Report: Openning of the Post - Industrial Revolution exhibition in Gdansk

Post – Industrial Revolution  project is nearing completion. The artists left Gdansk on Sunday. Kate and I are back in Birmingham too. It was hard to leave the shipyard, an area where nature meets culture,  where our artists were producing new art works for a month. Thirty-degree heat did not help to install the exhibition, but strongly encouraged our evening trips to the beach and sipping cocktails in one of the old town's cafes . We found time for both though. After a few days of installing we were ready to discuss  artists' works  during Thursday's talk, and to finally show their final products  during Friday's opening. Aliceson Carter and Matthew de Kersaint Giraudeau shown their works at Modelarnia, Louie + Jesse at the Kiosk. Both spaces are part of Wyspa Progress Foundation. The opening  gathered a nice bunch of people, which later transferred to Buffet, Wyspa's club. Currently artists and curators are gone but the exhibition is open until Sunday the 12 of June, from Thursday till Sunday (11:00 - 18:00), at two locations - Modelarnia and Kiosk. 

Alicson Carter, performance with Zbigniew Stefanski, Modelarnia,  2011

Alicson Carter, performance with Zbigniew Stefanski, Modelarnia,  2011

Alicson Carter, performance with Zbigniew Stefanski, Modelarnia,   2011

For the Post - Industrial Revolution Aliceson has developed a performative video piece paying homage to the Gdansk Shipyard.  By acquiring a boat, recording her journey, while playing shipyard songs, Aliceson has created a floating monument to the shipyard. With this piece Aliceson attempts to celebrate current and past production within the Gdansk shipyard as well as its origins as the birth place of the Solidarity movement. ‘My boat making and broadcasting of solidarity songs would be a homage, as an outsider, to the people & history of the shipyard’ – says Aliceson. The boat, now situated in Modelarnia accompanies a projection of the filmed voyage. During the opening night Aliceson in collaboration with Zbigniew Stefanski (Shipyard’s bard) recited shipyard songs with a twist.  Aliceson sang a new song she has written about the shipyard and regeneration plans for the Young city development plan to the tune of Shipbuilding by Elvis Costello/Robert Wyatt. 

 Matthew de Kersaint Giraudeau, installation, Modelarnia, 2011

Matthew de Kersaint Giraudeau, installation, Modelarnia,  2011

Matthew had developed an installation involving moving image, sound recordings and found materials from in and around the shipyard collected during his wanderings. Matthew describes Post-industrial landscapes as haunting - full of economic, political and ideological histories.  During his time in the shipyard he attempts to uncover these histories and connect them with a wider network of contemporary ideas. The installation takes the form of two video works and three audio pieces.  The audio works within this exhibition consist of headphones set within pile of debris (sand/dirt/rubble and other found objects).  Each audio piece is an interview with individuals Matt has met during his time in Gdansk, drawing on issues which have caught his interest such as the young city development, as well as stories from Wyspa Sobieszewska, the island on which Matthew was staying during the residency period.

Louie + Jesse, If we stop now, they will crush us like bed bugs, audiovisual installation, Kiosk,  2011

Louie + Jesse, If we stop now, they will crush us like bed bugs, audiovisual installation, Kiosk,  2011

Louie + Jesse have created a site-specific installation exploring the shipyard strike of 1970 and 1980. They are interested in the so called selective cleansing of history, how some areas are left as monuments and others (the messy elements) are demolished. They are interested in exploring the role of Alina Pienkowska in Shipyard’s strikes, an activist and nurse who became stranded in the clinic during the strike activity.  They researched a particular moment within the strike’s history, just before communication lines were cut off. A moment where Alina made a quick but vital phone call to Jacek Kuroń stating details of the strike including its demands. As a result information about the strike was relayed worldwide. It is an understated but significant moment within the shipyards history. Having acquired a kiosk space just outside Wyspa Institute of Art as a location in which to realize their artwork, Louie and Jesse have developed a site-specific installation. The installation appears to be a cross between a hospital room and a hotel room.  Their work draws on archival material about Alina but is also influenced by the recent young city developments and regeneration taking place within the shipyard grounds. 

