This is an on-line research log, which chronicles and archives the traces and residue of the collaborative process of realizing the symposium, Practice Led Research - Multiple Perspectives in a Contemporary Art Context, hosted by the Excavation of the Contemporary Art Context class. Also interspersed in the research log is the tracking of my own personal research project's tangents, epitomes and overall development, as well as select sketchbook entries and notes from artist's talks, exhibitions, and so on.

Masters of Research in Creative Practices
Post-Graduate Forum

Practice-Led Research:
Multiple Perspectives in a Contemporary Art Context

Excavation of the Contemporary Art Context
Libby Wallace, Tekla Wozniak, Fiona Annis & Jess Ferrone
Mentor: Jim Harold

As a relatively new species of academic inquiry, practice-led research is a generative enquiry that ‘draws on subjective, interdisciplinary and emergent methodologies that have the potential to extend the frontiers of research.’ We propose three speakers who are exemplars in their fields and who offer particular insight into the application of research, specifically in the domains of curation, art practice, and academic theory. The invited speakers offer a range of specialized perspectives from their respective contributions to the contemporary art context.


Speakers

Judit Bodor is an art historian and freelance curator living in York, UK. Between 1999 and 2004 she has been involved in the activities of Artpool Art Research Centre an internationally established avant-garde art archive and exhibition space in Budapest, Hungary (www.artpool.hu). Since 2002 she has been researching and lecturing on archiving contemporary art and contemporary art archives as part of international series of art events, symposia and residency projects throughout Europe including Hungary, Slovenia, Poland, England and Northern Ireland. Currently she is a lecturer in BA Arts & Cultural Management and award leader of MA Curating in the Field of Art at Dartington College of Arts, UK. Since September 2006 she is also responsible for the public programme of The Gallery at the College.

Katrina Brown is founding Director of The Common Guild, a new visual arts organization based in Glasgow that is dedicated to producing an international programme of contemporary visual art projects, exhibitions, and events. Prior to her work with The Common Guild, Katrina was Curator and Deputy Director of the highly successful Dundee Contemporary Arts, and was responsible for its internationally-renowned programme of visual arts exhibitions, which introduced a number of significant international artists to Scottish and UK audiences as well as supported artists based in Scotland via the commissioning of new works and publications. She has also worked at Tate Liverpool and Tramway, Glasgow and was a committee member of Transmission Gallery in the early 1990s.

Christine Borland is Scottish born and based and is one of the countries most prominent artists. She is currently an Academic Researcher at Glasgow School of Art where her involvement in teaching extends over ten years and includes lecturing in the Sculpture/ Environmental Art Department. Short-listed for the Turner Prize in 1997, Christine is particularly distinguished for her deployment of both current and archaic medical protocols, forensic science practices, and engagement with biotechnology tools and ethics, to create complex and informed artwork. These intersections are revealed in a spectrum of projects ranging from gallery installations, book works, and public sculpture projects. Christine’s approach is particularly relevant to this symposium, in respect to how the process of research, embodied in work involving interdisciplinary collaboration, unfolds and informs contemporary art practice.

symposia

Symposium scene
Fresco from the Tomb of the Diver, 475 BC.
Paestum National Museum, Italy

Symposium originally referred to a drinking party attended by intellectuals in ancient Greece, but has since come to refer to any academic conference. The sympotic elegies (a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead) of Theognis, as well as two Socratic dialogues, Plato's Symposium and Xenophon's Symposium, all describe symposia in the original sense, that is, along with games, boys, and singing, symposiasts could also compete in rhetorical contests, for which reason the term symposium has come to refer to any event where multiple speeches are made.

In relation to the origins of symposium as a festive gathering, the Greek verb sympotein indeed means to drink together, however, in keeping with Greek notions of self-restraint and propriety, the symposiarch decides the ratio of wine to water, and would often prevent matters from getting out of hand. The playwright Euboulos, in a surviving fragment of a lost play has the god Dionysos describe proper and improper drinking:

For sensible men I prepare only three kraters: one for health, the second for love and pleasure, and the third for sleep. After the third one is drained, wise men go home. The fourth krater is not mine any more - it belongs to bad behaviour; the fifth is for shouting; the sixth is for rudeness and insults; the seventh is for fights; the eighth is for breaking the furniture; the ninth is for depression; the tenth is for madness and unconsciousness.


ScholarlyCommuns at Penn. (online journal) Euboulos' Ankylion and the Game of Kottabos. [cited Jan 30, 2008] http://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/13/

on love

The Symposium is a philosophical dialogue written by Plato sometime after 385 BC. It is a discussion on the nature of love, taking the form of a series of speeches, both satirical and serious, given by a group of men at the house of the tragedian Agathon at Athens. Included in the chronicle are six relatively formal speeches, each representing an intellectual discipline, interspersed by discussion; followed by a seventh unplanned speech by Alcibiades. Thus the Symposium becomes a dramatized example of a time-honoured motif, seven sages at dinner.

It would seem that Plato regards love, recognized as a forms of beauty, as an essential ingredient of the philosophic path and the search for wisdom.



"Beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty, but realities, (for he has hold not of an image but of a reality), and bringing forth and nourishing true virtue to become the friend of God and be immortal, if mortal man may."
Sec. 212

collaborative efforts

collaborate |kəˈlabəˌrāt| verb
ORIGIN - latin from the verb collaborare: col ‘together’ + laborare ‘to work’
to work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something,
also, to cooperate traitorously with an enemy

By citing collaboration, calling collaboration, casting collaboration beyond singular sight invites a way of reading what takes place that pushes any event or any seemingly singular thing off of itself and into a mobile space, a transient space, a creative space - a future space as it is always more than one - it is always between.

(Rebecca Schnieder, Encounters, 2007)

begin

January 31, 2008

Excavation of the Contemporary Art Context
Symposium Planning Session

We had our first planning session and it went really well. The symposium's possible theme came so easily to us that it almost seemed to fall from the sky. The emerging theme, practice as research, focuses primarily on process, which both allows the four of us to really consider the core content of the master's of research programme, while also allowing us each to invite a speaker who is specific to our subject/discipline concerns. I hope to invite Christine Borland, it has been sometime now that I am looking at her work, and I would love the opportunity to meet her. There seems to be a fluid coherence with my colleagues, both in strategy and concerns.

