Hi all

Does anybody have any video work by Rebecca Baron on DVD?

Chhers

Matt

1 More

Forgot to add Gary Hill to this.

Pete

'Stasis' - names

Just to put this on the Blog as well.  Here's a quick initial list of names in response to Matt's email re 'Stasis'

David Claerbout

Fiona Tan

Ori Gersht

Jutta Strohmaier

Christoph Brech

Catherine Yass

James Coleman

Mark Lewis

Not Video I know, but might be interesting in relation to the still and time.

Michael Wesely

- of course there are many others who fit into this catagory, but Wesely really pushing the boundaries with continuos exposures of up to 3 years in both B&W and Colour.

Pete

Hello!

I've finally arrived

Whitechapel

One of the prime functions of setting up the artists group Format I was told, was to create a critical and honest space for members of the group to have their work and ideas tested. A simple claim at first but one that is very difficult to maintain. Having said that the discussion that format provided for my emerging research was thorough, engaged and much needed.

Goshka Macuga's exhibition at the Whitechapel gallery provided an initially intimidating space to present to the group, being held as it was, in front of the Guernica Tapestry as gallery visitors and touring groups wandered around the table stopping to eavesdrop on our discussion. Very quickly however the crowds melted away and the setting of the round table and the backdrop of the tapestry lent the discussion a seriousness that I have never experienced before. The response from the group was tough, it was critical, it was honest and it was a privilege.

So I want to thank the members of Format, Suzanne, Claudia, Matt and Ronnie for making the trip and making the day worthwhile and thank you also to Jo Longhurst whose clarity of though was invaluable.

Liam

Response: Some thoughts about discussion.

Of course an intellectual enrichment through experience, dialogue and exchange is another seductive narrative, and a romantic one at that. But the potential benefits from dialogue by far outway any worries about the nature of that exchange. Experience is meant to be transformed into palatable narratives, sometimes heavily simplified and often embellished, in order to continue and maintain an intellectual and lucid lineage.

But there is a danger to assume that because a dialogue exists and is lucid it automatically means something: is real. Academics and artists often attempt to escape from certain entanglements of life so that they may better engage with their real and in doing so present themselves with the illusion of choice and freedom, but it is a choice and freedom set out by their own terms and engaged with by like minded colleagues and individuals. I do not mean to say that what results from that engagement does not produce interesting outcomes, merely that the clarity produced through their working process may present a quasi-aesthetic sense of having achieved something meaningful, something authentic.

So, the artist is in some sort of exile and is free from certain sections of her/his existence but by engaging in a dialogue supported by the perceived common ground of his/her peers, is she/he really free at all?

I really enjoyed the last Format meeting - big privilege to hear about Iran from the perspective of artists. Shame I didn't manage to talk to Farshid in the pub - but did learn a lot from Barang. I was really taken with a couple of Farshid's books - his translation of Camera Lucida is a beautiful object and his book on Amnesia (not the full title) has stayed with me.  The way he uses photographs and juxtaposition to look at  exile and memory resonates. I liked his work and could relate to what I took to be his sentiments about the dangers of superficiality. From what Barang said, the situation in Iran is complex and there's a rich artistic culture with a plethora of highly educated women. The threat to this seems to be coming as much from commodification as from Islamic fundamentalism. Well that's my take on it anyway who knows! I've been reading some of Goethe's ideas recently about the nature of civilised society and some of what Barbang and Farshid had to say about Iran seemed to be closer to Goethe's ideals than the west is currently managing.