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Artist in Residence: Chrissie
Weedall
Exhibition: 'There's No Simulation Like Home' by Artist Paul Sermon
Host Gallery: Fabrica Gallery Brighton and Hastings Art Gallery and
Museum
Introduction: The final report is an evaluation of my experience as
artist in residence through the six week duration of artist Paul Sermon's
exhibition; 'There's No Simulation Like Home'. The residency was divided
between two gallery settings, Mondays and Tuesdays spent at the Fabrica
Gallery in Brighton, and Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at Hastings
Art Gallery and Museum. Originally the two gallery spaces were to be
linked via teleconferencing ISDN lines in order to create an interactive
link between gallery visitors in two remote locations. Unfortunately
this was not possible, therefore in effect the residency post created
some mediation between the two galleries hosting Paul Sermon's exhibition.
The Brief:
I was asked to create an arts based project for exhibition on the Internet.
This piece of work would be in response to collaboration with gallery
visitors. It was suggested that the website project should act as a
focal point for gallery visitors to explore their experiences on visiting
the exhibition and also as a means of working creatively with a digital
artist using a computer. Although the creation of a collaborative piece
of work was essential to the success of the residency, it was to take
secondary priority to that of an educational role. The primary target
of this role being to promote and encourage discussion and participation
from the audience throughout the exhibition in addition to liasing with
gallery staff to design and organise workshops and demonstrations for
gallery visitors and organised group tours.
Preparation:
Research and Development: From the offset it was important to identify
possible challenges that could arise from this unique dual residency.
Two weeks before the residency was due to commence I spoke to both exhibition
co-ordinators of the host galleries. I felt it was imperative to view
the gallery space, the facilities offered and to discuss any expectations
or concerns regarding my work. The first compromise emerged when I discovered
that there was no means for me to be connected to the Internet from
my workstation in either gallery space - as the only phone line was
used for administrative purposes. This was a serious issue in context
to the specification of my finished piece of work as an internet based
project. Once identified I managed to find ways around this problem.
Nevertheless, my work methods were seriously compromised and needed
to be reconsidered.
The original idea had been to create an email link between the two gallery
spaces and this, of course, needed to be re-addressed. In addition to
this, the very fact that I would be working between two gallery spaces
and therefore with two audiences, indicated a need to be very organised
with my filing system and structure in order to be able to transport
work on disk and to constantly update files from one workstation to
another. It was apparent within the first week that I would need a reasonably
structured method of creating in order to plan and manage my time and
to have a clear focus for setting up demonstrations and workshops. The
fact that I had been asked to create a website posed its own unique
challenges. I developed my website building skills as I went along,
using software programmes such as Dreamweaver with which I had little
experience of using previously. Necessity is without doubt the best
teacher. Working on a web-based project also dictates to some extent
a need to impose structure from the start, as issues of navigation,
size, context and interface design are also necessary points for consideration
in order for a site to work efficiently. This created a pressure early
on in the residency forcing me to form a closure of ideas quite quickly.
Under normal circumstances I might have been more open to exploring
possibilities but had instead to work within limitations of website
design, which added interesting challenges to the residency. A project
with an Internet shelf life would also need to stand up to exhibition
well after the residency had finished and carry its own weight and value.
It was also evident that the two separate host galleries had very unique
and contrasting reputations, audiences and aims. It was important for
myself as resident artist to identify these differences and to act accordingly
rather than treating the residency as uniform. The Fabrica Gallery has
gained a strong reputation for itís pioneering approach to contemporary
art and new technologies, supporting a strong ethos in promoting discussion
and education. Fabrica has an established group of both payed and voluntary
staff who are present throughout exhibitions to inform audiences about
work and, where appropriate, to interact with the work. Therefore, my
role as educational officer was perhaps not as essential as it was in
Hastings Art Gallery and Museum. The reputation of Hastings as an Art
Gallery was far more traditional in its approach. Contemporary Art Exhibitions
using new media were quite challenging to audiences here, according
to staff at Hastings Art Gallery and Museum. There was a note of uncertainty
as to how the exhibition 'There's No Simulation Like Home' would be
received. Although exhibition co-ordinator, Helen Mears, is keen to
promote a more contemporary feel for future exhibitions, she stressed
quite early on that my presence as artist in residence would be best
spent by addressing the public about the exhibition, raising points
for debate and generally encouraging visitors to interact with the work.