Meeting Minutes 01 / 30.01.08

Present:
Libby (LW)
Finn (FA)
Jess (JF)
Jim (JH)

Absent:
Tekla (TW)

1. Revised notes handed out with timetable
2. ALL / Agree that there will be a rotation of roles in Minute taking and Chairing the meeting
3. JH: Symposium Format discussion. JH goes through list on timetable (date 30th January) what areas we are aiming to cover
4. ALL- Brainstorm via post-it notes as per project management > taskboard > see wall with ‘post its’ on
5. JF / Role of ‘us’ in the symposium – i.e. are we going to present or are we going to focus on the speakers and our role being a ‘chair’ or ‘respondent. – Role as creating dialogue.
6. JH / The definition of ‘symposium’ – how does music and drinks at another location sound?
7. FA / Flexibility on time/location
8. ALL / looking at how the standard postgraduate program fits into our subject outline.
9. JF / urgent is a) can we have one of the PG Forum dates and b) what are the restrictions on the venue / funding / date etc First step being claiming PG session.
10. FA / Are we restricted to that date. JH notes that the date specified is to fit in with the bigger picture of the session and to ensure we have enough time, so it would be best to try and fit as close to this as possible.
ALL / starting to go through the post it notes and moving them around and prioritising them. Suggestions of Christine Borland and Ross BIrrell
11. JH notes that its interesting that we have gravitated towards concept then speaker rather than speaker determining concept
12. Is artist/researcher a potential theme?
13. JH speaks about Lapland / artist researcher term and a general awareness
14. Outcomes – can the ambiguity of this term drive an outcome such as a publication that discusses it.
15. FA/ suggests that it would be a good opportunity for everyone to suggest a speaker inline with their discipline
16. FA questions JH about whether he still sees himself as an artist researcher
17. FA what is the relationship of a ‘gesture’ and ‘theory’
18. LW says role of research in the practice. This is a different factor and has a different definition between everyone.
19. ALL general idea of ‘justifying and explaining’ being difficult in the process of practice.
20. Topic of artist / researcher is a timely theme based on our course content.
21. JH suggests talking / having Sue as one of the Speakers. Visual Arts Project located on King St in Glasgow Re: Artists located in an institution because there was someone in there that they wanted to work with > does Sue have a booklet n this - strategy, choosing an institution and finding an artists who has an appropriate methodology and teasing out particular research interests together. Tom Lawson > Dean of Arts in Cal Arts interesting project in relation to Scottish Parliament.
22. FA / thinking about the curation of such a project.
23. JF / Suggest maybe Katrina Browne from a different perspective. Organisations that facilitate that happening.
24. How doe curators use research I their ‘practice’ i.e. that as a practice of curating. Broadening the terminology and focus…
25. JH says consider Transmission curating method and Street Level photography gallery. JH can introduce to Malcolm if necessary. Sue to Katrina etc
26. FA / what’s the gap in the Objectives vs the actual class timetable in relation to the whole Excavation of the contemporary art context. Can we get someone from a place like Transmission to give us a crash course in the basics?
27. JH/ Sarah Lowndes: Is this a potential speaker towards this topic area based on the book that’s listed on the reading list.
28. JH / alternatively can we have half hour sessions with Transmission / street level in one of our spare sessions for the year?
29. FA this being a class session rather than as part of the forum.?
30. JH do we want the theme of excavation to be a focus of our forum or separate?
31. JH Toby Webster / Modern Institute – gives background on the setting up, and split etc
32. Arts infrastructure or artist researcher ? one as a fallback session? The interview session may suggest a Symposium topic that cannot be ignored!
33. JH is there a specific subject matter that is important? i.e. food – if our overarching theme is research in practice maybe this will dominate. Jackie Donaghie > food , communal table experience
34. Everyone gives KB a rap! LW notes its important that the speakers are relevant to the greater school
35. JH raises thought of House for an Art Lover
36. JF suggest Anthony Schraag due to his GOMA exhibition, and what Irit spoke about in Transformation Design
37. JH / John Calcott (?) curation focus, based in school and running a department? Smithson film
38. JH work with historical and current practitioners and the dialogue that generates between them…
39. FA what the invite will look like, how the draft will be done… we have until the 20.02.08 inline with the project timetable.
40. JH no entry to Transmission, consider Saucha (?) Dallas and Market Gallery. There are others…..
41. JH/The idea of an un/de-regulated space, Ross Sinclair T-shirt shop…2 for the price of one….
42. JH/Malcolm - Slightly more gallery based now but did have a background of exhibiting in non-gallery base.
43. JH/Intermedia on King Street, Market could be interesting to speak with.
44. JH Dundee – artist run initiatives, pay expenses of travel but JH knows artist groups that could be drawn on – dynamic.
45. JH possibility to divide up sessions on two main themes across days. Could we have one of the classes as a forum and open it up to others? Tow on one day, tow on another? JH says for him to devise a scheme to mark fairly.
46. ALL agree maybe wait for Tekla. JH says no decisions need to be made yet
47. JH says remember hat the forum can take a variety of formats. i.e. is it just performance, is it an introduction and then video? Is it four seminars separately?
48. ALL / sent email to L.Beattie requesting Postgraduate Forum Session.
49. Depending on her response we will discuss actions next week. Two strands at moment, mull over strands we feel are most important. Be pragmatic about the scope and keep in mind its 25% of the total.

project management

notes and mapping - Laura would be proud

PG forum (request + response)

31/01/08

Dear Lisa,

We are writing to enquire about the possibility of hosting a Postgraduate Forum session on the 17^th of April, 2008. If you could please let us know if this is possible and communicate more detail on the use of facilities, provision of funding and organisational criteria which needs to be met.

We look forward to your response,

Tekla Wozniak, Fiona Annis, Jess Ferrone, Libby Wallace
(Excavation of Contemporary Art Context, MRes programme)

01/02/08

Dear Tekla, Fiona, Jess and Libby,

Thank you for your enquiry – it's great you want to get together and do this.

I would book the venue for you – the staff lounge - and the order refreshments etc (we have a budget and a supplier for this - usually snacks and wine/water etc, but if you have any special dietary requirements please do let me know).

Firstly I will check availability of the lounge on the 17th, then provisionally book it through Estates. Will check today and get back to you as soon as they respond. The staff lounge is the space through from the canteen which looks across to the Mac building. It's a good space with plenty of chairs, a few comfy sofas and tables. If you'd like to have a look first I can bring you there. If you have anymore questions it's no problem – otherwise I'll get back to you with the availability of the venue.

Best wishes

Lisa Beattie
Administrative Officer
Research & Postgraduate Studies Office

night-sea crossing
smuggled bulb - Amsterdam to Newcastle

symposium questions

How is research carried out in the contemporary art context?
Traditional research outcomes, such as producing an original contribution to knowledge, how does this apply in visual arts?
What is the structure of this knowledge?

Practice-led research

29/02/08

"The emergence of the discipline of practice-led research highlights the crucial relationship that exists between theory and practice and the relevance of theoretical and philosophical paradigms for the contemporary art practitioner.”

"Practice-led research is a new species of research, generative enquiry that draws on subjective, interdisciplinary and emergent methodologies that have the potential to extend the frontiers of research.”

Barrett, E. & B. Bolt (eds.) Practice as Research - Approaches to Creative Arts Enquiry. LB Tauris; 2007

SYMPOSIUM PROJECT PROPOSAL

RE: MASTERS OF RESEARCH IN CREATIVE PRACTICES
SYMPOSIUM PROJECT PROPOSAL [28.02.08]


Title of Symposium: Practice-Led Research
Subtitle: Multiple Perspectives in a Contemporary Art Context

Hosts: MRes Students: Tekla Wozniak, Fiona Annis, Jess Ferrone, Libby Wallace

Date: 17th of April, 2008
Location: Mac Theatre for Speaker presentation, Staff Lounge for refreshments
Time: Speakers 4-6pm, refreshments 6pm onwards.

