dear all,
I introduce myself into the conversation late - sorry for the delay -
taking up the angle of residencies.
* What can be learned from the model of artist-curator residencies
within labs, where participants are expected to collaborate?
I write as someone who I think fits this model; as an artist-
organiser, taking variable roles of initiator, participant, author
and curator, according to different collaborative and cross-
disciplinary processes. In the last year I have had several
residency experiences which suggests some of the things that can be
learned, both inside and outside the 'lab'.
Today I write with one case from Chicago, see below.
In the next few days, I will write about 2 other processes: 'Cultural
Residency' models considered recently from the Latvian context. Then
also about my recent application to Kitchen Budapest media lab
(http://kitchenbudapest.hu), which promotes collaboration 'hard-
wired' into iab activity.
best regards,
andrew.
.
Exploring Mutual Aid in Chicago: Case of 'Add+PF+?'
The first example was when I was invited as a resident artist to the
'Pedagogical Factory' programme of events, at Hyde Park Art Centre
(HPAC) in Chicago, July-September 2007, with the anticipation of the
organisers that I would "develop a site specific work involving the
collecting of oral history and map making".
http://www.stockyardinstitute.org/PedagogicalFactory.html
I also was the only international (and non-Chicago resident) artist
who was present during the whole 2 month event process, so I was also
invited to take the role of 'external observer', giving feedback and
outside points of view. I was hosted by 6 different local individual
artists, activists in their own home, or several small institutions,
in 6 different neighbourhoods of the city. Although demanding,
though this method I gained a multi-faceted, multi-ethnic/cultural
perspective of the city which is still severely segregated on class
and racial terms.
After negotiation, my site-specific, community-specific project
engaged with the site and community of ‘Pedagogical Factory’
exhibition and events.. In the process, I proposed to make addition
slot(s) in the schedule each week, as part of the publically-
announced Pedagogical Factory (PF) summer schedule. I called it ‘Add
+PF+?’.
This meant that I solicited local artists/guides/teachers/presenters/
performers who felt like they have something to share, teach, show
and tell others, not yet covered in the PF programme of events. I
asked “Do you have a hobby, craft, skill, profession, inspiring
person, history that you think others can learn from? Do you
recommend someone who has something to teach but hasn’t had the
chance?”. I was offering to make extra promotion of the additional
event to the 'Pedagogical Factory' community and email list which I
gathered, and that I would document their event, by taking
photographs and audio recordings, or a reflective interview-
conversation. I shared the files with the organiser for them to use
as they wished, copyleft.
Over the period of 1 month, I received 7 responses from the very
different margins of cultural, specialist and non-professional
realms, and I promoted 2 activities of others myself, and initiated 1
event at the end of the 2 months which aimed at bringing a group of
persons together under a common theme.
I have made a PDF which illustrates the context and wiki platform I
was using to document (now offline sadly:( with one example of the
documented events: http://mlab.taik.fi/~apaterso/projects/addpf/
apaterson_addpf_2007.pdf [4.5 MB]
For some people who responded to this offer of event organising/
promotion, the extra exposure of their event/activity was important,
for some it was just fun to invite stranger(s) not yet known, for
others the documentation was useful. Pedagogical Factory exhibition
and events programme itself, was a well-respected, well-publicised,
and critically well-received project. For those involved in the same
scene, it was a good association to have.. For those not in the same
scene, it offered the potential to bring a new awareness/audience to
more marginal scenes.
In exchange, I was meeting people and learning from a local active
enthusiast, about their interests and context of doing, in a
particular neighbourhood of the city. I certainly traversed the
different boundaries of the city, and through my activity as an
outsider, informally networking myself and others also between each
other.
At the time, and afterwards, I reflected upon this activity as
’parasite organising’, positive attention, and I was interested in
exploring Peter Kropotkin's notion of mutual aid, where "the economic
concept of voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services
for mutual benefit." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_aid_(politics)
However, my 'Add+PF+?' events were only successful on a couple
occasions in enticing additional people to participate, who were not
already. There is much to be said about the human, cultural and
institutional capital behind event organising and collaborative
projects, and the related 'pulling power' of each.
I didnt have the longer-term reputation of a local organiser or
producer. I was (argued by myself) 'parasiting' upon the reptutation
of the PF organisers Jim Duignan and Daniel Tucker. The community I
was soliciting was based on theirs.. I was building and developing
from it. I treated email contacts/lists as 'open source' materials
to work with.
Furthermore, the 'lab' was not the Hyde Park Art Centre site of
Pedagogical Factory, but where-ever the respondant wished it to be.
I found this a good way to begin to be involved in the city and other
projects. It seemed to promote open-source organising. I am still
trying to figure out: what that might mean?
I'd be interested in your comments or questions.
.
Thanks,
a
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andrew gryf paterson
http://agryfp.info/
mobile [FI]: +358 50402 3828
email: [log in to unmask]
skype/AIM: agryfp
locale: Helsinki, FI
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