Other issues which I acknowledged in creating a piece of work with gallery
users in a public gallery setting were: finding methods for individuals
to connect with the work, to capture their interest and to make the
work more relevant to the public in some way. It was also essential
to link the work in a coherent way to issues related to Paul Sermon's
exhibition so that the work could serve as a continuation of the debate,
a platform for exploring issues raised by Paul Sermon's work. I also
needed to relate the piece to the two individual environments at Hastings
Museum and Fabrica Art Gallery.
If the work was to be a collaborative method of construction, it was
important for me to adopt a method of anchoring all the elements together
so that it would work as a whole piece rather than as disjointed, sporadic
elements. Creating a work environment where everybody could participate
if they wished to was essential. In Fabrica, numerous people would often
pass through the gallery space during their lunch hour, making a fleeting
visit to the exhibition, whilst in Hastings often the public had made
a specific effort to get to the museum and would tend to stay for a
reasonable period of time. Accessibility had to cater for all types
of gallery visitors.
The Residency:
Inspirations and Observations.
I wanted the workshops and creative project to relate to the individual
gallery settings and related issues surrounding the exhibition 'There's
No Simulation Like Home', and to the direct experiences of gallery visitors
to the exhibition. The preparatory week before my residency was spent
assisting with setting up the exhibition structure. This was an ideal
opportunity to get to know staff and volunteers and to generally familiarise
myself with the set up. This was also a good opportunity for me to spend
time with Paul Sermon -although tight deadlines and heavy workloads
meant that we actually had very little time to discuss his work and
ideas I had regarding the residency project. In addition to the problems
regarding time, Paul Sermon was strongly adverse to the idea that exhibition
staff from either gallery should take on the role of mediator between
gallery visitors and issues relating to his work. From the few conversations
we had, Paul expressed reluctance for myself or other gallery staff
to feel the need to interpret or translate the concepts of his work
to gallery visitors in his absence. Paul believes that onlookers and
participants should be permitted to evaluate the work alone and he expressed
the opinion that exhibition organisers often feel the need to explain
work using interaction or new technology rather than letting participants
make up their own minds and explore work for themselves. I agree that
Paul Sermon has a very valid point. There is often a tendency to step
in and demystify the technology and perhaps therefore remove the powerful
element of first hand experience from the work.
At first I felt awkward about balancing the wishes of the artist with
my designated brief as an educational facilitator. However, this provided
me with an opportunity for exploring and reflecting the broader issues
relating to Paul's work within my own website project. I could use the
residency and my own work to engage with visitors about these very issues.
Throughout the first and second week of my residency I was able to observe
gallery visitors interacting with the exhibition and to participate
with them. This generally led to some form of discussion about their
feelings and experiences relating to interaction with others within
the gallery space. Although this was perhaps not such an unexpected
experience for visitors at Fabrica, this was certainly quite a new and
challenging aspect of the exhibition at Hastings. Visitors expressed
feeling disorientated within the simulated rooms and questioning what
was real and what was illusion. A real sense of performance developed
between visitors participating within the exhibition space.
Within a short space of time it became apparent that common themes were
being shared and experienced, especially those issues concerning rules
and boundaries. Issues such as: codes of conduct; what behaviour is
acceptable and unacceptable upon interacting with one another - particularly
with strangers. Whether within the real world context or through virtual
screen contact - boundaries and rules were a big issue. Many people
seemed to experience feeling 'out of character'- bending their own personal
rules around social codes of conduct, experiencing delight in the exchange
between their own ëscreen bodyí and that of a strangers
ëscreen bodyí. Others felt inhibited and restricted or uncomfortable
with the interaction.
Whilst some people stayed in the simulated home space for a length of
time, making themselves literally at home, often returning to visit
the exhibition numerous times. Others commented on the simulated home
feeling cold and lacking any 'lived in' atmosphere or human quality
without people in the space, finding it characterless, and therefore
impersonalised.
One element that struck me was that, although many people would pass
through the space and many human interactions were occurring, there
was little indication of human presence and interaction at the end of
each day. Apart from dust and the odd human footprint on the sofa or
floor, there was nothing left behind of the human presence that had
been so evident during the day (with the obvious exception of the odd
item of lost property - a toy stuffed gnome, a sandwich, a letter left
on a table, a set of keys and a pair of socks). This lost property was
to lead to an idea. It was actually quite fascinating to see how, gradually,
individuals were subconsciously humanising the space.
