Charles & Tristan return from Calgary

Charles and Tristan returned to the studio this week after a successful trip to Calgary where they presented the research developed during the Watershed+ (formerly known as the Visual Language Project) design team workshop held last month at the Sans façon studio. The presentations received an overwhelming positive response, and further development work will continue into the new year.

Whilst there, design work continued with their collaborative partners on the Vanishing Pond for Laycock Park.

ID BARRI Presents Històries i llocs

In 2007, Indensitat commissioned us to develop a piece of work in the renowned Spanish wine producing region, Priorat. The result was Històries i llocs: 'sites and stories'. Engagement with the local community yielded a range of personal anecdotes illustrating something of social landscape of the area. Sections of these stories were printed as labels and attached to bottles produced from local grapes.

The wine has matured and is now ready drink. ID BARRI will present the project and wine tasting at 8.30pm, Friday 4 December, The Chapel, Carrer Hospital, 56 08001 Barcelona.


IDENSITAT is an art project developed with the will of providing mechanisms for the articulation of creative projects in the field of public space and related to the territory. The goal is to stimulate creative practices which experiment with new ways of social engagement and participation, connected to already existing practices and dynamics in the territory. For further information please go to www.idensitat.org

Bridge workshop

As part of our work for the pedestrian bridge in Charmouth (being designed in collaboration with the engineers from DEC) we conducted a bridge building workshop with children from the local primary school. After a short introduction to bridges and to the existing footbridge, the year 6 children designed and built their own bridges with drinking straws and tape. The designs were very varied and impressive, ranging from the very strong to the amazingly minimal and beautiful.

Glasgow and Edinburgh workshop

Last week was 4 days of workshop in the studio with our team for the "formerly known as the Visual Language" Project, 3 days in Glasgow and 1 day at the Geography department in Edinburgh (thanks to Eric for organising it). Quite an intense series of discussions and huge leaps forward.
It is so exciting and fascinating to follow the discussions between 3 artists, an architect, a geographer, a graphic designer and a project manager, all working in the same direction and building up the project together.

Cube Open 09

The overall winner for 2009 is Simon le Ruez (here also), who will be exhibiting recent sculpture and neon works that are concerned with the urban built environment in their evocation of abandoned piers, bunkers, balconies, buildings and colonies. Le Ruez will be resident at CUBE during the 2010 CUBEOpen exhibition.

Highlights include site-specific drawing by artist Yuko Saito, playful painterly interventions in the city and gallery by Liverpool-based artist Brendan Lyons, cast sculptures by Ludovic Boden, sketchbook drawings by Alexandra Blum taken from the Dalston Construction series and a swimming pool.

Central station

Over the last couple of months we took part in the first steps of the new experimental online community for creative people, central station.
"Central Station is a space where artists, film-makers and designers can talk about their process, showcase their work, share tools and tip, access resources."
Emlyn, who works with us on the Visual Language Project, is one of the brains behind the project.

Kerry has been a gem looking after the whole process.

Iris Taylor Watershed walk, Laycock Park

This Sunday (20th September) will be the open house for Laycock Park (Calgary) and the launch of Iris Taylor's Watershed walk, an art work by Kay Burns created in collaboration with ourselves through UEP's Public Art Program Mentorship scheme.
If you are in town, it would be lovely to see you.
more details here

Still from one of the episode of Iris' downloadable guided walk

Artist panel

Next thursday we will be part of an artist panel discussing “What impact can/does public art have on a community?”.
Come around if you are in the area. The panel is scheduled for 5:30pm on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at the City of Calgary Water Centre (25th Avenue and Spiller Road S.E.).

The discussion is organised by The City of Calgary Public Art Program.

Fogo Island, continued 2

Fishing stage with a corner made of 2 stones, Tilting

Flake (timber walkway used as access and for drying salted fish), Tilting

Bluberry crisp, made by Joy, Joe Batt's Arm

Vegetable garden, Tilting

Store door, Tilting

Porpoise tails, Barr'd Islands

Tilting

Joe Batt's Arm

Barr'd Islands

CUBEOpen 09

Next month we'll be part of the selection panel for the Cube Open 09.



"This is an opportunity for artists and architects to explore exciting relationships with their contemporary surroundings. Selected entrants are exhibited in the gallery and three prize winners will be chosen. The overall winner is offered a residency placement at CUBE."

Fogo Island, continued

Fishing stage in Deep Bay
Caribous
Door handle on Aidan's stage, Joe Batt's Arm
Inside Aidan's stage, listing the previous years caribou hunts, Joe Batt's Arm
Salted cod drying on the flakes, Joe Batt's Arm

Walden on tour

The new performances of Walden had great responses from the press (nice review in the list) and from the audience.
It finishes on Saturday in the Edinburgh Fringe, then will be touring in September and October (dates here).

The set in The Dovecot in Edinburgh, pictures by Nick Bone

Fogo island project

We are documenting some of our ongoing project / research in Fogo Island in another blog: http://fogomaps.blogspot.com/

fishing stages

The fishing stages in Fogo Island were built as a place to prepare the fish, gut it, then salt it. Most of them are still in used today. The bridge, or flakes, were also used to dry the salted cod.
Beautiful small structures, with a very light hold onto the rocks.

punts half models

The local boat building practice for the traditional rowing fishing boat, the punt, is being revived through the punt race. Some of the boat builders use "half models" of different scales and of different constructions to measure up the boats. One of the type of half model has layers held together with pegs, the other has slots in the hull in which inserted cards work as sections to scale up.

Iceberg ice

picture by Erika Irmler

In one of our visit we were offered "iceberg ice" as a drink, literally a bit of ice carved out of iceberg bits that pass by in spring and kept in the freezer.

Fogo island

We're just starting three weeks in Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada, for an art project with the Shorefast Foundation, and we'll be posting pictures as the weeks develop.

Samantha Voong

Samantha is a student on the Masters in Graphic Arts Course at the University of the West of England, and will be spending this week with us in the studio, working on her own projects and quizzing us about ours.

Walden on tour

The rehearsals for the new tour of Walden began yesterday at the Scottish Opera.
It will be performed in Glasgow at the G12 between the 13th and 15th August, then will go to the Edinburgh Fringe at the the Dovecot from the 17th untill the 29th August. It will tour throughout the UK until October.

For more information for booking, dates and venues, see Magnetic North website.

Demand Co-ordinator

We're pleased to welcome Kerry Spring as the new D.C. for Sans façon. Kerry will be splitting her time between our Glasgow studio and her London base.

Public art online

Public art online has just launched its ongoing review of Laycock Park project and Visual Language project as part of their case studies.

El dorado collaboration

We're recently back from a week developing a proposal for an art commission with El dorado Architects. Some very interesting discussions came up on the different approaches to a brief from architecture practice or art practice.
Proposal due in next week.