Theme
The Masters of Research in Creative Practices programme at the Glasgow School of Art explores in large part the emergence of the discipline of practice-led research, and highlights the crucial relationship that exists between theory and practice. As a relatively new species of research, practice-led is a generative enquiry that ‘draws on subjective, interdisciplinary and emergent methodologies that have the potential to extend the frontiers of research.’

Within this programme, the course ‘Excavation of the Contemporary Art Context’ is situated in the Fine Art Pathway. As students focused on fine art praxis, we propose to host a symposium that facilitates dialogue around the current and diverse relationship of research and practice in the milieu of contemporary fine art. We propose four speakers who are exemplars in their fields and who offer particular insight into the application of research, specifically in the domains of curation, art praxis, academic theory and publishing. The invited speakers offer a range of specialized perspectives from their respective contributions to the contemporary art context.


Prospective Audience
Postgraduate students, research staff and the greater GSA community


Speakers
Katrina Brown – Curator and Director, Common Guild, Glasgow based
Ross Birrell – Artist and Editor ‘Art and Research’ Journal, Glasgow based
Christine Borland – Artist and GSA Research Fellow, Location to be confirmed
Judit Bodor – Curator and Lecturer in BA Arts and Cultural Management and award leader of MA Curating. Dartington College of Arts, UK. Based in York, UK.

*We anticipate travel expenses for Christine Borland & Judit Bodor.

Promotion of Symposium
Announcement on VLE
Announcement on GSA Website in ‘News’ section
A3 Posters for GSA and artist-run gallery display
Friday Event announcement – last event March 7th, 2008.
Publicity to artist galleries in order to attract artists and curators from across Glasgow



Funding Request


Speakers
Katrina Brown
Travel – lives Glasgow 0
Food - 0
Hotel 0
Fee *TBC
Christine Borland
Travel – mileage approx 200 miles @ standard GSA rate
Food 0
Hotel 0
Fee *TBC
Ross Birrell
Travel – lives Glasgow 0
Fee *TBC
Judit Bodor
Travel – York to Glasgow /return 80
Food 20
Hotel – one night standard GSA rate
Fee *TBC
Total 100 + 2 standard GSA rates

*TBC – We are assuming that speakers who are affiliated with the school in a professional capacity will either not require a fee or the school will absorb the cost of their fee. Fees for the other two speakers will be enquired about in the Letter of Invitation and the Research Office advised for a Final Decision.


Communication
Posters 20 x A3 colour prints for display around GSA and artist run galleries 50
Handbills 100 x A5 colour handouts of same info as poster 30
Symposium Program 100 x A5 leaflet / programme noting abstract of symposium, speaker info, timetable of day 20


Event Programme

Speaker
To be confirmed Time
Total time: 2 hours of presentations Description
(subject to change depending on final speaker lineup and content)
MRes 5 min General Welcome and Introduction to topic

MRes 5 min Introduction to Speaker
S01 4-4.15pm Speaker Presentation
4.20 – 4.30pm Questions from Floor

MRes 5 min Introduction to Speaker
S02 4.30 – 4.45pm Speaker Presentation
4.50 – 5pm Questions from Floor

MRes 5 min Introduction to Speaker
S03 5-5.15pm Speaker Presentation
5.20 – 5.30pm Questions from Floor

MRes 5 min Introduction to Speaker
S04 5.30-5.45pm Speaker Presentation
5.50 – 6pm Questions from Floor

6pm onwards Refreshments in Staff Lounge.

*The order of speakers will be determined once we have confirmation of attendance.

Funding

Dear Fiona,

Many thanks for your revised proposal. I have brought this to both Professor Barfield and Laura Gonzalez, who thank you for your hard work and response to earlier feedback.

Professor Barfield would be happy to contribute £150 from our PG Forum budget. To provide further support to your plans, Laura has kindly agreed to accept bids for up to £150 from the Mres budget. Compared to previous PG Forums this is an ambitious project, and while both Laura and Naren would like to express their support, they need to avoid setting a precedent.
If you’d like to, Laura would be happy to meet and discuss further – just let me know.

Best wishes

Lisa

Letter of Invitation

March 07, 2008

Dear Christine,

I am writing to invite you to speak at the upcoming postgraduate symposium, Practice Led Research – Multiple Perspectives in a Contemporary Art Context, to take place at the Glasgow School of Art on Thursday, April 17, 2008.

This event is initiated by four post-graduate students in the Masters of Research in Creative Practices programme at the Glasgow School of Art. This programme explores the role of research within the creative disciplines. The aim of this symposium is to assemble a diverse panel of speakers who offer a range of perspectives on the process and application of research in the curatorial, artistic, academic, and publisher/editor creative contexts. Subject to final confirmation, our proposed panel includes Katrina Brown (The Common Guild), Judit Bodor (Dartington College of Arts), Ross Birrell (The Glasgow School of Art)), and yourself. Our anticipated audience are the Glasgow School of Art postgraduate students, research staff and the greater GSA community.

Through exploring a couple of your book-works, such as Progressive Disorder, I was particularly interested by your experience of interdisciplinary research and collaboration, and how this process unfolds and informs your art practice. As many of the current students in the Masters of Research programme are practicing artists and are redefining their own practice in the context of research, we felt that your contribution as a practicing artist may offer particular insight.

We anticipate each of the four guests will give a presentation for approximately 20 minutes, communicating their personal experience of how research informs their practice. Each of these presentations will be followed by 10 minutes for questions. The afternoon, 3-5pm symposium will be followed by refreshments hosted by the Masters of Research students.

Pending confirmation, we hope to cover your travel costs to and from your home. Please feel free to respond with any questions you may have, and I will contact you shortly to inquire if you will be able to join us.

Sincerely,

Fiona Annis
GSA MRes postgraduate student



Sample Speaker Letter

On Dialogue

"Questions and answers depend on a game - a game that is at once pleasant and difficult - in which each of the two partners takes pains to use only the rights given him by the other and by the accepted form of the dialogue."



Rabinow, P. The Foucault Reader. (1984) "Polemics, Politics, and Problemization: An interview with Michel Foucault" London: Penguin Books (p. 381)

christine borland

Christine Borland is an internationally recognized artist and research fellow of the Glasgow School of Art. Short-listed for the Turner Prize in 1997, Christine is particularly distinguished for her deployment of both current and archaic medical protocols, forensic science practices, and engagement with biotechnology tools and ethics, to create complex and informed bodies of artwork. These cross-sections continue to be an integral part of her work, and are apparent in a spectrum of projects that Christine has completed, ranging from gallery instillations such as This Being you Must Create, to book works like Progressive Disorder, and public sculpture projects as To Be Set & Sown in the Garden.

Christine’s work exemplifies a thread of interest particular to this symposium, in respect to how the process of research, in this case embodied in work involving interdisciplinary collaboration, unfolds and informs contemporary art practice. As a practicing artist Christine’s perspective brings to this symposium a particular insight in relation to practice-led research.