Week one of residency

So it’s been a busy time for Post Industrial Revolution.  Roma and I embarked on the first of two-scheduled trips to Poland last week, initiating the second part of the project. We set off a little under the weather but powered through.  After a day of re -familiarising myself with Wyspa, Modelarnia and the shipyard,  as well as discussing practicalities with Marta and Roma we were good to go.

Two of the four British artists, Aliceson and Matt arrived bright and early Friday morning.  We then embarked on a busy day, dropping off artists baggage at the accommodation, beach frolics, and a spot of lunch followed by a trip to Wyspa.

                                                        Monument at Westerplatte

The following day we got all touristy and jumped aboard a ferry to Westerplatte, historically significant as the location were Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939, initiating the Second World War.  We visited a monument dedicated to the 182 Polish Solders who lost their lives defending the city, keeping the Nazi’s at bay for a staggering 7 days.   The ferry trip offered fantastic views of the shipyard from the water showing just how vast the Gdansk shipyard really is.  The afternoon was spent exploring the shipyard on foot, the highlight being Aliceson’s discovery of a huge polystyrene cube!  We are hoping to borrow or possibility rent this object for the exhibition.  After talking to Marta I discovered that scrap or discarded object in the shipyard can be borrowed or rented rather then taken.  I rather like this idea of loaning found materials.  Different parts of the shipyard are owned by different companies or individuals, so it’s just a case of finding out who owns the polystyrene.  The day was rounded of with dinner, an opportunity for the artists to meet different members of the Wyspa team and indulge in some tasty polish delicacies.

                                           Matt and Aliceson surveying the cube

                                                        Exploring the shipyard

Sunday involved an epic journey to a town called Puck to witness 400km, a project in which camper vans filled with artists and art visit small towns in the surrounding area of Gdansk.  We went part of the way by train and the remainder packed into one of the artist's camper vans.  Unfortunately upon arriving at our destination we were engulfed by a plague of mosquitoes! It was almost biblical.  The event was cancelled but we took it as an opportunity to explore the town.  We then stopped off for a beer in Gdynia, the second largest city making up the try cites of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot.

                                          Louie and Jesse explore the shipyard


Monday marked the arrival of the artist duo Louie and Jesse. Their first day in Gdansk followed a similar formula to that of Matt and Aliceson's, the difference being we had the opportunity to explore the residency studio space within Wyspa and store room facilities.   This is where I came across our old friend Lech Walesa, this model of him was installed in Wyspa's gallery space during my last trip to the shipyard a year previously.

                                                        
                                           

After a trip to Modelarnia and more exploring we bid farewell  to our artists.  We will be returning to Gdansk in two weeks time to see how they're getting on.

SHIPYARD IN THE EYE OF THE GUARDIAN

Marcel Theroux and Shehani Fernando, from The Guardian, carried out a brief report about the art scene in Gdansk, Wyspa and the resistance and anti-regime movements in the late ’80s. The feature falls into the New Europe, conducted by The Guardian mini-series of stories about the new European Union countries. Watch it here. 

BUY YOURSELF WYSPA!

Wyspa is raising funds to buy the building they are renting in order to continue and further develop their activities. They will not be able to raise the required quota by yhemselves in such a short time but the task is achievable given our commitment together. Everyone can influence the further existence of Wyspa in the former Shipyard area.

Since 2004 Wyspa have been in the grounds of the former Gdańsk Shipyard, and since 2007 they have been renting the building from the current owner, the BPTO. The moment is propitious for them to buy the building at a preferential price. However they can only do this within a very short time. Wyspa enjoys a good reputation thanks to the artistic activities, which create a dialogue between the fields of art and political reflection.

In 2010, Wyspa initiated the two-year-long International Art Festival – Alternativa, which is opening new perspectives on the cultural map of Gdańsk, and we are also supporting Gdańsk’s candidacy for the European Capital of Culture 2016.

In the course of our seven-year-long activity on the grounds of the former Shipyard area, they have put a great deal of energy into improving the condition of the building. That’s why they are so connected with this area. That’s why they would like to stay there.

The environment of the former Shipyard area, so full of historical and social emotions, has inspired artists for years. Wyspa, apart from its exhibitions, discussions and workshops, is conducting an international residency programme, a multi-media archive and a bookshop. Their research activities into issues of contemporary artistic culture are also geared towards cooperation with local inhabitants, who, like Wyspa, constitute part of the community in the district of Młode Miasto [the Young City]. The new district should have its own places of culture. Wyspa has been recognised and praised, not only in Poland but also in the international arena, which has helped to build the positive image of Gdańsk as a vibrant centre of contemporary art.That’s why they need your help!

