them are getting used for purposes that do not contribute to the community in the same way. We are not against new development, we are only opposed to unsustainable or irresponsible development.”

http://artinruins.com/arch/?id=decay&pr=seekonkbridge

TRACK: A contemporary city conversation

	Ahmet Öğüt, “The Castle of Vooruit,” 2012.*
	TRACK a contemporary city conversation 12 May–16 September 2012S.M.A.K. Citadelpark B-9000  Ghent, Belgium T +32 9 240 76 60 info@track.be www.track.be Twitter
	Curated by Philippe Van Cauteren and Mirjam VaradinisTRACK is a unique art experience in the public and semi public space of the city of Ghent. It offers surprising, enriching, and unexpected encounters with the city, its history, and its inhabitants and incites to reflect upon urban realities and the contemporary human condition in a broader sense. Thirty five international artists were invited to conceive new art works that are strongly rooted in the urban fabric of Ghent but link the local context with issues of global significance. The two curators Philippe Van Cauteren and Mirjam Varadinis took the time to select exemplary locations in the wider city centre of Ghent and invited artists who have an affinity with the thematical context of those places. The selected artists used the local reality as a fertile source of inspiration and the results of their in-depth explorations are not simply traditional works of art, but artistic projects in all different media that embrace the social, economic, cultural, and political conditions of the city and the times we live in. Their works call for participation, interact with the different communities in various ways, and leave permanent traces. TRACK is conceived as a universe of parallel narrations, occurences and (hi)stories. It consists of six clusters that offer a historical, cultural, architectural, and mental cross-section of Ghent and the idea of a city today. Each cluster has its own distinct atmosphere and touches upon a specific issue like mobility, religion, migration, economy, language, science, and city changes. TRACK invites the audience to explore the exhibition in various ways. Visitors do not have to follow a given linear trail but are free to choose their own personal TRACK through the clusters and the city. Each visitor thus creates a different kind of narration, based on his or her background and the way they are approaching the exhibition. This free and multi-layered perception corresponds to our globalised world and the idea of plural realities happening at the same time. TRACK is welcoming everybody to visit the exhibition and to be inspired by the visionary potential of art. TRACK was initiated by S.M.A.K. It continues the tradition established by the large-scale exhibition projects Chambres d’Amis (1986) and Over the Edges (2000), which installed contemporary art in the context of the city and entered into direct dialogue with the public. Participating artists Adelita Husni-Bey, Ahmet Öğüt, Alexandra Bachzetsis, Alon Levin, Bart Lodewijks, Benjamin Verdonck, Christina Hemauer & Roman Keller, Christoph Büchel, Cyprien Gaillard, Danh Vo, Emilio Lopez-Menchero, Erik van Lieshout, Erwan Mahéo, Javier Téllez, John Bock, Lara Almarcegui, Lawrence Weiner, Leo Copers, Lonnie van Brummelen & Siebren de Haan, Mark Manders, Massimo Bartolini, Mekhitar Garabedian, Michaël Borremans, Michaël Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset, Mike Bouchet, Mircea Cantor, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Pawel Althamer, Peter Buggenhout, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Pilvi Takala, Simona Denicolai & Ivo Provoost, Superflex, Susanne Kriemann, Sven Augustijnen, Tadashi Kawamata, Tazu Rous, Tercerunquinto, Teresa Margolles, Tobias Putrih, Yorgos Sapountzis Read the TRACK Manifesto at www.track.be. Media relations Ms. Els Wuyts T +32 92 240 76 47 els@smak.be *Image above: Ahmet Öğüt, The Castle of Vooruit, 2012. Copyright S.M.A.K.

Roach Memorials: Mini monuments to our fallen, ubiquitous urban cohabitators

Reposted from: http://www.juxtapoz.com/Current/a-roach-remembered-bug-memorials

You know those people who get really mad if you step and/or kill a bug? Well, they will love the work of Minneapolis’ Carmichael Collective, who created this mini-street installation, A Roach Remembered, with the tagline: “This is a tribute to a cockroach that lived its life to the fullest. 2012 — 2012. RIP little buddy.”