I have proposed Christine as the speaker I hope to invite as I see parallel interests and concerns, in that core content includes notions of life and death, the monstrous and the sublime.

Christine Borland, Spirit Collection: Hippocrates, 1999, Installation View (Detail)

deregulated spaces

Went to an exhibition in a barn last night hosted by Washington Garcia, an artist-run initiative by three graduates of GSA's MFA programme. A really interesting initiative...

Washington Garcia is an independent artist run gallery based in Glasgow. We use a variety of venues as and when they become appropriate for our artists. Our focus is on presenting high-quality work by mid-career and established artists who may not currently have a profile within the city of Glasgow: these may be artists who call Glasgow home but who exhibit more frequently internationally; or artists from elsewhere in the UK or Overseas who have not yet had a major exhibition in a Glasgow gallery. We place a premium on highly resolved and ambitious work across all fine art media. Our aim is to find venues – domestic or industrial, retail or white cube - that complement the individual artist's practice and reveal the work in a distinctive or challenging context.

www.washingtongarciagallery.com

Meeting Minutes 02 / 06.02.08

Present.
Libby (LW)
Finn (FA)
Jess (JF)
Tekla (TW)
Jim (JH)
JH: Transmission portraiture – there is good exhibition on here at the moment which is worth going to see
JH: Toby Webster at Transmission > JH spoke to him and he is tentatively interested in the Symposium if we want to take it in that direction. i.e. professional curator / gallery focus
JH: Briefly went through some conferences / speakers etc such as Creative Industries: Milton Keynes. / Speakers. Enterprises…New Labours Vision. Symposium 27.02.08. Handout.
JH: Utrecht. Modules – see handout
JH: 2 day conferences 7-8 March, 2008 > look behind traditional path to exhibiting. NVA – Angus Farquarson ‘Out of the Box’
JH: studio 1.1, past student at GSA
LW We met through the week and went through the Minutes and briefly discussed with Tekla
Questions that came from our mid week meeting….
FA Research as practice: how flesh it out? An angle? Meet with an idea of why we were selecting certain people might be a way to consolidate the idea of practice based approach/theme
LW the idea of getting professional prac people is still interesting but not so much as a symposium, more as to be fitted into class scheduled time, visiting galleries etc
JF The first assessment query: is it just a typed paper or what is it?
JH Given that there are more students than last year , play it by ear.
Based on this format of the symposium will determine how we interpret this – i.e. a text piece of around 500 words would be suitable perhaps the ‘introduction’ of the symposium guests.
JH explaining assessment process, mainly the rationale behind the written document is proof / material for the external examiner as they would not be attending the symposium presentation and therefore cannot assess it. There needs to be some format of hardcopy to accompany this.
JH says bare with him, he’ll speak to Sue Brind about this component of the assessment.
FA Should we be considering Studio 55 as a possible forum / method for a publication?
TW we don’t want to double up work – can we tie it in somehow to the already allocated assessment tasks
JH We need to consider how the publication would work with the timetable problems. Time between symposium and submission may allow for a paper. A proposal? May be the thing we use to hand out as a program…inline / a piece about the individual you chose to speak. He will double-check it – potentially we can then reflect on whether what we thought would happen / the contribution they would make when we invited them did actually happen.
LW summary – potentially the visual and verbal component of the assessment is/will be the program part of the symposium to be completed prior to the event.
JH: use the contacts made in the gallery visits as invites to symposiums. You can potentially host the Symposium at one of these venues?
FA what about an offsite venue? No problems for me….FA communicates Lisa Beatties response about confirmation for booking on the 17/ 4/08 inclusive of catering and budget etc at the staff lounge. We realised in mid week meeting that the Mac Theatre was not actually booked and thought we should look into it…
What do we think of the staff lounge as a suitable venue for the speaking part of the Symposium – we going to look into the Mac Room ?
LW The Mac room is preferable as this works for access to catering, Transmission gallery there may be difficulty in chairs / moving people from the speaking venue to the catering venue etc
FA Ok, so we will request the Mac Room or similar.
JH how many does it fit?
JF approx 100?
JH Mac lecture theatre is much better as it has infrastructure etc rather than simply a conference room.
FA should we shortlist the speakers?
LW How about we do a statement for each of the speakers we have expressed an interest in and tie it together in themes?
TW Focus on the research aspect or the process aspect of the theme of Practice Led Research?
JH Practiced based research is valid theme but maybe it needs to be finessed. Can we free up an afternoon by resolving some issues earlier?
LW I am not prepared to speak on Ross Birrell now…in speaking to the theme as I do not know enough about his work
JH Christine Borland could be a starting point… then use her as a focus and develop, and select other speakers around this… Can we have two speakers in discussion, then two speakers in discussion then have a communal discussion at the end…? What is it about Christine specifically that interests you?
FA Elaborates on Christine Borland
Research Fellow at GSA
Collaborated with Glasgow University
Residencies…
Cross disciplinary guides the work
JH the booklet form her residency has essays from people from the institution…interesting dynamic possibly for a symposium..
LW RB as from an editorial perspective speaking to this interdisciplinarity or from an artist perspective?
FA we saw in his talk in class that in his art practice he does find a hook and then explore from there…
TW We don’t want to ask him to speak about his work (the same as in this class) as it could be that he would be repeating it?
JH Typically speakers would / could reinvent it for this occasion? Potentially Nicky Bird as she has experience with research and practice
FA we are hesitant to invite her as we have heard about her work to some extent last session…
JH can we ask the speakers to approach it from the different institutional structures or what are the other themes….that is academic, curator/gallery, editorial…studio 55
LW I hesitate to be too prescriptive?
JH well you need to be in a way…you can say – I have heard you speak about a,b,c and could you focus on this and tease out this argument..
FA taking off from that – research in a contemporary art context …there are already themes i.e. artist, editor, curator, ?
JH why Ross in particular? As an editor? As?
LW there are some many aspects he can speak on…refer Finns sketch up
TW Tracey Warr – Is she appropriate now and how does she fit into the themes….still a possibility, but needs to do more research…
JH to JF still Katrina?
JF still interested in her…
JH Christine and Katrina are friends – dialogue, conversation could be an interesting discussion but perhaps you are interested in the more curatorial aspects and its not so appropriate…recap on three guests…an artist, an editor/academic/artist, a curator
LW or is it three speakers and fourth speaker spot is dialogue
FA we can have either – there is enough for fourth speaker and still dialogue…
TW will still look into it…
JH don’t be put off by the time phrase, the academic conference there is a key note speaker…and then 15-20 minute papers > hour and 45 minutes and then ½ hour discussion. Just think about what you want the structure to be…
FA contributors to the contemporary art context…exciting
NH Nicky Milligan – New Moves > performance live arts – could she be a possible speaker? She has organised large international live art festival…10-15 years experience...but it would be from a curatorial perspective.. Performance has become somewhat ghetto’ ised…Richard Layzell, interesting performance artist and has written about it and he is very good at running workshops and is interesting performer. Consider these (to TW)
FA meeting New Media class…I need to book it….
LW How about a meeting in Reading Week? Tie in our own research on each person with the tentative sketch of the contemporary art focus discussed found today
TW trying to not to focus soon people from far, far away…
JH go to environmental art department at GSA and ask them about performance artists that may be around. Most are down south and this incurs costs….
FA ‘encounters’ book in the library...performance and photography as documentation…not one off performances but one singular photographer…
JH in his past work experience… the joys and horrors of documenting performance artists…
JH finalising concept, no structure, total form, list of potential speakers and their contributions, and documentation … promotion we will know better when we work out theme
Next week reading week… following week shortlist …all set.
3000 word is definite but I will ask Sue about it specifically.
Rest is all up for grabs basically.
JH to TW Angus Farqhar – dramatic events. NVA. Tess Department? Band in the 80’s? management or musician – chose a glen in the highlands and Buddhists , map that you followed to encounter performances
Think about the gender balance – should you keep it all women? Does it matter? Up to you?...Does this impact on the way women research?
Locating the Symposium in house may mean promotion and management should be a little easier….this may free up some tutorial space…where we can look at your work. I am happy to stay back for further discussions if need be subject to other meetings etc..
JH meant to say last week the food program is on Sunday at 12.30 Radio 4 .