The Wyspa Institute of Art public collection is being conducted with the agreement of the Ministry for Internal Affairs and Administration and with the understanding of the owner of the building, the BPTO.

Special bank account number for the public collection:

PL 26 1020 1811 0000 0402 0156 1414

Bank PKO BP SA III O/Gdańsk

SWIFT CODE: BPKOPLPW

Bank transfer details:

Fundacja Wyspa Progress

ul. Doki 1 budynek 145B

80-958 Gdańsk

Donate by Pay Pal 

They will keep you up to date on the subject of how the collection is going on their website. People and organisations that wish to be named among the acknowledgements on Wyspa's website are asked to confirm this fact by sending an email to ola.grzonkowska@wyspa.art.pl stating your full name or the name of the company together with attached proof of payment.

Only Solidarity and Patience will Secure our Victory

We are approaching the second part of our project - a residency in Gdansk! This is so exiting!

In the meantime a part of Gdansk visited Digbeth!

A billboard 'Only Solidarity and Patience will Secure our Victory' depicting strikes from the Gdansk Shipyard hang on the wall above the entrance of Eastside Projects. The billboard is a work by an artistic collective 'Slavs and Tatars', and it forms part of a multiplatform project '79.89.09', that re-imagines an Iranian Polish solidarity, constructed in equal parts through archival research and original work. The project looks at three key dates:1979 (the Iranian Revolution), 1989 (the collapse of communism) and 2009 (the financial crisis). Along with the billboard artists prepared a publication as well as an installation of river bads and an Iranian and Polish book archive. 

Exhibition is open until the 16th of April 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 first day of the residency

St. Basils Church, Heath Mill Lane, phot. Ell Brown

Kate Pennington-Wilson and I collected our first artist Kamila Szejnoch from Digbeth Coach station yesterday evening, so the residency has officially started.  The first day went very well. The weather was good, we had an original fish & chips from the Rag Market and we discovered some new facts about Digbeth. We also had a proper look into a fascinating building, the St Basil's Church in Digbeth which is now the St Basil's Centre on  Heath Mill Lane. St Basil's Centre works with young people to prevent youth homelessness. In the 1960s building was the meeting place of the Double Zero motorcycle club. A lovely lady who works there let us in and shown arround, so we could see this great example of Arts and Crafts primitivism, constructed in 1910-11 to a design by A.S. Dixon, from the inside. Building was refurbished in the 1980s, so even though the original chapel is still there, the nave is filled in with the offices. Originally the building was built as a catholic church, but now the chapel can be used from time to time by all religions.

Birmingham Rag Market, phot.  mondoagogo

Socio-political changes in both cities

David Miller, factory, Digbeth 

Birmingham has developed significantly through the Industrial Revolution, therefore, has a reputation of a working-class city. Trade unions were created in Graet Britain in 1824 and became popular during the Industrial Revolution in many countries. Both, the Gdansk Shipyard, and Digbeth, were not only important industrial centers, but also witnesses of socio – political changes. Archive footage shows Digbeth, as a place where closing of factories, anti-fascist marches, and worker's strikes were taking place, due to recession, unemployment, demise of industry, and  its movement abroad. In Gdansk, Strikes which were held in the shipyard 30 years ago by the 'Solidarity' (the first independent trade union in the Communist bloc), helped to overthrow communism in the Central - Eastern Europe.

 Digbeth related footage you can find here:

http://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=28292

http://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=28329

http://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=2555  

http://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=23030 

 http://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=1048  

 http://www.macearchive.org/Media.html?Title=15675

The Italian Quarter

Through our recent research we were excited to discover Digbeth had an Italian Quarter, further fuelling our interest in Digbeths diverse social heritage.  From the early 19th century Italians began to immigrate to Britain due to major changes within Italy such as the Napoleonic occupation, famine and increased population growth.  Many Italians began to undertaking seasonal migration to surrounding nations, a number arrived in Britain and stayed. 