Plant tags for public interpretation

Reposted from: http://www.juxtapoz.com/Street-Art/plant-style-tags-for-sidewalk-fixtures

Carmichael Collective is a company based in Minneapolis, Mn that creates projects for the sake of creativity, simple objective right? Using the same idea of plant tags, used to identify and educate about a particular specimen, but using them on everyday sidewalk fixtures we are all familiar with. Apparently from the information on these tags, all these objects are ok in varying degrees of the sun! ] ]]

Jim Ricks’ Bouncy Dolmen

At first it’s a platform for laughter, play and utterances of the word “brilliant!”, but Jim Ricks’ Bouncy Dolmen project also points towards a perhaps underutilized tool in the creative mediation of heritage – play and humor. If only giving a whimsical full-body tactile engagement with a somewhat simplified formal representation of the iconic dolmen at Poulnabroune in the Burren Co. Clare, it satisfies some urge for permissible play with our canon of cultural monuments. (More info here: http://www.jimricks.info/bouncydolmen.html)

This of course also brings us to Jeremy Deller’s newest project for London’s Cultural Olympiad – the bouncy Stonehenge which recently made the headlines when it was unveiled in his native Glasgow: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2012/may/02/bouncy-stonehenge-glasgow

Out of Sth – Changing perceptions of city space

April 23, 2012
BWA Wrocław	Follow us
Projektor Group, 2012.
OUT OF STH vol.3 www.bwa.wroc.pl www.outofsth.org	Share
OUT OF STH vol.3 is yet another stage of the internationally acclaimed, award-winning projects: External Artists.Out of Sth andOUT OF STH presents (2008, 2010), carried out in BWA Wroclaw and city space. This time the project includes exhibitions, realizations and activities concentrating on the issue of the City in its social and political dimension, City as a source of counter-cultural and alternative aspects of street activism, whose idea annexes new spheres of culture. OUT OF STH vol.3 is a multi-layered interactive event aiming to change the perception and co-existence of art in city space, within the trends of contemporary visual art, through the presentation of a spectrum of aesthetics, techniques, and media, as well as its permeation into mass design. It is a broad presentation of work of artists tackling urban themes, a new definition and function of the city, common public space, urban design, complimented by music events, performances, meetings, workshops and lectures, during which the artists will be sharing their visions of the city and the unique aesthetics thanks to which art beyond gallery space has drawn the attention not only of urban rebels. Awangarda Gallery, BWA Wrocław, PL 30 April–17 June 2012 Les Fleurs du Mal – New Art From London The project refers to the political idea of the City, the role played by space and spontaneous, structuralized ludic transactions in its origin, integration or modification. The exhibition presents new art from London referring directly to public space, which is a platform for alternative political strategies and open thought systems. -Edwin Burdis, Tod Hanson, kennardphillipps, Kieron Livingstone&Ian Allison, Emily McMehen, Laura Oldfield Ford, The People Speak/Talkaoke, Max Reeves, Clunie Reid, John Russell, Francis Thorburn, Ruth Evan, Liam Gillick, Pil & Galia Kollectiv, Tai Shani, Gavin Turk, Bob&Roberta Smith, Ben Eine, Sarah Baker, Olaf Brzeski, Antoni Wajda curator: Cedar Lewisohn Free Ride Art Space – bike exhibition The cycling culture is one of the most vital activities of urban streets, and the bicycle itself – a sign of the times, symbol of the post-modern era and an alternative use of the city. Exercise in the physical sense becomes activism, a new way of life resembling social movement, pro-equality, pacifist even – “Bikes Not Bombs”! The contemporary-art exhibition presents works of artists from France, Germany, USA, Britain and Italy, all referring to the phenomenon of the cycling movement. -Martin Caminiti, Kevin Cyr, Alain Delorme, Laurent Duthion, Joshua Frankel, Max Knight, Damien Leblon, Benedict Radcliffe, The Pit, Yann R’Cycle, Philip Symonds, Cédric Viollet, curator: Blandine Roselle CITY ZONE 25 May–24 June 2012 The city–experimentally. Cities as sources of counter-cultural and alternative aspects of street activism, as ideas annexing new spheres of culture. The city which in its social and political dimension requires redefining its significance in the light of the communication and information leap which has permanently changed the face of world economy and politics in the times of intensive urbanization. Who does the city belong to today? Are blocks of flats only bad? What is the role of art in the process of gentrification? Does public space exist? Do we really need it? Or is it perhaps as anachronistic as mediaeval market squares around town halls? The project is a form of urban facelift, both mental and visual. It is an experiment which contests the absurd status quo, at the same time reminding that the city is Ours, yours and mine, and all the necessary tools are widely available. Ex: City BNNT, Rafał Czajka, Magda Drobczyk, Ekta, Piotr Flądro, TRUTH, ŁuhuuGroup, Hello Monsters, Jacek Jankowski, Jerzy Kosałka, Olivier Stak, Paweł Kowzan, Maciej Kurak, The Kurws, Piotr Łakomy, Grzegorz Łoźnikow, Russel Maurice, Mudwig, Sickboy, Maciej Salamon, ZBK Re: Design Łukasz Paluch, Edgar Bąk, Jakub Jezierski, Jura Kaniewski, Aleksandra Niepsuj, Projektor Group,  Hakobo, Vova Vorotniov, Olek Modzelewski Neighbours Basia Bańda, Olaf Brzeski, Coxie, Egon Fietke, Otecki, Ola Kubiak, Beata Rojek, Rafał Wilk, Krzysztof Żwirblis curators: Joanna Stembalska, Sławek Czajkowski ZBK BWA Wroclaw Galleries of Contemporary Art, Poland www.bwa.wroc.pl www.outofsth.org

