Christian's Costa commision for the Post-Industrial Revolution

 Christian Cista, the part of video installation SITE SPECIFIC CINEMA: DIGBETH, AN AUTOBIOGRAPH, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

Christian’s artistic practice is focused on identities connected to places and perception of the genius loci.  For Post-Industrial Revolution he developed a site specific expanded cinema, which he describes as a medium capable of  joining cinema, television, video, video art, documentary and fiction.  Christian  has  created an installation in two parts,  consisting of film and found imagery reflective of his time here in Digbeth. He carefully selected images, often with political connotations (such as CCTV  cameras). 

 Christian Cista, the part of video installation SITE SPECIFIC CINEMA: DIGBETH, AN AUTOBIOGRAPH, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

 Christian Cista, the part of video installation  SITE SPECIFIC CINEMA: DIGBETH, AN AUTOBIOGRAPH, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

Christian Cista, a set of postcards for Birmingham, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

Christian Cista, a set of postcards for Birmingham, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

Artist  also produced the set of photographs for Birmingham which hilights 'uniportant' sites of the city.  He is interested in forgotten spaces such as the hidden river Rea, city graveyards (now utilized as parks), as well as derelict public houses of Digbeth. Showing this disused places brings them to attention again and rediscovers their forgotten haritage. 

Chris also placed some books in the gallery  by thinkers he is inpired by: Slavoj Zizek (First as tragedy, then as farce), Michel Foucault (Discipline and punish), Jacques Rancière (Hatred of Democracy) and by Giorgio Agamben. He created a cosy corner with a chair - as a place to read, to see the installation and to watch the film. Visitors are invited to read the books and to share their thoughts on the pages. 

Christian Cista, the part of   photographic installation THE GANG OF FOUR: MICHEL, GIORGIO, JACQUES, SLAVOJ, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

Christian Cista, the part of   photographic installation THE GANG OF FOUR: MICHEL, GIORGIO, JACQUES, SLAVOJ, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

Christian Cista, the part of   photographic installation THE GANG OF FOUR: MICHEL, GIORGIO, JACQUES, SLAVOJ, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

Christian Cista, the part of   photographic installation THE GANG OF FOUR: MICHEL, GIORGIO, JACQUES, SLAVOJ, commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska,  2011

For what? - Kamila's Szejnoch commission for the Post-Industrial Revolution

Kamila Szejnoch,  For what?,  commissioned as part of 'Post - Industrial Revolution' curated by Kate Pennington-Wilson and Roma Piotrowska, Custard Factory, 2011, photo by Nicky Getgood 

The Exhibition will be open until the end of this week so this is the last chance for you to see outcomes of the month-long residency of Polish artists in Digbeth.  
In this post you can find more information about the work of Kamila's Szejnoch, which will be followed by posts about other artists in the next few days. 
During her stay Kamila Szejnoch has developed a fascination with the Birmingham coat of arms, using it as a focal point of her research.  In particular she is interested in the motto for the city ‘Forward’.  

The coat of arms of Birmingham 

For Kamila exploring the significance of symbols and monuments associated with a city is significant, and she often develops whole bodies of work in relation to obscure local references to civic pride. She tries to approach outdated layers of the past by adding something new, contrasting with its original style or function. Her works often consist of two elements, one is history and tradition, the  second is more contemporary, open, playful and interactive.

For Post – Industrial Revolution Kamila has developed a series of site specific interventions through out Digbeth.  Most notably ‘For what?’ a large scale text piece situated in a car park next to the Custard Factory facing Digbeth High St.  ‘For what?’ is a direct response to the 'Forward' mural, an earlier art work referencing Birmingham's coat of arms in a car park on Heathmill Lane.  'For what?” aims to instigate a dialogue about the past and future of the district by responding to the statement ‘Forward’ with a question. 

