Call for Artwork: Geographies of Co-Production in the Arts: Artists, Communities and the City

Exhibition: Call for Artwork

Annual International Conference, London, 26-29 August 2014
Royal Geographical Society (RGS) with Institute of British Geographers (IBG)
1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR

 

Curators and organisers

Dr Saskia Warren & Dr Martin Zebracki

University of Birmingham & University of Leeds

 

This exhibition at the largest annual Geography conference in the UK offers a visual and material counterpoint to themes revolving around the critical roles of artists and communities in the context of contemporary urban public art and its geographies of co-production. The exhibition showcases participatory and experimental methods and materials used by selected artists, displayed alongside a visual documentation of events, performances and happenings, which attend to both community-orientated and community-led practices in the city.

Showcased public-art projects include: Simon Pope’s Forwards Back Together and Balsall Heath Biennale (Birmingham). In distinctive ways, these projects critically reveal the complexities of using public-art forms in promoting a sense of place, common ground and shared identity, or their antipodes.

We are, moreover, inviting submissions on the basis of which we select max. 2 projects that engage with the potentials and challenges of the mediating roles of artists and communities in urban public art. In particular, we are interested in projects that seek to address artistic co-production in urban public space along lines of cultural diversity and empowerment, social inclusion and critical intervention.

Materials on display are likely to involve: ‘place-marketing’ bin-liners, bags and T-shirts; consultation documents; a limited edition performance script; and photographs. We also curate a virtual exhibition that may comprise, amongst other materials: a radio broadcast; short films; and a fuller documentation of the projects.

If you want to participate please prepare:
i) A max. 300-word bio.
ii) A max. 300-word statement of interest: why are you interested in participating? How does your artwork compliment or add new layers to the proposed exhibition?
iii) A max. 300-word outline of work you are proposing to present, including any details of materials or technology necessary for its curation.
iv) Images and/or any web links to the artwork (where appropriate).

Please send this by 20 June 2014 to both Dr Saskia Warren at S.Warren AT bham.ac.uk and Dr Martin Zebracki at M.M.Zebracki AT leeds.ac.uk

The exhibition is enabled by support of the RGS-IBG, AHRC/Cultural Intermediation, Ludus Festival, Simon Pope, Chris Poolman and Liz Rowe (AKA Balsall Heath Biennale).

 

Also visit our virtual exhibition at artinpublicspace.net – Virtual Museum.

 

Contact

Dr Saskia Warren & Dr Martin Zebracki

S.Warren AT bham.ac.uk & M.M.Zebracki AT leeds.ac.uk