The Art of Immigration
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 16:18 | 
Written by Steven Walker | 
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Image: Steve McQueen
Just what do migrant workers contribute to the UK? It’s a question being asked by Immigration Minister Damian Green, who this week will reveal details of the government’s new immigration policy. But it’s a question also being asked by art gallery Tate Britain. On Tuesday, a new exhibition will open which explores how British art has been shaped by the impact of migrant artists
As an island nation, it’s perhaps easy to think of ourselves as a homogenised culture that didn’t become subject to external influences until the post-war immigration of the 20th century. But the Migrations exhibition argues that this interchange of ideas and influences had already been going on for centuries beforehand. As curator Lizzie Carey-Thomas said: “What we’re really saying is you can’t consider the history of British art without considering the history of migration and impact it had on art.”
Migrations is an exhibition notable primarily for its theme rather than the work itself – most of which comes from Tate’s permanent collection so may already be familiar to regular visitors. That’s not to say that there aren’t some surprises, primarily the more recent film and video work by artists such as Steve McQueen, Francis Alys and Zineb Sedira. But the show is at its strongest when encouraging us to think again about Tate’s collection – and what, in fact, we understand by the term “British art”.
Avant garde
So the exhibition explores how American artist Whistler introduced abstraction to Britain in the second half of the 19th century. It examines the influence of avant garde artists like Mondrian who came to Britain to escape Nazi persecution during the Second World War. And it reveals that the landscape – often considered that most quintessentially British of art forms – was actually imported to a 17th century Britain still dominated by portraiture by northern european artists like Keirincx and Siberechts.
Of course there are plenty of examples of foreign artists coming to live and work in Britain during the 20th century – from Paula Rego to Anish Kapoor. Many of these were attracted by the openness to cultural influences which has come to define modern Britain and the vibrant community of artists living and working here.
But looking ahead to the future, many people in the art world now believe that the migration of artists into Britain is slowing down. And that as a result, the nature of this dialogue between British art and external influences could be changing.
Foreign influences
Over the last decade, many of the best-known British artists – such as Tacita Dean, Douglas Gordon and Susan Philipsz – have left the UK to work in cities like Berlin. They’ve been followed by waves of younger artists attracted by cheap rents and studio space, and what’s becoming a burgeoning community of artists.
But of course this doesn’t mean that the interchange of ideas between British and foreign artists has slowed down. In an increasingly globalised art market, and with international communication now easier than ever, British art continues to be shaped by foreign influences.
The exhibition at Tate Britain ends with Static, a film of that icon of immigration the Statue of Liberty, by Steve McQueen. McQueen lives and works in Amsterdam, has galleries in London, Paris and New York, and exhibits around the world – perhaps challenging our very understanding of what it means to be a British artist.
Article written by Matthew Cain, Channel 4 Arts and Culture correspondent:
Article source: http://blogs.channel4.com/culture/art-immigration/2174
Follow @MatthewCainC4 on Twitter.
Last Updated (Friday, 03 February 2012 17:07)
AV Festival: SLOW CINEMA WEEKENDTuesday, 31 January 2012 15:55 | Written by Steven Walker | | |
We highly recommend the superb SLOW CINEMA WEEKEND by AV Festival 12, taking place from Thu 8 March – Sun 11 March. Over this special weekend AV Festival welcome some of the world’s leading filmmakers to Newcastle to screen and discuss their rarely seen work, across Tyneside Cinema and Star & Shadow Cinema. Representing the most exciting cinema across Europe, Latin America, South-East Asia and the UK, these uncompromising and visionary filmmakers are devoted to the art of film. Including Fred Kelemen, one of the boldest German filmmakers of the last 20-years; Lav Diaz internationally celebrated as the ideological father of the New Philippine Cinema; Lisandro Alonso one of the most accomplished and original Argentine artists working today; and the distinctive UK filmmaker Ben Rivers. You can attend individual films or the whole weekend with the AV Festival special weekend pass. The Programme is:
Thu 8 March, 6pm-7.45pm Tyneside Cinema Fate is a remarkable debut film, admired by Sontag as “a visionary, one-of-a-kind achievement”. Taking place over one night in... more Thu 8 March, 8.30pm-12am Star and Shadow Cinema Frost is a landmark European film, cementing Kelemen as an inheritor of Fassbinder and Herzog. This three-hour epic 16mm film focuses on a mother and son... more Fri 9 March, 11am-12.30pm Tyneside Cinema A panel of filmmakers and critics discuss their work and current trends within contemporary cinema, including: Fred Kelemen, Lav Diaz, Lisandro Alonso... more
Fri 9 March, 1.45pm-3.20pm Tyneside Cinema Alonso’s brilliant debut film follows a day in the life of Misael, a migrant woodcutter absorbed in ceaseless manual work in the... more
Fri 9 March, 3.30pm-5.15pm Tyneside Cinema Alonso’s second feature is the enigmatic journey of released convict Vargas, through the jungle to reunite with his daughter... more
Fri 9 March, 6pm-8.30pm Star and Shadow Cinema Kelemen’s third feature is a devastating, tender and sublime masterpiece. Expanding the location to Portugal integrates... more
