Paul Goodwin
Shared worlds: workshop-seminar on collaborative and participatory art,
Coordinated by Mónica de Miranda (also with Paula Roush, Faisal Abdu’Allah and Paul Goodwin)
As a follow-up to her participatory practice, artist Mónica de Miranda facilitates a three-day workshop together with artists Faisal Abdu’Allah and Paula Roush and theorist Paul Goodwin, to discuss the ways contemporary media art practice develops as a result of creative relationships. Moving away from the studio into networks of relations, artists’ works reveal a renewed interest for public spaces, urban geographies and personal encounters, raising a challenging question: how much of current practice is based on the art of relationships?
The workshop and seminar explore the concepts behind an art of collaboration and participation and the cultural interchange that happens in these encounters. Workshops create an opportunity for the sharing of working strategies, whilst the concluding seminar provides a historical and theoretical overview of relational art models.
The series is open to anyone interested in discussing collaborative, participatory art, with opportunities for participants to share their work. No previous experience is necessary.
Day 1
Live locations: travel, work, participation and collaboration in the work of Mónica de Miranda, Faisal Abdu’Allah and Paula Roush.
In preparation for day 2 workshops, artists present their works, followed by informal conversations with the participants and Story Chain, a group exercise facilitated by Faisal Abdu’Allah.
Friday 28 July, 21.00–00:00
Day 2
Works in progress: live open workshops
Mónica de Miranda – Tuning in: sound car performance, developed driving around the city with friends, whilst mixing live radio and broadcasting the sound and conversations into the street. Occasionally the car stops at chosen locations and the performance carries on with opportunities for the audience to take part.
Faisal Abdu’Allah – Live Salon: Artist and barber Faisal Abdu’Allah sets up his very own drop-in barbershop. “Snipping and shaving while spinning yarns,” Faisal discusses art, life and haircutting with customers.
Paula Roush – Photo Studio: “The possibility of identity per se by displaying that moment of suspense…”
Bi-annually, Lagos holds a festival of the discoveries where people dress up as 15th and 16th century characters to re-enact historical episodes of the Portuguese empire. The ‘Discoveries Festival’ costumes collection, archived at the CCL, is the departure point for a photographic project, exploring photography’s relationship with performance and masquerade.
Saturday 26 July, 21.00–00:00
Day 03
Models of engagement
Researcher Paul Goodwin presents the theory behind an art of relationships, looking at the links between sociality and conceptual art practices, illustrated with paradigmatic case studies. Followed by informal discussion with the participants.
Sunday 27 July, 21.00–00:00
PAUL GOODWIN is a writer, curator and urban researcher. He is currently cross-cultural curator at Tate Britain. He is director of the Re-Visioning Black Urbanism project, based at the Centre for Urban and Community Research, Goldsmiths, University of London. The project explores new modes of inhabiting, imagining and making cities from progressive black and culturally diverse perspectives by organising exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, seminars and publications. Paul is also a creative consultant for inIVA (Institute for International Visual Arts)’s Mapping Project and a member of the Franco-British Council for whom he co-organised (with Bonnie Greer) an international symposium on the “Challenges of Cultural Diversity in the UK and France” in November, 2006. Paul is currently in the process of setting up a new strategic urban intervention office and think tank with the architect John Oduroe that will launch in London in 2008.