Week 1: Context and objectives

Site visit to Seesaw

Majority of the group were able to congregate at SEESAW on princess street. Luke was able to show us around the space, he explained the possibilities of the space and how the installation could/would work.

The basement at SEESAW is an open plan art space, some walls have exposed brick and some white plasterboard. This variation means the space is appealing to everyone as some need plain walls and others wanted to play with the exposed brick within their displays. Each wall has its own plug socket making the space more attractive as there are multiple videos works in the exhibitions and this allows us as curators more freedom when deciding the flow of works within the space.

Logistical space considerations:

• Do we need to use blackout material to cover some windows? Multiple projections and screens will need darker areas to be fully effective.
• Noise consideration of video works, how will this impact others work in terms of sound cross over?
• Fashion students discussed not using mannequins but instead suspending their garments from the ceiling on clear wire. Is this possible?
• For those attaching works to the wall what are the possibilities to do so, are we able to use hooks/command strips/other?
• How many plinths are needed?
• How much time will we have to install/de-install?
  

From this point we begin delegating jobs and everyone considered what role would suite them best, but also what they wanted to learn. 

Myself: Setting up the google drive and spreadsheet. Exhibition guide design.

Kieran: In contact with Katie and Luke at SEESAW. Organising logisticsof the space and visits to artists studios.

Cass: Instagram and online marketing. Designing initial poster and advertisements. Setting up to gofundme and its promotion.

Birce: Exhibition guide design.

Megan: Essay for the exhibition guide. Created google drive form for the artists labels and will be producing them. Knowledge base on who can print exhibition guide.

GOFUNDME

On the 28th Cass created the gofundme page: Fundraiser by Contested Territories : Contested Territories Exhibition 2023 (gofundme.com)

The expectation of this would be that everyone involved would donate £10 which would immediately get us up to a budget of around £200. We would share this between family and friends and raise money to support the creation of the exhibition guide, vinyl, marketing and installation. If possible we would also like to create a budget for refreshments on the night to give it a professional exhibition feel (by the 10th of April we had raised £280 but not everyone in the exhibition had contributed.)

Exhibition updates

Many of us were struck down by the flu this week and there was not as much progress as we would have liked in terms of organising the exhibition. However this week we did secure the space thanks to Kieran's excellent relationship with SEESAW and he ensured this would be for free as we did not have a budget at this moment in time (typically to hire it is £250). Originally we were offered the 19th of April to be as close to the original Salutation dates as possible, but it didn't feel right for everyone to go through all this effort for one day. We communicated with the artists and asked the whole group what would be preferable and it was decided to do an earlier exhibition for multiple days on the 13th and 14th of April.

Unfortunately this did mean that Alice and Kshiteeja wouldnt be present for the exhibition or its install. The curators agreed we would install however they wanted as long as we were provided instructions and we can document their work fully so they have the content for their reflective accounts.

Securing the space meant we could begin planning the exhibition and create a realistic schedule for us and the artists. It also meant we could create an online presence and begin marketing the event. SEESAW provided us with the space and marketing agreements.

Week 5 - Exhibition planning - 2nd March

During this session

To organise the exhibition we asked each artists to upload evidence of their work, an artist statement and any plans for what they intend to exhibit. This was collected through a shared google drive. We then organised it into categories and formed a spreadsheet so we could begin considering the curation of each works in the space and how they form the togetherness of the exhibition. We considered their course, themes in their work, materials, equipment they may need and space within seesaw.

We did not need finished concepts at this point, we needed basic information so we could construct a theme within 'contested territories' that also encompassed all the artists individual themes. At this point I found that organising an exhibition is itself a contested territory. As the curators we didn't want to create this hierarchy of decision making and wanted to include the artists perspectives as much as possible. Through out this process I found that it isn't always the case.

Once we had collected all the information we brainstormed the key aspects of the exhibition including title, themes, colour scheme and design elements. I have been doing this years PHAC Award, because of this I have been engaging with concepts of intangible cultural heritage and suggested to the group that the umbrella theme be intangible vs tangible works. The concepts the artists are working with are intangible, as in represented through people, and the artists have been turning them into tangible representations through their artworks. I suggested we call the exhibition IN/TANGIBLE, to represent this split between the intangible and tangible. The other curators agreed and IN/TANGIBLE was born!