END.

Scotland

still image: JPC/K
Isle of Arran, 2008

heather
arrow slits
bloodied sheared wool
underground tube recording, please report suspicious behavior
multiple projections
so many shades of gray
whisky soaked rags

responding to architecture (shape, forms, metaphysical)
responding to location (geographic, cultural, weather, light, history)

this is a time and space to form a language.

Friday Event - Nan Hoover

in/out
light installation
Dusseldorf, 1993

Notes from lecture:

There are a spectrum of qualities of light - and how different light conditions affect how we perceive. All of the shades of gray in Glasgow - light stops only when it catches something.

Light touching the body - an erotic element

The origins of ideas (seed of a work) are bridges of thought
Why do we cross-disciplines? New ways of working are at our fingertips - inscribing space.

Instillation, like performance, only happens once, but survives, post-life, in documentation.

The joy & contribution of the artist is creating works that live outside of themselves.

Intention of transportation by slowing down time, a space for reflection which is where original thought lives.

shades of gray

In conversation -

Why did you want to return to Glasgow?
The rain and mist and so many shades of gray that are never black and white

The fact that you were born there and now returned as an adult?
The roots in birth, blood of the context, folds in memory.

What is luminous there? Are there presences we do not have here?
Gothic ghosts and mists that envelope. The city is not my home but rocky highlands and circles of standing stones have snagged my heart.

* Imagining Science *

Exhibitions (upcoming Nov 2008)
Imagining Science, University of Alberta

Imaging Science is a unique exhibition project built on a series of conversations and collaborations between internationally recognized artists, scientists, bio-ethicists, lawyers and contemporary philosophers. The exhibition addresses the impact of the rapidly changing world of genetics, bio-technologies and human engineering, and the many significant breakthroughs, challenges and controversies that have arisen in the last decade with advancements made in new life science technologies: stem cell research, cloning, genetic testing.

Shawn Bailey visual artist and a founding member of BIOTEKNICA
Fiona Annis interdisciplinary artist based in Montreal
Christine Borland one of Scotland's most successful and internationally recognized artists
Sean Caulfield Canadian Research Chair in Printmaking at the University of Alberta
Royden Mills Canadian-born sculptor and instructor
Christine Davis
Liz Ingram Art & Design professor at the University of Alberta
Bernd Hildebrand
Eduardo Kac, Chicago-based artist recognized for his interactive net installations and bio art
Lyndal Osborne, Edmonton based artist who uses the natural world as her canvas
Catherine Richards, visual artist working in old and new media art
Adam Zaretsky, "bioartist" who also works as a research affiliate in Arnold Demain's Laboratory for Industrial Microbiology and Fermentation in the MIT's Department of Biology

Gaps

'Witness' - Susan Hiller, Audio Sculpture, 2000

Susan Hiller Recall: Selected Works 1969-2004
DVD - Directed by Gary Malkin, Produced by the Baltic Library

This new insight to Susan Miller's work leaves me thinking about collecting, in her case often collecting accounts of social phenomena. In collecting there is a curation, a framing of accounts, which is then ciphered through the mind and hands of the artist, and with the aid of various media, and then returned to the public.

I enjoyed the way she spoke of subject matter vs. content. Iterating that they are not the same thing - and that confusion often limited people in reading contemporary art. A still life often contains metaphors (the moralistic content of las vanitas for example) How to read between the lines becomes crucial.

Also, another analogy in the presentation of work: the physical space between objects, the gaps, if systematically leveled the gaps between the works can read like the black spaces between frames of film, putting stills in motion creating a unified whole.

Meeting Minutes 03/ 02.20.08

Present:
Jess (JF)
Fiona (FA)
Libby (LW)
Tekla (T)
Jim (JH)

1. JH. Next Wednesday gallery tour - 9:45 Edinborough departure Queen St. Station to visit gardens, Fruitmarket, etc.
2. JH Boring task: forms GSA trip form
3. Review last weeks progress. Professor Barfield’s feedback.
Supports project
design…
submit timetable, detailed costs. etc.
4. Guests – accommodation… subsistence funds
5. JF anticipate that a is travelling, food, hotel, make a package request.
6. JH traintable.. York to Glasgow 80 or 150 pounds
7. Christine Borland lives in Helensburough - one hour travel time
8. Question for speakers: do they need fees?
9. T. everything is unconfirmed.
10. JH. Design… how to deal - is it important? Do we need to address it?
11. L. Switch Ross Burell for a designer?
12. JH. Flesh out aims – what is the concept?
13. FA. Is he saying that design is necessary for inclusion to represent research in fine art or just because we cited it?
14. Designer maybe marginalized - Lets just take design out, we are going to focus on fine art
15. JF as our interest is curatorial, practice, theory
16. JH send proposal back to Narren with explanation.
17. JH. Title? Subtitle: research in practice or practice-led?
18. JF research in practice – curatorial
19. FA what’s the difference. Practice-led
20. All Title: Practice-Led Research
21. All Subtitle: Multiple Perspectives in a Contemporary Art Context
22. JH – how to propose : ask : or submit? Covering email outlining our decision to focus on fine art. Present a
reworked proposal. Submit as soon as possible.
23. JH – proposal - to rework wording:
Insert title
As we are working within the Fine Arts Pathway, specifically within the framework of the course, Excavation of the Contemporary Art Context. We have chosen to focus on art specifically and omit design, as we feel including such an expansive topic may sacrifice. We would however suggest that perhaps another pg forum take up that focus.
LW. We will draft and forward you the proposal.
JH home email: send direct just this once.
JH. Proposed speakers – insert detailed costs:
Promotion
Invitations pr
A3 - 20 copies posters + 100 hand bills
Symposium:
A5 100 deligates pack (timetable, abstract, speakers).
Suggest in house printing through VisCom or EMA or commercial
Quote – 60
JH – propose: the actual cost for hosting the symposium will be.
Travel costs for proposed speakers:
Ross Birrell: n/a
Katrina Brown: n/a
Christine Borland: millage: 150 miles. 20
Judit Bodor: Train York to Glasgow return 100 Hotel accomadation - 90
JH. Professional element, we are proposing to host professional people, in a professional manner.
Structured Timetable:
20 minutes
10 Q and A
order: connecting – chaos. TB
L part of our role in introduction to draw connections?
J connection will surface organically
JH the meat – you chose speakers from orientation. Parameters for each speaker, look at each individual. What would it be about Katrina (tate, guild, etc) what is it that you want about that. Is there a particular question, or a general survey. With Christine Borland, is there a particular work? How do you weave together threads.
JH Detail flesh out hub theme which indicates the speakers (exemplary in their disciplines).
JH Why is this special?
JH How best to approach speakers? Students, would they contribute.
Stimulating evening. On a shoestring. Audience.
FA Mention that we intend a publication.
LW pleading tone.
JF There is a difference between saying who we are, and saying that we are doing this b/c we have to. Swing it to our advantage.
LW Documentation, archive. Program with reflection. Ask speakers for consent.
Dialogue extended through on-line presence.
LW Would Studio 55 be interested in partnership, on-line presence, or dissemination?
JH Low key, talk to Tramway people.
JH Fall back name.