The Concept:
The idea of providing a space on the internet for individuals to leave
some form of information about their visit to the exhibition came as
a response to this lack of human presence left in the gallery at the
end of each day. I felt that it was important for individuals who passed
through the gallery to have an opportunity to leave some form of identity
behind documented on the Internet as indication that they had passed
through the exhibition space. This seemed particularly fitting at Hastings
Art Gallery and Museum where I was surrounded in my work space by objects
once belonging to someone, largely domestic objects with histories that
seemed to hint at a story, a journey and a past of their own.
Providing this space for visitors to leave an object as a virtual representation
in a virtual place also seemed to link into issues surrounding the main
exhibition.
On talking to gallery visitors a common concern regarding digital art
and the virtual space was that such spaces were clinical, de-sanitised
spaces lacking human warmth and presence. It seemed appropriate to explore
these concerns via the internet, to represent objects touched by human
presence revealing their own histories. Object that perhaps were dirty
and worn from use and time. I wanted to create a virtual house where
one could navigate around the various rooms of the house and find objects
left by gallery visitors. As an added element to the project, I felt
it would be interesting to ask participants to donate a rule with their
object to add to a collective of virtual house rules and precisely where
in the house they would like the object to be left. Objects donated
by the visitor could be anything, preferably something which was personal
to them, as the house rule preferably would be a personalised rule.
It was apparent within the museum that rules around personal conduct
were very important. There had even been a recent debate centring around
social conduct within the museum, re-addressing old issues concerning
noise levels, not touching objects, not eating within the building and
usage of mobile phones etc. I observed that visitors are very aware
of conditioning regarding behaviour within public spaces, particularly
within public institutions. Generally, people have their own rules within
their own homes and surrounding their personal belongings and space.
I wanted to develop on this theme within my work.
Often objects and paintings in museums and art galleries are numbered
or catalogued, which I felt would be an interesting navigational device
to incorporate into the site. The objects would be contained within
the website, embedded, suspended in time like museum pieces. Broader
issues surrounding the virtual space could become a focal point for
the project - to accentuate the ongoing debate behind applying social
rules to the virtual world. Containing virtual house rules such as,
'removing your shoes before entering the home or leaving your key under
the plant pot'. Through exploring the interface of the home as a metaphor,
I hoped to highlight issues surrounding social conditioning and how
we too apply this to the virtual world, adding a nonsensical edge.
Work Method:
The work method appropriated was largely due to the equipment I had
available to me. I had access to two workstations, one based at each
gallery - each including a scanner. I had use of a digital camera for
one week. Although I had originally wanted to use video footage I had
to keep file sizes at a minimum and video was not appropriate as a method
of documentation under these circumstances. I used the scanner to scan
participants chosen objects (3 dimensional mostly) onto the screen.
From this point participants could experiment with their image using
PhotoShop under my guidance. It was important to devise a work method
that would be inclusive of any gallery visitor, regardless of ability,
or length of time available for them to participate. I was aware that
some visitors to the Fabrica Gallery would literally pass through during
their lunch hour, so I wanted a method of work which would not depend
on participants spending lengths of time at the work station. During
my residency I received bookings from community organisations to participate
in 'digital' workshop sessions, therefore I had to cater for groups
of varying abilities and age groups.
Workshops: These provided an excellent source for participants to connect
with the project in a personal way and also enabled visitors to use
the technology at hand. For many participants this was a new experience
and a useful introduction to digital image making and to experience
working with a digital artist in creating a piece of work. Groups from
various schools, institutions and organisations arranged visits and
worked with me to create the collaborative website. This also allowed
people to spend as much time as they wished in creating the imagery.
Through this method of work I was able to build relationships with gallery
visitors. Within both galleries, there were participants who made regular
visits to see the progression of the site and to discuss how the work
should be developed. In this instance the project became a link for
continued contact between visitors and the two host galleries. A good
rapport was established with the audience in addition to creating a
focus for debate and collaboration. The method of work was inclusive
of most abilities and ages, helping to demystify the technology used
and also the creative process.
Evaluation of the Residency:
Creating the website:
The creation of the site certainly became a focal point for visitors
in both galleries. Whether as a topic of conversation leading to other
related issues such as the internet, television, technology in the home,
the creative process or as a means to use the computer software packages
to create a piece of work with an artist - the creation of the website
has been a definite success in these terms.
