recent work

NUrope X:II

art, recent work, teaching, time-out

sketchbook pages; graphite pencil on paper, ca 30 x 20 cms each

As the “China goes Europe” oasis proceeds, a number of European artists, curators, academics and business people share their views on China. Nomad and artist Stella Fajerson adequately asks for the complementary perspective, but the Chinese persons involved are mainly invited to give their view on how Europeans could understand the Chinese mind – not their own European experiences.

Looking back, this appears as a want. Maybe this oasis serves just to prepare a common ground. Maybe it takes another one to actually address the theme.

The most significant experience to me was a short exchange on the subject of modesty and self-confidence.

modesty – self-confidence

NUrope X:I

art, recent work, teaching

During the presentations, I sit with my sketchbook open; making some quick drawings of people’s postures, hands, moves… as habitual. Afterwards, somebody approaches me and by gestures asks for the book. I lend it to him, and he turns the page to draw my portrait on it.

Next day, the programme goes on with a couple of lectures on the post-colonial theme. While opening the sketchbook, I hear the speaker say “How can we describe the other?”
Well, that question alone doesn’t seem functional any more; it was necessary, yes, and now it’s time to move on.

master narrative

catch-up

art, recent work, time-out

from Graz

From teaching and workshops in the city of Södertälje in mid-March, to Graz where the tenth oasis of NUrope took place. Back in Sweden just in time for spring’s arrival by Easter, then another short visit to Åbo/Turku.

NUrope X was dedicated to the theme of China goes Europe; lectures, workshops, encounters, walking and talking… and this is some of what I saw in the city of Graz.

The recent weeks, or months, have brought on a marked change, as a larger portion of my working time becomes tuned in the communicative field. Surprisingly (or not), this adds importance to the hours spent in the atelier.


Interplay at the ECP III

art, recent work

Early Saturday morning; la Gioconda smiles at me from the shower curtain.

Yesterday, two more nomads of the Nomadic University generously accepted to join the performance, so now only the Arabic voice is missing.

The ECP session begins at 9 am. After a week or more with overcast sky, the sun shines in through the large side window at Artisten. A loose in the programme; I take the opportunity to call for an Arabic speaking person in the audience, and yes – there is actually one.  He accepts to participate. By now, there are quite a number of persons involved – all open, generous, sincere and courageous.

Interplay at the ECP II

art, recent work

    preparations; stretching the fabric, attaching plummets and placing the screens onstage

The venue for this session is Artisten, Academy of Music and Drama at Gothenburg University.

I spend Thursday night and early Friday morning checking out material conditions; there are eight screens measuring 1,15 x 2,90 metres available – splendid! the black sheets will fit perfectly on them.
And the plummets will hang from plastic pipes nailed to the top edges. Anders, technician at Artisten, provides me with everything I need, and preparations run smoothly.
But then there’s the human factor. We will need some time to rehearse. And in fact, I do not know who will read the Italian, Finnish and Arabic versions yet. Or, if the Russian voice will arrive in time tomorrow.

As Tooticky points out, ‘everything is very insecure… which is exactly what soothens me’.

Interplay at the ECP I

art, recent work

backstage at Artisten, Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg

At the NUrope oasis in Åbo/Turku, June 2009, I staged a two-part workshop named Image upon the wall.
In late September, I was asked to do it again at the ECP session in Gothenburg, December 11th to 13th – as a performance within the NUrope presentation.

The performance, being the visualization of an actual process involving a number of people, then had to be literally re-created; re-thinking the concept, re-calling cooperation partners, re-newing the framing and re-writing the text.

Last Thursday, I took a train to Gothenburg, bringing a box of white chalks, four black cotton bedsheets, five plummets and a text rendered in five languages, printed out in three copies each.