Fri 9 March, 9.30pm-11pm Star and Shadow Cinema A woman waits on the street kerb, a group plan a robbery, a musician plays guitar and a visitor wanders the city; these... more Sat 10 March, 11am-12pm Star and Shadow Cinema Slow Action is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film, operating between documentary, ethnography and fiction. Filmed at different islands across... more Sat 10 March, 1pm-11pm Star and Shadow Cinema Three strangers arrive in rural Sagada. Past revolutionaries, they adopt different identities to manage their trauma. Exploring the legacy of failed revolution... more Sat 10 March, 7.45pm-11pm Tyneside Cinema This preview of Bela Tarr’s last ever work, filmed in collaboration with Kelemen, depicts six days in the life of a father, daughter and their horse trapped... more Sun 11 March, 11am-12.30pm Star and Shadow Cinema Rivers’ first feature-length film documents the solitary existence of Jake, who lives in isolation in a remote Scottish forest. He is seen in all seasons, surviving... more Sun 11 March, 1pm-7.30pm Star and Shadow Cinema Stories about a Christian religious cult and a self-involved filmmaker, are brilliantly intertwined in Diaz's newest film, premiered at the Venice Film Festival... more Sun 11 March, 9pm-11pm Star and Shadow Cinema Evoking Ulysses, Alonso’s latest film follows estranged seaman Ferrel on a journey home to his family. Filmed in snowy Tierra del Fuego, the world’s most... more Last Updated (Tuesday, 31 January 2012 16:32) NE GENERATION PARTICIPATION TRAINING PROGRAMMEFriday, 27 January 2012 13:20 | Written by Steven Walker | | |
NE-Generation has developed a tailored programme of participation training for cultural practitioners and organisations in the North East. The training has been shaped by the knowledge, experience and identified needs of our funded projects. The training is intended to both support and further enhance youth participation within organisations working in the arts, culture and youth sectors in the North East.
DATES Training -Developing a strategy Thurs 23 Feb 2012 9.30 – 1 or 1.30 - 5 Training - Implementing a strategy Thurs 15 Mar 2012 9.30 - 1 or 1.30 - 5 Training - Evaluating a strategy Thurs 19 April 2012 9.30 - 1 or 1.30 - 5 Training - Sustaining a strategy Thurs 10 May 2012 9.30 - 1 or 1.30 - 5 Developing the Youth Charter Thurs 14 June 2012 10 - 3 Participation Conference Thurs 12 July 2012 Details to be announced
TRAINING The four sessions are designed to work as a package to equip individuals and organisations to improve their work with young people. As such, we recommend attendance at all of the sessions to receive maximum benefit, though it is possible to attend selected events if full attendance is not possible. Each of the training topics will be delivered twice; a morning and an afternoon session.
CHARTER The charter will be developed collectively by managers, practitioners and young people working in arts and culture in the North East. The charter will be a statement of intention, motivation and commitment to the active participation of young people in service design, delivery and evaluation within cultural activity.
CONFERENCE Taking place on the eve of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this conference will be the culmination of the training and charter development. The conference will be an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the excellent cultural youth participation work from across the region and also launch the Youth Charter and look forward to the future for youth participation in culture for the North East and beyond.
WHY COME? - To enable your organisation to ‘embed youth participation’ in line with Arts Council England’s strategic priorities and work of the Bridge Organisation - To engage in a systematic process to achieve an effective youth participation strategy - To contribute to the development of a the Youth Charter - To invest in a coherent regional structure to develop and increase the participation of young people and to ultimately respond to the needs of young people in the region
WHO IS THIS FOR? The training is open to managers and practitioners working from across the statutory, voluntary or private sectors working in arts and culture.
WHERE? All training will take place at Castlegate Centre, Melbourne Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 2JQ
BOOKING Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come basis. To register for a place please head to our Eventbrite page http://negeneration.eventbrite.com/ and book onto each training session individually.
Training is free but a £50 fee will be charged for cancellations For more information please contact Anna Spencer on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
More information about the Youth Charter and Conference will be announced soon. To keep up to date with all the opportunities NE-Generation please use the following: Website www.ne-generation.org.uk Twitter @NEGeneration Facebook www.facebook.com/NE.Generation Last Updated (Friday, 27 January 2012 13:50) Job Opportunity: Female Producer, Open Clasp TheatreMonday, 23 January 2012 15:50 | Written by Steven Walker | | |
Our friends at Open Clasp are seeking an experienced Producer. Open Clasp is a women's theatre company and we specialise in creating high quality theatre from a female gaze for mixed audiences. As one of the Arts Council's new National Portfolio organisations, Open Clasp is seeking an experienced Producer to consolidate and build upon our achievements to date. We are looking for a female Producer as an important part of the role is working closely with participants, who are predominantly vulnerable women, and building relationships with these groups. You will use your entrepreneurial approach to realise the vision of the company and maximise its potential. The successful candidate will have experience of working within a theatre and/or community arts organisation, along with marketing and PR experience. This post also requires a proven track record of fundraising and income generation. The Producer will work 21 hours a week and the wages will be £27,052 - £28,636 pro rata. To download an application pack please click here. The closing date is 9th February. Last Updated (Monday, 23 January 2012 16:04) |
- Rayne Fellowships for Refugees, Up to £15,000 - Intercultural Arts can help you develop your idea
- A SONG TO SING: Call Out for life stories of Black, Asian and/or minority ethnic women and especially women from Gypsy/traveller communities - to produce a theatre production and encourage social debate.
- An update from the rather pro-active Crossings Group...
Thanks!
