Note to Posters and My Project

I’ve tried to put all new posters on the bog roll (oops, the blog roll) – if you’re not, let me know. If you would like your name linked to your personal blog or a related web-site, just let THE ADMINISTRATOR know. Thank you. If anyone has any probs or beefs, I will be in the office, probably until submission day at least. Things are hotting up.

This is the first SnapWeb result. It’s a strange, but very good feeling, to be putting up my project stuff. I’ve put quite a lot of work into it, over the past while, and I still see detailing required. Nets is a great reason to put it together now. And, look, I’m truly sorry if it’s not hand embroidered. Actually, I’d rather it was a Michael Moore documentary .

As it is, it will be either a slideshow or a compilation of  as large print-outs as I can get out of SnapWeb  resolution. I’ll find that out soon. Then there will be the centre-piece of the historic Der Spiegel cover, hopefully (again) mounted in a secure display case (behind a silk rope barrier).

There should also be some document folders – on a table.

One way or another, printer’s going to be running through the ink.

Work to be done.

Anyone notice how less stingy I was with post space when it came to my own? Perks.

Novia University ‘Virtual Gallery’

Eeva Dahlberg – Senior lecturer at Novia University of Applied Sciences, Turku has been visiting us in Cumbria this week. She has developed a wonderful ‘Virtual Gallery’ for us to use within the Exhibitions. The ‘space’ is modeled directly on their gallery space at Turku. We thought that it would be better to use their Virtual gallery space and populate it with images of works from Australia, UK and Finland. By retaining the space of the Finnish gallery it locates the overseas work firmly within a Finnish context.

The Virtual gallery at Novia University of Applied Sciences was created by Albert Mueller and Eeva Dahlberg. Eeva will post a link to this site with details of how to send images to her to be populate into the gallery space. Also looking forward to meeting up with Valerie on 21st June here at Cumbria.

Turku story rug

I am really excited to discover that as part of the Turku City of Culture Celebrations there will be a ‘happening’ to do with traditional Finnish rag rugs. Here in the UK, the tradition of making rag rugs was supposed to have been brought by Viking invaders in the 9th and 10th century. As I wrote to Angie Wyman:

“I know of the connection of rag rugs with Scandinavia very well. It has been argued by Ann Macbeth (Glasgow School of Needlework – but also lived in the Lake District) that Viking settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries brought looped Rya rug weaving techniques to the north of England via the Shetland Islands, Scotland then Cumbria. The shaggy, looped pile was eventually translated into the British rag rugs we know today once industrial production and availability of Hessian and wool cloth reached a critical mass in the early to mid 19th century – Britain’s domestic weavers were forced out of business at the same time.

I think that in 19th century Scandinavia domestic weaving continued, since their industrial revolution was later than ours but eventually with access to industrially produced cotton hence their woven rag rugs. Wouldn’t it be great to join the circle back up again and show them where the tradition ended up?”

This is the link to the Story Mat project webpage - hope it work! I would love to run some workshops or talk about the history of rag rugs in the UK

http://www.turku2011.fi/public/default.aspx?contentid=142472

A FINN BLOG?

A few days ago, Kati Reijonen posted a message to the Australian ‘Nets’ email list, which provides me with a Netwurks post opportunity. I’ve got some comments on different paragraphs (italics).

Netwurks blog is good but should we have another blog just to
discuss practical issues? I thought that the students could have thought
about this and they might eventually do it but not just now as they are
busy with something else. We need a communication platform NOW!

Invites, Kimmo in Qld, Kronos and the ‘Grand Prix’

I just sent out email WordPress invites to all on Sharon’s list. Presumably, if you’re here now, you got it.

You almost certainly just missed this opportunity:

’2009: Kimmo Pohjonen takes his Earth Machine Music program to Australia for a tour organized by Queensland Music Festival live on location with local farmers and their machines.’

July 25: Winton (population 1,500)
July 28: Blackall (population 1,100)
July 31: St. George (population 2,500)
Aug 2: Brisbane

But you can watch this beautiful collaboration with the Kronos Quartet, ‘Kluster’.

And here is a different kind of ‘word’ about the Live2011.com GRAND PRIX

The World’s Largest Media Art and New Media Competition

Of course, you want to be there.

Battle 2011

Watch Accordion Wrestling.

“Battle 2011 brings to stage also other forms of combat sports, such as budo, kick boxing and ultimate fighting.”

Perhaps there’ll be Sumo.

“The music composed by Kimmo Pohjonen will form the framework for the performance.”

The Finnish for accordion is ‘hanuri’.

“The new concept will be utilised as a Finnish cultural export product … Discussions have already been conducted for including parts of Battle 2011 in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games”

Next, by popular demand, ‘Saxophone Wrestling”.

TURKU 2011

University of Turku …with a department for the Science of Well-being

2011: celebrate the end of the first decade in turku (‘one view town‘), epicentre of happening euroculture

If anyone already knows what I just stumbled on, how come it didn’t get out at Workshop One?

Sorry, then to be the one to break the news that Turku 2011 is a big forthcoming European cultural event.

To get an idea of the scale of this thing, you can see the amount of effort and investment that went into preparing the winning bid, by checking the beautiful, Flash-created bidding document, ‘Turku on Fire: Turku for the European Capital of Culture 2011′ (178 pages).

I really find it hard to imagine all the connections that have quickly taken this to the stage where ‘Netwurkers’ are presumably also preparing for what must be up among the top ten exposure opportunities in our tiny lifetimes. Not to mention that the same thing’s supposed to be going on in the University of Cumbria - another story.


This is how quickly these waves travel. Next stop Turku – exhibitions, performances, be-ins, music in wooded parks on very long summer evenings. Who’s in? Communication is the key.

Ideas and their Implementers are Still Welcome

You may announce your interest in participating in the implementation of any of the projects in the Capital of Culture programme by contacting partners(a)turku2011.fi. You may also submit your ideas to the Idea Market, which will continue to be open on the Capital of Culture Web-site at http://www.turku2011.fi

The Turku 2011 Programme is an important element of the European Capital Culture − however, as a whole, the project is much larger.

- Everyone’s contribution is needed to build an unforgettable year of the European Capital Culture

PLUS

The founder of Linux operating system, Linus Torvalds is to be the official patron.

Turku, the European Capital of Culture, Initiates the World’s Largest Media Art Competition

Live2011.com Grand Prix invites artists and content producers working in the digital format to enter the competition in eight different categories, with a combined total value of prizes worth more than 140,000 euro.

AND EVEN!

Accordion Wrestling, ‘with performances which combine accordion playing with wrestling, will culminate in a large-scale production called Battle 2011 at the Paavo Nurmi Stadium in Turku’.

See what I’m saying?