Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Arts University Bournemouth
Group Exhibition: Chasing Sputnik held 21 September - 23 November 2013
This was a Group Exhibition led by Tom Hall and contemporary British artists Roy Brown and Julia Flatman in response to the former rocket testing facility of the British Space Program at High Down on the Isle of Wight, now a National Trust Heritage Site. It was supported by a Grant for the Arts awarded by Arts Council England and held at Quay Arts, Newport, Isle of Wight - www.quayarts.org/
Research Imperatives
The research questions focused around visual language and the enrichment of public understanding. Can a visual language be developed which describes the unglamorous remains of Cold War architecture? Can a new lexicon be developed which engages, enhances and broadens the knowledge and understanding of the public in ‘near history’ sites.
Research Process
The research was conducted in three phases and examined the ways in which the British experience of space has been portrayed; it explored how it has seeped into public consciousness through design, literature and entertainment.
An exploratory phase comprised a public discussion on the future roles the arts might have in public interpretation of heritage sites entitled When ‘Space’ becomes Place, Chaired by Gill Nicol, artSOUTH Engagement Programmer and held at Quay Arts, Newport, Isle of Wight.
The exhibition showcased a significant body of new works to articulate the ideas developed in the discussion and to engage new audiences in the history of the site.
Finally, the dissemination phase brought the project to a wider audience who might not have been used to using art as an interpretative tool; this included a publication, a WordPress blog and six radio works commissioned by recent graduates.
Portfolio
Paper:
(i) Copy of invitation to When ‘Space’ Becomes Place
(ii) Exhibition flyer and artSouth guide
(iii) Publication
CD:
(i) Images of the exhibition
(ii) Radio Commissions
(iii) Transcript and images from When ‘Space’ becomes Place discussion
(iv) Blog - http://chasingsputnik.com/
