Something To Do With Art

Gudrun Filipska Why not use ham radio instead of WhatsApp? In this episode Gudrun Filipska tells me about the origins of her project Arts Territory Exchange (aTE) in which she provides a matchmaking service for artists in remote parts of the world to connect with eachother. She tells me how she spent years building up her followers on social media before having her account irretrievably deleted by a bot, and how she now plans to go off grid and connect via ham radio instead. Gudrun Filipska is an artist and writer whose work considers the cultural and literary associations of journeying ranging from subjects such as, road trips, Sci-fi voyages, the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH), pilgrimage, lunar exploration and the human relationship to wilderness. LINKS www.artsterritoryexchange.com

How do you build a successful contemporary arts project in one of the most remote parts of England? In this episode Alan Smith and Helen Ratcliffe tell me how (and why) they relocated from New York to the remote former mining village of Allenheads in Northumberland to set up a thriving artists' retreat. Alan also tells me about his own practice creating live events, performance and audio/video installations and I find out why he has a dislike of projects. Alan Smith and Helen Ratcliffe are founders and directors of Allenheads Contemporary Arts, whose mission is to provoke questions, encourage discussion and stimulate developments in contemporary arts practice. ACA is also home to The North Pennines Observatory. LINKS www.acart.org.uk

Should plants be included in the democratic process? In this episode conceptual artist and experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats explains why we should consider extending the political franchise, and how you might include plants (and other life forms) in our banking systems. We also discuss my visit to Silicon Valley and whether we should be concerned by the rise of technology. Acclaimed as a “poet of ideas” by The New Yorker and a “multimedia philosopher-prophet” by The Atlantic, Jonathon Keats is an artist, writer and experimental philosopher based in the United States and Europe. He is currently working on The Library of the Great Silence, a Terrestrial Center for Interstellar Research on Planetary Futures, in partnership with the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute. LINKS www.modernisminc.com/artists/Jonathon_KEATS/ www.seti.org/library-great-silence

What are Wordsworth? In this episode Dr Pip Thornton tells me how a chance encounter with Google autocorrect led her to research the world of attention economy and the value of words online. She has created works including {poem}.py and Newspeak, which feed texts including works of literature through Google's algorithmic pricing system. Pip Thornton is a Chancellor’s Fellow in GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh. Her theory and practice revolves around exploring the politics of existence in online spaces, and critiquing and making visible structures of power within the digital economy with creative methods. LINKS https://pipthornton.com https://zoomobscura.wordpress.com/

Can you make jewellery in the metaverse? In this episode Rebecca Ilett tells me how she uses jewellery to tell stories and challenge stereotypes and preconceptions. We also discuss the importance of craft, and the possibility of making physical objects in the metaverse. Rebecca Ilett is an artist and jeweller who uses adornment as a means of worn communication. She uses traditional jewellery techniques, which are technically challenging, to create works relating to ideas of stories and memories. LINKS https://www.rebeccailett.co.uk

Why collect shopping lists? In this episode Guy Bigland tells me how (and why) he uses systems, constraints and rules to create paintings, prints, books and digital media. His latest work 'All The Time In The World' lists every second of the day in standard ISO 8601 notation, and he has previously recorded four letter words, three letter acronyms, and continues to collect shopping lists. Guy also tells me about his successful online business 'Books About Art' and how his work has been acquired by national and international collections. Guy Bigland is an artist who is interested in language, systems and rules. His practice involves oversimplifying, ordering, and tidying up. LINKS https://www.guybigland.com

A short introduction to the new episodes

How do you run a gallery and keep the show on the road in challenging times? In this episode I find out what inspired Matthew to set up Backlit Gallery in 2008 and how he stays motivated to keep it running. Does he manage to find time for his own work? Matthew tells me about the dynamic between artist, curator and gallery and how the local community have become central to his thinking. This episode was recorded shortly after the final lockdown restrictions were lifted and we discuss how things might be different post-pandemic. Matthew Chesney is founder and director of Backlit Gallery, Nottingham. His work as an artist is based around performance, video and sculpture with experimental configurations of people and technologies. LINKS backlit.org.uk

In which I encounter, and attempt to discuss, a three-buttocked sculpture. Madi Acharya-Baskerville allows me a peek into her creative processes and introduces me (literally) to some of her mixed media sculptures that she has made using found objects and discarded ephemera. Our conversation ranges widely as we consider the importance of titles, a Library of Lies, being in the naughty corner at an exhibition, and the role of lunch in the creative process. We fail to find cake. Madi Acharya-Baskerville is an Asian born diasphora artist, living and working in the UK. Broadly speaking, the themes she explores in her work include environmental concerns, migration and exile and gender issues. LINKS www.madiacharya-baskerville.org

Why use old technology in the digital age? In this episode Philip Harris share his love of analogue cine media and tells me how he rescues and repairs old equipment for use in his work. We discuss digital media and why he continues to use old equipment. Through our discussion of his immersive installation River Film, it becomes apparent that far from being a nostalgia trip, his use of outdated technology is a means of engaging with and critiquing contemporary political, economic and social concerns. Philip Harris is a researcher, image maker and senior lecturer at the University of Derby, specialising most recently in analogue cine media and the creation of multiple projector installations in internal as well as external locations. LINKS https://vimeo.com/user86994981