Hamburg’s Trashcam Project

Hamburg´s garbagemen create portraits of their city in the Trashcam Project – with their garbage containers. Standard 1.100 litre containers are transformed to giant pinhole cameras. With these cameras the binmen take pictures of their favourite places to show the beauty and the changes of the city they keep clean every day.

The Trashcam Project was developed by Christoph Blaschke, Mirko Derpmann, Scholz & Friends Berlin and the Hamburg sanitation department. Special thanks to Hamburg based photographer Matthias Hewing (www.matthiashewing.de/) for his professional advice and the challenging lab work with the giant negatives.

See images from the project here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetrashcamproject/

MetropolisM

Metropolis M No. 1 out now www.metropolism.com	Share
NEW DESIGN Metropolis M is totally new: more news, more current events and tips, more attention to the pressing questions in the world of art and design, and more reviews in every issue about the most important exhibitions of the preceding months. All of this in a brand-new design by the Rotterdam design studio, 75B.Future Museum: Public or Private? What does the future hold for public museums in times of budget cuts? The call for support from private collectors rings loud, but they are increasingly choosing to show their collections in private museums they build themselves. Metropolis M looks at three different positions, from the public Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, the private and public collaboration of the Deichtorhallen and the Sammlung Falckenberg in Hamburg, and the completely private Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania. The differences are striking. Seth Siegelaub’s Textiles Collection This famous promoter of conceptual art is stepping forward with his extensive and eclectic collection of textiles. A conversation in association with his first textiles exhibition at Raven Row in London. Interview: Patrick Van Caeckenbergh Belgian artist Patrick Van Caeckenbergh talks about his obsession for collecting, the literary figures who inspire him and his exhibition at Museum M in Leuven. ¡Mexico! Mexico is the land of an exceptionally successful generation of young artists who have swarmed out over the globe. Moosje Goosen takes stock by way of a major exhibition in Paris. Sarah van Sonsbeeck A portrait of a talented Dutch artist engaged in visualizing silence and making us aware of how we miss it.  Column: Tirdad Zolghadr Metropolis M columnist Tirdad Zolghadr looks at historical combinations of adventurousness and barbarism, as a refreshing option for an encounter with our art institutions.  And further (Dutch only): Performance artists Matthew Lutz-Kinoy and Snejanka Mihaylova; an interview with Defne Ayas, the new director of Witte de With in Rotterdam; Ann Demeester on elitist language; reviews of the Mercosul Biennial; Morgan Fisher in Mönchengladbach, Okwui Enwezor’s Meeting Points in Brussels, Valéry Proust Museumin Oostende, Morgan Betz in Amsterdam and much more. Metropolis M @ ARCOmadrid Metropolis M reports live from the art fair ARCOmadrid, from 15–19 February. Find daily updates onmetropolism.com and special columns by Han Nefkens, Lars Bang Larsen, Darío Corbeira, Fulya Erdemci and the Metropolis M editors.  Metropolis M Books We proudly present our first independent book publication, Yew, Wow, Totally, Pointful, an in-depth conversation between artist Melvin Moti and the art critic and researcher, Vivian Sky Rehberg. The publication is available through our online store. Metropolis M is a bimonthly, bilingual magazine on contemporary art (NL/EN) based in the Netherlands. Metropolis M is available at shops and museums across Europe and can be purchased at our online store.