Our post description:

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS we are looking for someone to design our poster and logo for this exhibition! (Voluntary) This exhibition is going ahead at Seesawspace next month so it would be a great opportunity to get your work out there  we are a student exhibition so unfortunately there is no budget for this, if you are at all interested please get back to us at mmuct2023@gmail.com

Launching night 12th April 6pm

Continuing 13th&14th April 10am-4pm

Project Title: In/Tangible

We are seeking a volunteer graphic designer to create a logo and poster for an upcoming exhibition for our Contested Territories unit, titled "In/Tangible". The exhibition explores the boundaries between the tangible and intangible borders/territories and how they intersect. We want the logo and poster to capture the essence of this theme and create an impactful visual representation of the exhibition.

1. Logo design: We are looking for a creative logo design that visually represents the theme of the exhibition.

2. Poster design: We require a poster design that includes the exhibition title, date, time, location, and any other relevant information. The poster should be attention-grabbing and visually appealing, and must be able to effectively communicate the theme of the exhibition.

Design Elements:

1. Color scheme: We are open to a wide range of colors however the colour palette we are going for includes earth tones, burnt oranges, terracotta, and similar tones. The color scheme should be cohesive and should complement the exhibition theme.

2. Typography: The typography should be legible and visually appealing. We recommend using a sans-serif font that is modern and easy to read.

3. Imagery: The imagery should be visually striking and must be relevant to the exhibition theme.

Deadline for submissions is March 15, 2023.

Please send your any questions you might have and final submissions to: mmuct2023@gmail.com

Week 6 - Joe Duffy - 9th March

Guest lecturer Joe Duffy give a seminar about his practice. Senior Lecturer BA (Hons) Filmmaking and International Lead for SODA.

His practice engages with analogue and emergent technologies around moving image/screen/mark-making/mapping and storytelling. perform stories to relay embedded narratives of traumatic landscapes and investigate an immersive sensory potential of experiencing and encountering place. Current research is centred around Cillini sites in Ireland and exploring the use of VR and shared experiences of infant loss in order to transform them into empowered healing spaces. Duffy is the international lead for SODA and facilitates opportunities to connect globally via the development of partnerships, projects, staff and student mobility.

Key to Joe's seminar was his discussion of his process and practice of making. When explaining his methods he discussed the possibilities of film, its ability to be tactile and physically transformed with human, physical interferences. Such as cello-taping film to his shoes and then continuing to walk for the rest of the day. Scratched, scuffed and chafed he then could re-print his images with their new narratives.



What I liked about his work is his ability to combine new digital technologies with a traditional concepts of art. For example, Ordos Star (2020), is a GPS animation of a performative walk around a public park in Ordos, Outer Mongolia. Much of Joe's work has a painterly quality or concept. Traditional landscape art, whether that's cityscapes or landscapes, like the Ordos Star, have been transformed into a contemporary concept of art through use of current digital technologies.

Oslo Traces (2013)

Exhibition design elements

We tried to spread the open call for graphic designers as wide as possible but we only received this one submission. Between us we decided it didnt really represent what we wanted, it seemed too complex and wasnt visually appealing. and we didnt like the inclusion of the blue either as we had specified earth tones, orange, brown etc. The text all being crammed in the bottom corner meant it was hard to read any of the details and the colour meant it was generally hard to read. We wanted to poster to be simple and accessible to appeal to a wide audience and be eye catching. The exercise of the open call was a good experience and meant we were able to calculate a contact list at least. The positive of this poster was it showed us everything we didnt want it to be and so we decided to design one ourselves. Using the first poster Cass had designed so we could begin our social media presence, myself and Birce created a colour scheme.

Original posters by Cass ^

Red Haired Man, Lucian Freud (1960-61)

As we wanted the poster to include all of these elements, most importantly representing the artists I decided to have a go at designing a poster using an artists works. I considered and experimented with pieces from Graci and Jess, before deciding to use this piece from Lou Blakeway.

I added a light orange filter to take away some of the darker tones in the work. One element of Cass's design we all liked was the white text so I wanted to create a background image that would allow us to use that. Typography needed to be clear and precise to allow for the most accessibility so I chose a simple and bold text type.

Rotating the image made it feel like a poster design. Again the typography with the event details needed to be clear, so I kept the white text but did not make it bold.

At this point I added the logos that were needed for marketing purposes, but we didn't want the exhibition to be recognised as solely a university venture so I kept those black to not put too much emphasis on the fact that it is a student exhibition.

As the logo needed to be within the same themes I kept the same font, minimised the image and added a white border (this doesnt show up on the blog unfortunately!)