the seed - origins

The origins of ideas (seed of a work) are bridges of thought -
often the very private underpinnings of a piece are not spoken, but somehow present nonetheless. I recognize that my work develops with dialogue, weaving together dissonant ideas, contributions, collaborations. Follows are pieces of conversations that have informed my present work, The Garden of Earthly Delights.

wait there is more, i forgot about satan.
he told me he thought i wore my soul on the out side.
and i think he is right.
i think my soul has been worn out and torn and stained.

(in conversation with Ember Erebus)

what if our spirit communicated like a spider that spins it's silk out of its own body?

(in conversation with Lynn Hudson)

what do we do when our third order is threadbare and stained?

plant a garden.
seed it with orchids.

(in conversation with Jason Knight)

bioart makes the surreal real

(in conversation with adam zaretsky)

The Garden of Earthly Delights

Independent Research Project


exterior panels of The Garden of Earthly Delights, Bosch, 1504

The Garden of Earthly Delights is conceived of by FA + JPC/K | Corps Cellule, a collaborative art and research initiative, investigating relational aesthetics of biological technologies through the articulation of experiments in seri-culture (silk-worm cultivation) and orchid micro-propagation. The project proposes to install a lab environment within the gallery in which interspecies life-forms are co-cultured, with the coupling of awareness, technology and participant body(ies). The scattered puzzle pieces of Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights, contextualizes the work as a living biological metaphor and initiates discourse on the sacred and the profane.

Over the course of the exhibition, a slow but steady transformation occurs within a contained environment as silkworms and orchids intermingle. Performing daily horticulture techniques, the chrysalis (silk cocoons produced by the silkworms) will be woven into scaffolds suitable for seeding with orchid tissue cultures, to realize the co-culturing of a worm and a flower. As the growth in variability and reproduction occurs, development slowly unfurls, revealing an unforeseen and emerging hybrid, further investigating “the fluidity of the concept of species in an ever increasingly transgenic social context.”(Eduardo Kac)

The daily gallery activities include the culturing and care of these living entities, experiments in micro-propagation, and finally the fusing of these two symbolic life-forms, co-habitating, cross-cultured, and modified at essential levels.

For more on this project please see the on-line research log: http://bombyx-imago.blogspot.com/
which documents the conceptual development of the proposed co-culture, contextualized by personal poetics and narratives.

Meeting Minutes 04/ 05.03.08

Meeting Minutes 05/03/08

Present:
Jess (JF)
Fiona (FA)
Libby (LW)
Tekla (T)
Jim (JH)

FA- Heard that Chistine Bourland is interested in doing the symposium
JH- Spoke with Kristina Brown who also voiced interest and availability. We must think about moving symposium back one hour.
FA-Haven’t heard back from research office about revised proposal, Barfield might be out of town this week.
JH- I want to check a few things… next week you are independent research and planning…
JF-Did we want to spend this time composing rough drafts of the letters.
All: Ok
JH- I don’t know whether you could take the TBD panel members…let me read this…(working on letter wording)…
FA- So that’s the letter, if they respond in the positive, we can write back with questions of structure.
T- How should we respond? Should we respond together? Have something formal?
FA-Maybe we should abstract, technique, thank you for participating?
L-A brief outline of what you think your presentation will be?
FA_ is there anything you want us to include in your bio/? Should we write a bio on them and send them to ask for confirmation?
JH- Right, that might be a way, and if they don’t like it, you can change it
L- Response letter, a thank you, a brief outline request, technical needs, stateing an intro and if there is anything they want to be included to please let us know
JH- Obviously the bio you can use in the sort of print, the brochure thing at the symposium, that’s something else in place. Fine. Next week you can work on that you might even have got 4 responses back and we can do what we need in relation to planning.
FA- We have a break, it might be worthwhile to do a brainstorm for all the things we need to do before symposium.
JH- May be we have to have some discussion the week before, April 9th, the actual day.
FA-I would propose we have a super clear idea of everything that needs to happen and allocate tasks.
L-For printing and publicity esp.
FA-I’ve started making post-it notes, if we could all bring a list, we will know everything that needs to happen.
JH-I’ve got all your email address, or if could be another day of that week. Could always do it in a coffee shop.
Actually, yeah, so next week we should get the timetable done, the following week I mean.
FA-So right before Easter break.
JH-Main thing, if worst comes to worst and ross can’t do it you’ve still got three potential speakers. Doesn’t always work out that way, obviously somebody is looking down on you. Sue brought this in, I forgot why its been put together, a list of whats on right now in Glasgow, mainly for the other group….but they are not hovering around, they have to go hunting.
FA- I book four places for tomorrow night at common guild.
JF- Great. Thanks.
LW- Not sure what was on the list of what else we were supposed to speak about today.
JH-Confirmation of speakers, and we’ve done that….
JF-I wouldn’t mind to check my draft for Katrina Brown with you all
All-Yes
FA-Also, to check the introduction to the speaker in draft before we say it at the symposium
JH-Also, this show that Katrina has done might be an interesting point of discussion…
LW-Right.
JH: that book sounds like it might be a useful resource
Barrett, E. et al. (2007) Introduction. Practice as Research.Approaches to Creative Arts Enquiry. Published by I.B.Tauris and Co. Ltd. London and New York.
This should be in the research log with quotes. What writings do they have that exposes research methodologies.
Listen to the speakers and reference in your log.
You need to sharpen up your thoughts n why you have included particular issues
All of that thinking can go in the log. Course you will draw on it from the essay. Simple essay, not too may large words. Heheh
L:No Jargon.

Meeting Minutes 05/ 19.03.08

EXACAVTION OF CONTEMPORARY ART CONTEXT
MRes Meeting Minutes 19/03/08

Present:
Jess (JF)
Libby (LW)
Tekla (T)
Jim (JH)
Fiona (FA)

Earlier today we had a brief meeting of 4 x MRes students to discuss the planning required for the upcoming Symposium.