By the mid 19th century an Italian quarter began to develop around Fazeley Street in Digbeth and this area was nicknamed ‘Little Italy’.  During the 19^th and early 20^th Century the Italians in this district were best know in the city for making and selling ice-cream, being successful in this trade until WW2, often selling from hand-carts and attracting customers by ringing handbells.

Following WW2  however many  Italian men who had lived in Britain for less than 20 years were treated with suspicion, many were sent to camps in different parts of Britain. This, and the redevelopment of the central bomb-damaged district led to the rapid dispersal of the community. 

An interview with Joseph Mattiello MBE, an ex-resident of the Italian Quarter, reveals interesting points about the integration between Digbeth's  communities.  He explained that St Michael's Church on Albert Street, a traditional place of worship for Italians in the area, was also known as the Polish and the Irish Church.

Polish Club in Digbeth

In almost every bigger city in the UK you can find Polish Centre. Polish people have travelled here throughout the centuries. However, many Poles arrived to Great Britain as political émigrés during and after the Second World War, and during communism time. After Poland's entry into the European Union in May 2004 new generation of Poles have arrived here and it is estimated that presently Polish diaspora has around 30,000 people in Birmingham.

In Birmingham Polish Club ( aka Polish Millenium House) is based in Digbeth, and was established in 1963 by Poles connected with local Polish Catholic church, for their own money. 

Nowadays, Polish Club is much less popular throughout Polish community than it used to be.

Why? According to Guardian “This place is a real oddity. Very old fashioned and mainly inhabited by ageing Poles. Pictures of the (last) Pope abound ”, and there is much truth in it. Nevertheless, I enjoy the food in the restaurant and this specific 'travel in time' climate whenever I go there.

You can find a restaurant, an English-style pub and a shop there. From time to time they also organise some cultural events, activities for mothers and children, as well as choir classes. Polish Club have rooms for hire, so don't be surprised if you find a bridal shop there, Polish Secondary School and even a University! On Saturdays they organise Saturday's Polish School, where children of emigrants can learn Polish. Troubling for me is only that this place represent the entire Polish community in Birmingham, when in fact is shaped mainly by the older generation focused around the Catholic Church. 

 

This German-English couple have been coming to the Polish Shop in Millennium House since 1969. 40 years ago this was the only one Polish shop in Birmingham – says Rita - nowadays there are dozens. I met them while they were waiting for fresh bread for already 2 hours! They know when bread is delivered, so usually they come just on time, but this day the driver was late, so they had to wait. 

Irish community in Digbeth

The presence of Irish people in Birmingham was first recorded in the 1600s.  However the first major waves of migration began in the 1820’s as large numbers immigrated to England in a bid to find work and escape poverty.   Even larger numbers began to arrive during the 1840’s to escape the devastation of the Great Famine.

   

During the 19th and early part of the 20th century every inner-city district of Birmingham had an Irish quarter or an Irish street. At the beginning of the 19th century large numbers of Irish people lived in the poorest parts of central Birmingham, gradually moving outwards as the city itself grew. In central parts of the city over 20% of the population were first generation Irish, while in parts of Digbeth the Irish population reached 55%. 

High unemployment in Ireland during the 1950s lead to another wave of migration, many migrants took up jobs building Birmingham's roads and housing estates.  Economic problems during the 1980s brought more Irish people and by the 1990s approximately 70,000 first generation Irish people were living in Birmingham.

Although the Irish community has dispersed across the city, many view Digbeth as their spiritual home.  There are a large number of Irish pubs in the area and the headquarters for the Irish community Forum. In addition Digbeth boasts the third largest St Patricks day parade after Dublin and New York.

The influence of the Irish community in Digbeth is now visually represented through a public artwork by Irish artist Dave Sherry situated at the entrance of the newly renovated Digbeth coach station.  The Irish Quarter Visual Artwork greets visitors with The sign  ‘A Hundred thousand welcomes’ A  translation of a traditional Irish greeting, in Gaelic ‘Cead mile failte’

Rescue Geography: Digbeth's 'forgotten' past

Lonely survivor of the clearcutting to create the Ventureast site, photo: David Miller 