I feel I became an anchor point for discussion about the exhibition.
Many people returned to see how the work was progressing. At the Hastings
gallery I developed a rapport with two families who became regular visitors
and contributors to the site. It was a good opportunity for the parents
to learn more about creating websites, as often the generation gap dictates
an obvious divide between children and parents where knowledge of computing
and the Internet are concerned. Working on the site was an enjoyable
way of bridging the gap and providing learning incentives. Parents often
connected with the work through their children. At Fabrica, I made good
contacts with a whole variety of visitors and I made some collaborative
connections with other practising artists who shared an interest in
digital media and in translating their own ideas via this medium. On
completion of the residency I have received emails and messages from
collaborators from both gallery locations asking for details about the
website address and looking forward to seeing their work online.
This is undoubtedly a real advantage of creating internet based work
as it is accessible to a wide audience. Through one of the group tours
organised at Hastings Museum, a group of international language students
came to work on the site, many will be able to view the site wherever
they are based in the world. Also a visiting sixth form college from
Brighton expressed interest in developing the themes of the web project
through use of the internet for a school project. The residency was
successful in helping to forge relationships between the two galleries
and their respective communities.
As a counter balance to all the positivity, it must be said that the
residency has not been without its complications. Dividing time between
two gallery spaces has, at times, felt like split loyalties. In such
a large and busy gallery as Fabrica, two days per week provided me with
little time to build a strong base there.
Website development can be a restrictive way of workings as structure
and organisation is essential. This can cut time in which to develop
ideas. Maintaining a sense of control over the website was also an issue
as the work was constantly evolving and growing and I had to implement
quality control, deciding what to use and what to omit, which felt conflictive
with the collaborative spirit.
Technically it was unfortunate not to have an internet connection in
either gallery space as many participants offered to email images to
me for inclusion to the website. My workstation at Fabrica was extremely
impractical due to lack of RAM resulting in untimely crashes and complications.
It was impossible to open Dreamweaver and the internet browser at the
same time which is an essential requirement for internet design work.
The quality of the computer was a hindrance to the overall construction
of the project. Six weeks also felt like such a limited time in which
to fulfil all of the requirements of the residency. Now that certain
relationships have been forged and the outreach development has created
interesting spin-offs within the community, it seems a shame not to
have means for extending the progression of the work as it has taken
time to establish these contacts.
Toward the end of the residency there was a slight feeling of anticlimax
to the positive atmosphere as the future of the Fabrica gallery is uncertain.
Unless sufficient funding can be found then the gallery may not reopen
in the spring. I had a privileged position as Artist in Residence at
the gallery, as I experienced first hand the amazing source of cultural
activity Fabrica provides in Brighton. The diversity and accessibility
to contemporary art exhibitions, exhibiting international and local
artists, in my opinion no equivalent gallery exists in Brighton. The
educational policy that Fabrica supports has made my residency far easier
and more enjoyable. It provides a cultural beacon in the centre of Brighton.
As a digital artist I have developed my skills as a website designer
and have increased my employability. Through the contacts I have made
over the residency period I have received potential offers for work
in website design. I have also been approached by organisations regarding
other residency projects and have made professional contacts with other
artists and arts based organisations.
It has been an empowering experience, helping me to develop professional
skills which will assist me to fund and support my own art practise.
I have found making a collaborative piece an incredibly valuable way
of working, providing an opportunity to engage with a potential audience
and to receive feedback and inspiration. The collaborative work has
been a welcome reprieve from the solitude of working singularly behind
my workstation or within a studio setting. The residency has provided
a useful link between the gallery, the artist and the audience, encouraging
the flow of debate, helping to focus the gallery space as a place for
discussion, networking, collaboration and learning in addition to bringing
the issue of human presence and interaction back into focus.
It was an exciting experience to work alongside Paul Sermonís
installation which was so inspirational and positively received by audiences
at both Brighton and Hastings, providing an exciting catalyst in which
to work. Both galleries created such welcoming and supportive environments
in hosting the residency project and staff were very encouraging and
helpful.
Special thanks to Matthew Miller, Helen Mears and Sajid Fareed for making
my residency so enjoyable. I would especially like to thank Jayne Hobin
from Lighthouse and Bernhard Living from the BN1 Gallery for their continued
support and encouragement and for giving me this opportunity.
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