1. In light of the Mac theatre being booked out on the day of the Symposium, 4 other choices were suggested. The top two we decided were the Monkey and the Barnes. Both have positives and negatives. The Monkey is better for the reception, more casual but is not great for projector work due to facilities and daylight. The Barnes is great for presentation but we may lose people on the trip from the Barnes to the Monkey for drinks.
2. It was agreed that Fin would send an email to Lisa requesting the Barnes and Monkey as a priority and we would discuss specifics when it was finally decided what venue it would be. See point 6.
3. Budget. It was agreed that we need to make a meeting with Lisa to discuss how to release the 150 pounds promised. We need to discuss how to best use this as it gets difficult with the Easter break and the fact that we ill need the money to print prior to Laura being able to approve it.
4. Speakers: All four speakers have been contacted but we have only one positive confirmation from Christine Borland.
5. We went through each of the main tasks to be done. Posters, promotional material for the day, how to document the day and what tasks were to be done on the day. We set critical dates to be met, and briefly discussed who would do what: See attached sheets for outcomes as of today.
6. Libby visited Ross today and he apologised that he cannot actually agree.
7. The Mac Room – can we have this? Followed by reception in the Mac Museum / Gallery space. Fin to follow up in an email to Lisa.
8. The food needs to be agreed on based on the estimated numbers.
Notes from Meeting at 2pm
9. Update on Bodot: Tekla received confirmation that Judit can come and will be here on Thursday a as she is teaching on Wednesday
10. Talked about trying to get onto the mailing list for the mail out to tutors to get included on the timetable. Basically that you need the basics, ‘save the date’ style. Note that ‘if its of interest to block out the timetable if you think its worth it’
11. Jim suggests / John Calcott? We also thought of Tanya Eccleston, Francis McKee or Sarah Smith. Each need to be discussed….if we decided that we want 4 speakers rather than 3.
12. JH mentions that Tanya is away in south East Asia and might be a little too difficult to get.
13. Francis McKee – bad timing as GI on at that time.
14. JF – Could we include John Calcott from a critical writing point of view.
15. JH suggests Lee French - Variant / Glasgow based art magazine? Might be abit annoying…Check online.
16. JH three is ok but if you want a fourth then he might be ok. DCA in Dundee, archive of artists books there may be an interesting person there…notion of publishing, artists books
17. TW this may provide us with a greater audience. Hugh Pizey? He teaches at GSA, projects with artists
18. Make sure you end something out so you get time to promote it….check venue, check food. What about the documentation?
19. TW: Will take care of audio stuff, inline with a guy from the MFA. We need to conform the venue before we go to far down this line. TW says she is volunteering as she wants to know more about it. Various modes of documentation – both quality/amateur just in case.
20. JF says that Ben Rush will be booked up with a major exhibition the next day so that might be difficult.
21. JH talks about audio and video.
22. LW says also photos to potentially put in e-journal
23. JH says keep in mind a transcription will be useful as included in a DVD in the final presentation. Booking the equipment should be a priority…
24. JF says she has a small mini-disc that we can use if all goes badly.
25. LW runs through the process and critical dates of the posters and the handouts.
26. JH raises the printing and the necessity of appropriate inks for location. i.e. indoor / outdoor.
27. The date of the 9th is independent study day – should we try and meet somewhere in Great Western Road close to where JH lives, in the afternoon? Should we arrange this so we can have a chat even if it is just for an hour? Juts in case we need to discuss anything last minute. How about 3PM / Meet at AZIZA next to Kelvinbridge Underground. On a corner….ok. Agreed
28. And the following week, meet at 11am in the studio space? The morning to discuss? 4 hours to work things out? We can revise this the week before if we need to….. ok. Agreed.
29. TW mentions that Judit’s train arrives at 1.30 and she might have to entertain the guest for some time that day.
30. JH have you thought about trying to piggy back into the GU promotional material
31. JH put together a brief description to send around to the school. It may be worth sending it around to people like Francis McKee…an initiative in the art school etc. Greater publicity….Transmission etc as well. And that there will be more promotional material to come – a press release of sorts. ‘Notification of a forthcoming date’….
32. JH even if people don’t come its still the organising of it that’s the important part.
33. The smaller venue may work if its fewer people / Barnes is too big. JF notes that a smaller room may be more appropriate.
34. JH says that if it is at the Rec you may have to spend time arranging chairs etc which may be stressful, better if it is an already arranged room.
35. JH mentions Fins project from last week….
36. LW says she will send the notes and hopefully this will give JH a greater understanding of the details of the conference
37. End.

Common Guild Lecture Series

March 06, 2008


Camden Arts Center - London


Curator Jenni Lommax gave a talk tonight at the Glasgow Trade Hall, hosted by the Common Guild. She has been the director of the Camden Arts Center based in London for the past 20 years - very inspiring to hear from a director who is absolutely passionate about contemporary art, coupled with a sincere vision for the mandate and direction of the her center.

What I found most interesting is how not only the gallery exhibition space is the focus for creation and presentation of art, but that art leaks out from the various sites and accompanies all of the transitions along the way. For example how during a period of renovations they continued a program by squatting off-site exhibition spaces, a photographer had residency documenting the renovations, a string of Felix Gonzalez lights led the way through the city, drawings on the walls of the center, and the construction site itself became an art interface...

Another key point that Jenni stressed, was the importance of keeping the mandate at the heart throughout the evolution of the center, especially in development. There was a question asked towards the end about business, and businesses in the center - coffee shops to bookstores. Jenni really stressed the importance of keeping the center without franchize, about being honest about what the center will actually generate financially, and sticking to the guns as to its importance.

Detours

The second lecture of the Detours series, hosted by The Common Guild, was presented by contemporary curator, Vasif Kortun, from Istanbul. Vasif spoke about his conception and subsequent seven year span as director of Platform, a contemporary gallery, library, archive and residency center in Istanbul.

Speaking with a great deal of integrity, Vasif criticized many 'pedestal' institutions for inaccessibility, predictable 'blockbuster' programming, and lack of research orientation. Vasif emphasized the importance of Platform's accessibility, and integration with an audience that spans the spectrum of the public. Vasif is currently working on a collaboration that will see Platform converge with another institution in Istanbul, to spawn an entirely new being... yet untitled.

scaffold (study)
2008

Bibliography - in relation to excavation

Books

Barrett, E. & B. Bolt (eds.) Practice as Research - Approaches to Creative Arts Enquiry. LB Tauris; 2007

Borland, Christine. Progressive disorder / Christine Borland. London: Dundee Contemporary Art: 2001.

Brind, S. (ed.) Curious: artists' reasearch within expert culture. Glasgow: Visual Arts Projects; 1999

Coles, A. (ed.) "Critical Strategies of Fictional Address: Field Work and the Natural History Museum. Mark Dion Interview" The Optic of Walter Benjamin. London: Black Dog Publishing; 1999

Foucault, M. The Archaeology of Knowledge. Sheridan Smith trans. London: Routledge; 1989

Hiller, Susan et al. The Producers: Contemporary Curators in Conversation. Gateshead: Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art/University of Newcastle; 2000.