Newso, Forward, art work referencing Birmingham's coat of arms in a car park on Heathmill Lane, photo by Nicky Getgood 

The exhibition and workshops Post - The Industrial Revolution

Taking part in the Post - The Industrial Revolution workshop  is a great opportunity for a creative Sunday with a whole family.  This session begins with a look around the exhibition followed by creating works of art relating to the themes present in the show.
All ages welcome but children must be accompanied by an adult.
Space for workshops must be booked in advance via e-mail:
postindustrial.revolution@gmail.com


Workshop for parents and children
Sunday, February 27, 2011, 11.00-12:30
Lombard Method, 68a Lombard Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B12 0QR
Free admission

Exhibition
Saturday 19 February - Sunday 27 February 2011
The exhibition is open from Thursday to Sunday from 11.00-18.00
Lombard Method, 68a Lombard Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B12 0QR
Free admission

Post - Industrial Revolution: Exhibition 19 – Sunday 27 February 2011 Open Thursday – Sunday from 11am -6pm

Preview, The Lombard Method, 18 February 2011

 

After a very busy week of installing we are happy to invite you to the exhibition!

Saturday 19 – Sunday 27 February 2011

Open Thursday – Sunday from 11am -6pm

The Lombard Method, 68a Lombard Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B12 0QR

Admission free

Below you can find some pictures from the talk, Fridays opening and after party in the Anchor Pub! 

 

Preview, The Lombard Method, 18 February 2011

MASH/HER/DIP, Preview, The Lombard Method, 18 February 2011

 Preview, The Lombard Method, 18 February 2011

 Kamila Szejnoch, Preview, The Lombard Method, 18 February 2011

 Preview, The Lombard Method, 18 February 2011

 

After party in the Anchor Pub and a very special Post-Industrial Revolution ale!

Artist's Talk, Eastside Projects, 17 Feb 2011

Artist's Talk, Eastside Projects, 17 Feb 2011

Tomorrow: Artists' Talk

Post-Industrial Revolution, the  crit, 11 Feb 2011, the Lombard Method 

Come and join us for the artists talk! The talk will give you an insight in what we were doing through the last month. 

Thursday 17 February 2011, 6.30 - 8pm Eastside Projects, 86 Heath Mill Lane, Digbeth, Birmingham, B9 4ARFor further information visit http://www.extraspecialpeople.org/

Culinary Delights

Well with the arrival of MASH/HER/DIP two weeks ago our schedule became phenomenally busy!  The girls got straight into research mode.  The first few days involved lots of walking around Digbeth locating building which were previously home to food based manufacturing or processing.  It turns out there was a lot of fish and bacon curing in the area.  There was also a Typhoo Tea Factory and most famously the Birds Custard Factory.  There are still working abattoirs in Digbeth, slaughter houses aren’t something I would have initially associated with the area, but I suppose it makes sense with all the transportation links nearby.   Unfortunately most other food based production has declined over the years.

Mapping out food production in Digbeth

The girls have developed a strong interest in the Polish Center situated on Bordesley Street in Digbeth.  It’s an amazing 1950s build frequented mainly by Poles who immigrated to the UK after the Second World War.  MASH/HER/DIP have dedicated much of their time to developing connections with people who visit this centre on a daily basis, many of them ex workers from factories and workshops in the region.  Their intention was to develop a dinner for these people they make connections with during the residency.

During this period the girls have experimented with creating a recipe which draws from the food based manufacturing Birmingham is famous for, incorporating ingredients such as Cadburys chocolate, Birds Custard and Typhoo Tea in such an inventive way. You’ll have to make a visit the exhibition to find out what culinary delights they came up with.

Off-site project by Kamila Szejnoch

Parts of our Post-Industrial Revolution project is based off-site. Kamila Szejnoch, who usually works in a public space, realised a mural refering to one of the Birmingham's most signifficant symbol. We can't tell you what is it yet, but you can have a look on it on the Custard Factory's wall just now. It has been painted on the wall in the car park and is visible from Digbeth High Street. Tthis is how the wall of Custard Factory looked before Kamila started to paint:

Custard Factory map

Post-Industrial Revolution is looking for volunteers!

Yes, you can find out how does the realisation of an artistic project look like from the inside. Working with us is a great opportunity  to learn and meet interesting people. As a volunteer, you will be a part of our team working during production of the residency in Birmingham and with planning the Polish leg of the Post-Industrial Revolution project. 

If you’re interested, please email us on postindustrial.revolution@gmail.com

How to find us in Digbeth: the Lombard Method

It takes 15 minutes to get (by bus or on food) from Corporation St to the Lombard Method. Take the bus number 5 or 6 from Corporation St and get off on Bradford St opposite Mosley St (the bus stop just after the White Swan pub) and turn right into Mosley St, then walk up the road. The Lombard Method is on the corner with Mosley St and Lombard St in Digbeth on the left hand side. 


