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20ft to an Inch
In the end of November a twelve metre banner of "20ft to An Inch" was displayed on the bank on the River Severn in Worcester. Following this the banner toured three other venues around Worcester. It was the result of conversations that the artist had with visitors to the riverbank. The scale was taken from an engineering drawing by Edward Leader Williams "20ft to an inch" which enabled artist Robert Colbourne to mark the river at twenty foot intervals. Over a three month period, around three hundred people walked up and down the riverbank, recording like artists, but thinking in many different ways. Local schoolchildren recorded their observations, sounds and stories as did archaeologists. Colbourne recorded the important conversations he had with many groups and individuals, whilst walking with them between the twenty foot marks.
The result is a kind of 'prospect map' or a story of the riverside that might be used to inspire us to continue exploring the city's connection to the river. As one voice said on a river walk... "Any landscape is art isn't it? It doesn't necessarily have to be painted". Perhaps it just has to be experienced.
20ft to an Inch was commissioned as part of Liminal's Tranquillity is a State of Mind by Sustrans and as part of the improvements to Worcester's walking and cycling facilities.
Organ of Corti
Organ of Corti is a four metre high, visually transparent sonic crystal that takes sounds from the environment in which it is placed and recycles them, without adding any noise of its own. As you listen to the sounds of the roads or weir filtered by the sonic crystal, you can hear musical structures in what many would consider to be merely day-to-day noise of the environments in which we live. It was made by arts practice Liminal as part of Tranquillity is a State of Mind.
It was on tour in August 2011 at several different locations including the central London, Cotswold Water Park and Diglis Weir in Worcestershire.
For more information about the project please go to: www.organofcorti.co.uk
Sensory Journeys by artist, educator and designer Christian Nold
Pupils at Staple Hill Primary School and New Oak Primary School in Bristol, recently took part in a presentation at their school to show the outcome of Sensory Journeys by Christian Nold.
The artist has developed detailed Sensory Maps of the pupils' journey to school comparing journey by car with more sustainable forms of transport such as walking, cycling and scooting. The pupil's thoughts, feelings and sensory observations were recording through drawings and anecdotes about their local area and made into large-scale visual representations of the area. To find out more about the project visit Sensory Journeys.
Sensory Journeys was commissioned by Sustrans with funding through Bristol Cycling City, The Ernest Cook Trust and The Arts Council England, and support from Sustrans Bike It team.
The Portrait Bench
Sustrans is delivering a national project to extend the National Cycle Network into the heart of thousands of communities across the UK. For this The Sustrans' Art Programme is working with local communities to install unique street furniture with portraits of figures from the local community in 79 areas across the UK. Each community has the opportunity to design their own Portrait Bench where people can sit or stand on their own or in groups to have a photo taken as a memento of their visit. Visit the Portrait Bench page to find out more and find out more about the Portrait Bench design process. Find out more about walking and cycling schemes in your area here.
Prospectives
Liminal, Ackroyd and Harvey, and Christian Nold were commissioned to develop some new and exciting work exploring issues at the heart of Sustrans work and key to 21st century living - design of public space, health and well-being, the natural world and climate change. We have also collaborated with Platform and the Arnolfini in the development of The C-Word exhibition an investigation into carbon, climate, capital and culture.
Initial proposals for Prospectives ranged from scientific studies looking at the psychological effects of movement created by walking and cycling, to practical investigations into urban living and participative and performance work linked to the notion of journeys and arrival.
Prospectives was developed with seed funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Individual projects have been made possible through The Wellcome Trust, The Ernest Cook Trust, Arts Council England and The Bristol Cycling City Fund.
Fleet of Art Bikes by Gavin Turk
A Fleet of Art Bikes made by Gavin Turk, one of the infamous Young British Artists, pedalled through south Suffolk on Saturday 17th July 2010. Part of the Fleet: Art in the Haven Ports summer-long programme, the cycle ride ran from Ipswich waterfront to Landguard Fort, Felixstowe, Suffolk, National Route 51.
"It's time people got off their backsides and onto their bikes," says Gavin, who is famous for his recycling and appropriation of well-known works of art - which often involve him disguised as clichéd tragic anti-heroes or revolutionaries. "I have created Les Bikes du Bois Rond. The Bikes have become artworks, inspired by the work of André Cadere - who is an important artist of the 1970s that you've never heard of."
The Fleet programme of art and artists are based at significant historical sites - which can all be reached by train, bicycle, bus, ferry or on foot. To find out more about the project visit Fleet - Art in the Haven Ports.
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