Hunt, I. (ed.) Christine Borland: The dead teach the living. Geroldswil, Switzerland: Offset druck Goetz; 2000.

Johnson, D. (ed.) Encounters: Performance, Photography, Collaboration: Manual Vason. Bristol: Arnolfini Gallery Ltd; 2007

Latour, Bruno. Pandora's hope : essays on the reality of science studies. Cambridge, Mass; London: Harvard University Press, 1999

Massumi, Brian. A User's Guide to Capitalism, Deviations, and Schizophrenia from Deleuze & Guattari. Cambridge: The MIT Press; 1992

Plato, The Symposium. Desmond Lee (trans.) London : Penguin, 2003

Pollan, Micheal. The Botany of Desire. London: Bloomsbury Publishing; 2002

Internet

Art & Research (on-line journal) http://www.artandresearch.org.uk/

Experiential Knowledge Conference
http://www.art-design.herts.ac.uk/ekc/ekc1.html

Journal of Contemporary Art. Interview with Elaine Reichek.
http://www.jca-online.com/reichek.html

Studio 55: Centre for Research in Fine Art Practice
http://www.studio55.org.uk/

The Getty: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/vocabularies/aat/index.html

Research Issues - Practice-led PhD Case Studies
http://www.biad.uce.ac.uk/research/rti/case_studies/art/content.htm

The Whitney ArtPort http://artport.whitney.org/

Lectures

Claire Bishop. Pedagogy as Art. GSA lecture Friday Event, March 7, 2008

Hoover, Nan. The Line in a Creative Life. GSA lecture - Friday Event, Feb 01, 2008

Jenni Lomax. The Common Guild, March 06, 2008

John Smith. Film & Video Work. GSA lecture Friday Event, Feb 22, 2008

Spielmann, Yvonne. Video: a new technology & a new medium. GSA Friday Event, Jan 25, 2008

Conferences

Intimacy: Across Digital & Visceral Performance Platform. Goldsmith's Graduate School - London, Dec 7th, 2007 (contributing artist)

MutaMorphosis: Challenging Arts & Sciences. November 2007. Prague, CR. (conference participant)

Stitched-Up, a discussion on the future of the body, facilitated by Jens Hauser, participating artists: Paul Thomas, Eduardo Kac, and Atau Tanaka. (public lecture/discussion) FACT (Liverpool, Mar 29, 2008)

Completing the Doctorate. Glasgow School of Art, Mar 19, 2008
lectures by Jack Cuningham, Laura Gonzalez & Naren Barfield

Festivals

NRLA. New Territories, Tramway. Feb, 2007

Gi, April, 2008

Bibliography - in relation to my research

Arends B, Thackara D. editors. Experiment: conversations in art and science. London: The Wellcome Trust; 2003.

Ascott R. editor. Engineering nature: art & consciousness in the post-biological era. Bristol: Intellect Books; 2006.

Ascott R. Technoetic territories. In: Allsopp R, Delahunta S. editors. Performance research: digital resources. 2006 Dec. Vol. 11.4: p. 39-40.

Bastian H. editor. Joseph Beuys editions: collection Schlegel. Edinburgh: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; 1999.

Bioline International. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology [Online]. 2004 ; Available from: http://www.bioline.org.br/request?ej04015#_edn

Borland C. Progressive disorder / Christine Borland. London: Dundee Contemporary Art; 2001.

Boyle M. Journey to the surface of the earth. Cologne: Edition Hansjorg Mayer; 1970.

Brind S. editor. Curious: artists' research within expert culture. Glasgow: Visual Arts Projects; 1999.

Coakley J. Welcome to the world of bioart. ABC Arts [Online]. 2003 [cited 2008 Mar 20]; Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/arts/digital/stories/s877305.htm

Co-culture. Biology Online Dictionary [Online]. 2005 ; Available from:
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Coculture

Flusser V. Art Forum XXVI. 1988 Mar. No. 7: p.156.

Foucault M. The care of the self: the history of sexuality. Volume 3. New York: Random House; 1986.

Gessert G. A history of art involving DNA. BioMediale [Online]. 2004 ; Available from: http://www.ncca-kaliningrad.ru/biomediale/?blang=eng&author=gessert

Gibson W. Hieronymus Bosch. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd; 1973.

Hamilton A. Ann Hamilton. Seattle: Henry Art Gallery & University of Washington Press; 1992.

Hauser J. editor. Sk-interfaces. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press & FACT; 2008.

Heidegger M. The Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays. William Lovitt (trans.)
New York: Harper & Row; 1977.

Kac E. Bioart: transgenic works and other living pieces [Online]. 2007 ; Available from: http://www.ekac.org/

Kac E. editor. Signs of life: bio art and beyond. Cambridge: MIT Press; 2006.

Karafyllis N. Endogenous design of biofacts. In: Sk-Interfaces. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press & FACT; 2008.

Latour B. Pandora's hope: essays on the reality of science studies. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999.

Latour B. Science in action: how to follow scientists and engineers through society. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press; 1987.

Massumi B. A user's guide to capitalism, deviations, and schizophrenia from Deleuze & Guattari. Cambridge: The MIT Press; 1992.

O'Reilly K. Leavings and beginnings and other things [Online]. 2008 ; Available from: http://kiraoreilly.com/blog/

Parfrey A. Eugenics: the orphaned science. In: Apocalypse culture. New York: Amok Press; 1987. p. 155-66.

Poissant L. The passage from material to interface. In: Grau O. editor. Media art histories. Cambridge: MIT Press; 2007.

Pollan M. The botany of desire. London: Bloomsbury Publishing; 2002.

Russo M. The female grotesque: risk excess and modernity. London: Routledge; 1995.

Schumacher EF. Small is beautiful, economies as if people mattered. New York: Harper Perennial; 1973.

Senior A. Towards a (semi-) discourse of the semi-living: the undecidability of a life exposed to death. Technoetic Arts. 2007 Ap. no 2: p. 97-112.

Shepard P. Nature and madness. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books; 1982.

Shortell A. Corporate culture: the creation of culture within an organization [Online]. [cited 2008 Mar 20]; Available from: http://www.smu.edu/ecenter/discourse/papers/2002Spring/CultureMatters.asp

Snyder J. The art of Hieronymus Bosch. London: Ferndale Editions; 1980.

Stachelhaus H. Joseph Beuys. (David Britt trans) New York: Abbeville Press; 1991.

Thacker E. Biomedia. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press; 2004

Willet J. Bodies in biotechnology: embodied models for understanding biotechnology in contemporary art. Wild nature and the digital life special issue, Leonardo Electronic Almanac. 2006 Nov. Vol. 14: No. 7-8

Willet J. Why bioArt? Towards redefining the specialist [Online]. 2008 ; Available from: http://jenniferwillet.com/whybioart.html

Winterson J. Art objects. London: Jonathon Cape; 1991

Zaretsky A. Viva vivo! Living art is dead. LEONARDO, 2004 Nov. Vol. 37: p. 90-2.