Week 7 - Tutorials 16th march

• Clarified everyones work
• Discussion of poster and logo - put posters in the lift/open spaces
• Begin essay intangible culture
• Vinyl or a sign - exhibition branding ask katie - printmore
• PR statement
• exhibition rationale
• display design elements
• risk assessments
• insurance - each individual artist or space - emailed katie
• consider curatorial theory, reference curating books that have been useful, how the theme of contested territories has impacted my curatorial theory.
  

Week 8 - 23rd March - Vienna

Whilst in Vienna I wanted to document various ways in which alternative artists had been able to install their work in what were some of the well known galleries. There was plenty of variation as well as traditional install. I found it very useful to look back on these as a point of reference when installing our exhibition and found it very encouraging to do an ambitious install especially when we wouldnt have help of technicians. 

Week 9 - 30th March - Final planning week

Struggles:

• Sending the guide to print monday, not everyone had provided a description and image for the guide
• Need to write guide essay
• Things to include in reflection:
• How the exhbition is a contested territory
• Colour - space - design - why? Deeper meaning analysis of curatorial aspects
• Experience - how was working with others and what have i learnt professionally
• What role I played as a curator
• essay research/ writing experience - relate essay back to ct
• Bibliography doesnt need to be very long but put most influential texts and how they changed my practice - include curatorial books.

Things still to do:

• Guide essay
• Artists description, bio and art image for guide.

Week 10 6th April - 1 week until exhibition

Exhibition Guide essay

Intangible borders

Borders are the form of separating two countries, administrative areas, or other divisions. But in their most basic form, they are lines in the sand drawn with a stick. The creation of borders allows for an international analysis of globalization, it is the mode of data that differentiates and allows governments to compare economic, political, and social ideologies. ‘A companion to border studies’ writers Thomas M. Wilson and Donnan Hastings (2012) defines, “Borders have become a master narrative and hegemonic symbol in popular, commercial, youth and liberation cultures. Borders have captured the fancy of the peoples of the world, and they function as a grand motif in everyday life, everywhere.” Across the globe borders function as a separation between culture, politics, and social complexities. The heritage of each nation arguably survives because of these borders. The differences between the social and historical practices of each nation are what makes them unique. So, what happens in the neutral zones, in the contested territories between nations? What happens to existence of borders when migration, integration and even war takes place. Is the function of the border still intact, and how do we navigate such matters?

Intangible cultural heritage

Unlike the impermeable and static borders, we surround ourselves with, there is this fluid element of human identity called intangible cultural heritage. Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is succinctly defined by William Logan (2007) as ‘‘heritage that is embodied in people rather than in inanimate objects.’’ But with this simple definition comes a background meaning of complex issues. Since the UNESCO 2003 ‘Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage’, the cultural practices of  “oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe. Or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts,” have and can be protected. For example, speech and language are a form of ICH, differing countries will have their own native language which also is represented in the forms of folk speech, language that would only be used by a local. It is this reification that offers a bridge between past and the future by practicing them in the present.

Beyond these characterisations, there are many questions of meaning and value to ICH. For example, there are the questions of the body itself, a concept many of our exhibiting artists have chosen to investigate. The body, something which people should have complete autonomy, can become a political symbol, and has a social identity that will differ within every culture. The borders, intangible or not, of the body become topical because socially, we are trained to observe signifiers of cultural heritage like clothing, language, and personal nature. The preconceptions we have of others when viewing these signifiers can be the way we build personal borders between ourselves and others. In the format of this exhibition these concepts become social objects, on display for discussion and even interrogation.

Each IN/TANGIBLE artist uses their practice to investigate their own ICH and what borders within them they seek to overcome. Themes within this exhibition cannot be physically touched, the lived experience of racism, sexism, mind, body, and identity is individual to everyone. But by tackling these systemic social issues each artist has tried to redefine the audience’s perception on issues faced our diverse community. Collectively, the artists have been challenged to present their ICH as physical entities. Physical and social borders rely heavily on elements of control. When the physicality of it is erased, reimagined, and brought forward into a new perspective our intangible struggles become tangible and offered out as a new understanding to be learnt.

Transcultural curating

At the same time as, prominent developments were being made in border studies and progress in the protection of ICH there is the beginning analysis of what we call transcultural curating. Paul O’Neill, in ‘The culture of curating and the curating of cultures’ (2012), defines this, “Transcultural curating became known as a method of gathering divergent cultures. As a model of arranging worldwide material, it also risks the fetishization of otherness, with artist identity's reduced to components within new curatorial arrangements.”