In 2007 and 2008 experts from the University of Birmingham developed a project to make sure Digbeth's past is not forgotten. ‘The Eastside project’ focused on redevelopment of the Digbeth and Deritend areas of Birmingham. Experts researched sites being redeveloped for historical artefacts, record interviews and exhibit items. They gathered people's stories about this part of the city. As you can read on Rescue Geography website sometimes they've just chatted to people in cafes, but they also asked people to give them guided tours of the area, recording what they said and - using sat nav technology - where they said it. Researchers invited a photographer Dan Burwood, who  took pictures of interviewees in places within Digbeth that have particular meaning to them.  From artists’s statement: ‘In 2005 I started to make portraits of people in Digbeth, on the street and in pubs, pictures that evidenced a context visually, and interested me more and more in the place as I spoke to the people that allowed me to take their pictures. You could see how fast things might start to change in the area, and, as much as I was happy with some of the images, it was the stories and people I met that made a greater impression, and which seemed to be lost behind the surface of the prints, and my poor retelling of our meetings’.

An exhibition of the work in Digbeth and Eastside took place 24-31 October 2008.  You can see details of the interviews here 

You can also Download the exhibition catalogue  and many other useful documents 

photo: David Miller

the Custard Factory

Every Anglophile knows what the custard is, but not everyone knows - that this traditional English sauce, eaten with so many traditional puddings, was created in Birmingham! It was first made in 1840s by pharmacist Alfred Bird, for his wife who was allergic to eggs. This egg-free alternative very quilckly swept away the original egg-based custard sauce and went into mass production! It was produced in the Custard Factory in Digbeth. The factory was built 100 years ago by the inventor of custard, and as you can read on the Custard Factory website, at one time he had even a thousand people working there. After many years original Bird's Custard is still there, available on the supermarket shelf. Also the building, where it was produced, remained till today and  is home to a vibrant community of 500 artists and small creative enterprises. Artistic comunity has been there since 1990. 

Custard Factory circa 1995:

History - Gdansk Shipyard

 

Gdansk, formerly Danzig, has a diverse and complex political and social history due to various spells of occupation, self-rule, and periods as a free city. The invasion of the free city of Danzig on 1^st September 1939 marked the beginning of the Second World War. Following the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of WW2 in 1945 the city became Gdansk and was once more part of Poland. However as Poland was freed from Nazi occupation by the USSR, under its influence the country became a communist state, against the wishes of a large proportion of the Polish population. It remained a communist country until the fall of communism in 1989.

Today Gdansk it is better known as a “Cradle of Solidarity”. Solidarity was the first independent trade union developed within the Eastern Bloc, providing the first indication of the fragility of Communism, prior to its fall. In the last few years, Gdansk Shipyard has also become the most recognisable place embracing the Gdańsk artistic scene through the artistic adoption of its dilapidated buildings.

The devastated brick production buildings and streets have become protagonists in films, they

have been photographed and serve as the scenery for theatrical productions, while the industrial noises have been utilised by many musicians. Aside from Wyspa Institute of Art other innovative artistic organisations with in the district include the studio venue ‘Artists’ Colony’ and the artist led space ‘Modelarnia’. The current regeneration and revitalisation of the shipyard has unfortunately led to the demolition of a number of sites housing other creative organisations, the Znak Theatre, Aku Gallery, and the Pattern Room.

History - Digbeth

During the industrial revolution Digbeth developed into an area teaming with

factories and workshops, the district could be accessed by a series of canal networks most notably the Grand Union Canal. Digbeth and Birmingham as a whole posed a key location within the UK for the manufacturing and distribution of goods due to its central location. It became an integral part of the life force fuelling British industrial gaining titles such as the ‘city of a thousand trades’ and ‘the workshop of the world.’ The development of industry led to mass migration to the region from the 1820’s to the present day. This may account in some ways for Birmingham’s multicultural and diverse society.

In Birmingham, Digbeth is an area formerly at the heart of British industry; it is now

labelled ‘Eastside’ a term developed during the early stages of its continuing cultural regeneration. Within Digbeth the introduction of Art galleries in former industrial spaces such as IKON Eastside, Eastside Projects and Vivid epitomize the growth of creative endeavour within the area. The Custard factory and the Bond act as a hub for creative businesses and most recently the development of artist-run spaces such as Grand Union and The Lombard Method have enabled artistic activity to develop at a grass roots level.