Adress: The Lomabrd Method, 68a Lombard Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B12 0QR

Post – Industrial Revolution: call for submissions for an art residency scheme in Gdansk, Poland. Deadline: 20th March 2011

About the project 

Post Industrial Revolution is an artistic residency exchange between the UK and Poland focusing on the cities of Birmingham and Gdansk, in particular the areas of Digbeth and the Gdansk Shipyard. The comparisons between Digbeth and the Gdansk Shipyard as post industrial sites are of significance, each city has at some stage been deeply affected by the demise of industry, its movement abroad, and more recently the development of cultural and leisure industries in these former industrial areas. What interests us is how visual art can be seen to carry out and reflect this shift in usage, the change in social and industrial history of such spaces and its implications.

Post-Industrial Revolution is developed in collaboration with Wyspa Institute of Art (Poland) and the Lombard Method (UK). The Project is conceived by curators Roma Piotrowska and Kate Pennington – Wilson in partnership with Polish Expats Association.  Post – Industrial Revolution is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council.

For more information about the project visit http://www.postindustrialrevolution.blogspot.com/

http://www.postindustrialrevolution.eu/

About the residency

Three artists from each country will be selected to take part in the project and invited to respond to the industrial heritage of these districts. The Digbeth element of the residency is currently underway;   information about chosen artist can be seen on our website and blog.   We are now seeking submissions from British artists to take part in the second strand of this project. The three applicants from the UK will be offered a 1 month residency (May 2011) in Gdansk. This Residency will culminate in a two week exhibition hosted by Wyspa Institute of Art. A series of events including a workshop and artist talk will be developed to accompany the exhibition.

We particularly welcome applications from early career artists with an interest in develop site specific works.  

Post – Industrial Revolution offers:

• Accommodation for 1 month in Gdansk
• Flight costs
• Expenses @ £250 per person for 1 month
• £250 towards Material costs for each artist to develop new art works (please note this amount will need to include the hire costs of any equipment required)
• Use of space within Wyspa Progress Foundation
•  An organized Group critique developed through Wyspa Institute of Art offering artists feedback and critical discourse during the residency
• The opportunity to take part in an exhibition internationally
• The opportunity to develop relationships with artists and creatives affiliated with Wyspa Institute of Art , other art organizations and artists based in Gdansk

The chosen artist will be expected to:

• Develop research focusing on the history and social context of Gdansk including visiting museums, galleries, archives etc.
• Produce site responsive work, reflecting the changing nature of Gdansk Shipyard and its historical context which will be displayed during the final exhibition. Work must be new and can consist of any media (installation, performance, video, photography, painting, sculpture, etc.).
• Take part in an artist talk during the residency period, (offering insight into each artist’s individual practice). This will take the form of an open discussion between artists and curators.
• Engage in artistic and curatorial dialog with the curators, project manager and the Wyspa team in the development of their ideas and activities
• Engage with local communities during their stay and take advantage of opportunities for critical and artistic discourse and exchange of ideas

To apply for this residency you must be:

• at the early stage of your career
• A Bristish citizen or resident in the UK for 3 years or more

To apply please send

1.     Your reasons for applying (no more than one side of A4)

2.     Project proposal with an example budget of up to £250 for developing new work  (no more then one side of A4)

3.     Your CV

4.     Examples of previous work.  A selection of photographs, or other documentation of your work.  A CD of images is also acceptable.  (Please do not send original artwork).

5.     A completed equal opportunities monitoring form (you can find it here).

Please send applications via email to postindustrial.revolution@gmail.com

or via post to Roma Piotrowska, Flat 3, 14 York Rd, B16 9JB, Birmingham, UK.

Deadline for receipt of applications: Sunday, the 20^th of March 2011.  We will notify successful applicants by 5th April 2011. It is anticipated that successful applicants will arrive in Gdansk during the 1st week of May 2011.

For an informal discussion prior to submitting an application contact Roma Piotrowska or Kate Pennington-Wilson via email postindustrial.revolution@gmail.com