O’Neill discusses this within the context of international biennials, but it is applicable to any exhibition with such vast variation in practice and culture. The discourse surrounding transcultural curating has positive connotations of freedom of expression, sharing and integrating new cultures to the value of learning. But new experiences are not always positively impactful, especially when at the expense of a culture (whether knowingly or not) that is exploited for gain. Every contested territory whether intangible or not, has its own cultural heritage, ones we as curators we cannot possibly claim to know everything about. But as curators we are challenged to have a voice, an autonomy over exhibitions, rightly or wrongly this creates our own borders between curator and artist. For example, the decisions on an exhibition floor plan, the where and how of displaying artworks is a curatorial decision, and yet to have autonomy over issues of representation creates a hierarchical border of decision making.

The exhibition hopes to engage with art in a way that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. Each artist used their own ethnography to do their research and produce their project. Each artist practice has their own point of view and has produced work around the cultural phenomenon that encompasses their chosen border. Within this exhibition, curatorially we aim to overcome borders. By working closely with each artist, and them granting permission to integrate ourselves within their artistic practice means we don’t create a hierarchy or new boundaries within the exhibition format. Like anthropologists brought a new sensitivity to the study of borders, transcultural curating highlighted the significance of curatorial power and its ability to consume an exhibition narrative.

Bibliography

Abstract: Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) (getty.edu) accessed 31/03/2023

What is Intangible Cultural Heritage? - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO accessed 31/03/2023

Week 11 - 11th and 12th April Exhibition install

Kshijeeta: 

One of the first to arrive with work, had a clear vision for hanging her pieces. Providing her own wool as it tied into her concept and matched material used on the garments, they were to be hung so the bottom of each garment were aligned. Because the space is in the basement and weather depending has restricted light we wanted to make use of the spotlights so hung the first piece attached to the light and the others as close as possible so the work would be illuminated properly.

Alice:

Alices garment is made out of a sheer material so it was discussed to make use of the natural light and hang it in front of the window. The garment needed to be at eye level to enable the audience to see the images sewn onto it, however because of the light we compromised and hung it slightly higher than average. Also, it was the artists vision for the accompanying book to hang with the garment. This we did at a lower level so the audience can interact with it, read it and it be handled effectively.

Sarah: 

Orginally, Sarah had 6 works listed on her label, but she was working on using 4. Her ambiguous paintings 'True freedom' and 'Parting at morning' , were going to be paired 'The classical world' and 'The modern world' (Diana book covers). I asked her to consider the context of the works, even though the Diana images are kind of ambiguous, within the UK context I think it would be hard to find a person who didn't recognise her in the paintings. The other images give nothing away in terms of contexts and so it seemed an odd pairing for the viewer to understand. I suggested she still use the original 6 images and separate the works physically from one another, to present almost 2 individual concepts rather than forcing all 6 to try and be cohesive. The book covers were installed first as you enter the room on a shelf, and then further along the white wall the 4 other paintings were hung.

Bri:

Was originally by the back wall because she liked the light and how the scrolls hung down on the wall. The square frame the hair created around the suitcase didnt fit the space properly. I suggested she move into the center of the room or into the opposite corner (where her work did end up).

Graci:

The intention was for Graci to be in the center of the room and for the audience to view the plinth and large hanging prints. Unfortunately she had issues at home and the large prints were destroyed. She has smaller prints and aesthetically matched the red door so we moved her into the corner space and stuck her work using magnets.

Molly:

Molly is the only projection and so we anted to make use of the dark corner to make sure she had enough viewing space and space for the plinth. The plinths are all 90cm tall, because of this the sculpture and projector heights were not going to match. Ideally one of them needed to be slightly lower/higher. The plinth was also distracting from the sculpture. Other works had been hung using clear fishing wire, so I suggested she use a similar technique to install. We found a bracket at wilko that was painted white and installed quite high on the wall so it wasn't noticeable to the audience. We were then able to hang the sculpture at a sufficient height for the projector and made a more interesting installation.

Izzy:

Doing kim and adam a disservice by cramming too much into one corner, mived to the door also more convenient for the plug sockets

Adam:

Then able to have space to spread his work and didnt appear too crammed. 

Jess:

Laid out paintings on floor just to show us the size but was really liked by all, so just moved back into corner, figures on the floor, taoed the corner so people wouldnt stand on it or interfere with Gracis.

Lou:

Moved from out the window into the pillar space for jess' floor space.