Hofen - home village

Below is an edited version of an ongoing email discussion between Grizedale and www.myvillages.org - a collective of artists that will be 'in residence' at Grizedale at the end of March - check their website.

For the very keen the full transcript relatively unedited is attached.

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From myvillages.org

I am also interested in international networks associated both with grizedale but also other local organisations.
How far is abroad? I remember Mr Armstrong (local farner) who had been to China before he visited London.
So people don't go to the next farm for 10 years, but go and see the Great Wall of China.

Can we add more to our own way of working, how we interact with the village of art. The things we currently do and the methods we use are :
Gathering, talking, taking pictures, making stories, trying local products, coming back on certain stories, using our own networks, flipping over to the non-cool more extrovert approach to open up spaces that we value as 'our villages'.
Using the subjective perspective in connection to bigger issues like changing landscape, local/global economies, political agendas.

What do we miss in our methods of networking?

We would like to have an official and unofficial talk with Grizedale about how
they established thier network of people and actions. Why have they separated from their history - the sense of place, the sculpture park (or is there another history that meant more to them, seemed more important or real)

And of course there is the instant attraction of making a proposal to counteract the male
expressionism so prevalant at Grizedale. It would be great if we could use the 'network ideas' to make a impression and expression of this place in a female way. I think our
giving food to the audience is already very female but there has to be more of a 'star quality' an impact.

How to star when you are in a village, what does grizedale do at
openings? Do they dress up?? Is there champagne or just beer??

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From Grizedale
I am interested in a discussion between Grizedale and myvillages, we have much in common and some definite differences, I think the differences and evolution of each of our idealogies is where I would like to start – single projects versus group activity, the art product versus no product or anti product, the art aesthetic and assumptions about art interested audience etc. There is perhaps a potential gender related discussion, your thoroughness versus the take it as it comes, wing it attitude. Certainly this year there is this clear male female axis, that reflects many issues in terms of how artists work and in what way they are of value to the wider society. It is not a straightforward issue, from the moral high ground we do not necessarily achieve a good communication or impact, and equally from the immoral high art ground we can see real benefit.

Posted by Adam Sutherland on 06/03/07 at 20:43 : 1 Comment