Artes Mundi's blog

Get involved in a Family Workshop this Easter

By Catherine Stephens-Ward, Artes Mundi Live Guide

We began our series of family workshops yesterday, which are available everyday throughout the Easter holidays. This week we are making paper books in response to Fernando Bryce’s drawings. Children of all ages and mums, dads and grandparents have all seemed to really enjoy taking part, and already there has been some fantastic work produced. Here are some of the ‘artworks'.    

Thirty children watch a woman struggling to thread a needle

by Morag Colquhoun, Artes Mundi Live Guide

 

They watch her trembling fingers for many long minutes. They watch the thread miss and miss again. When the thread finally goes through the eye of the needle, they gasp with relief.

Young people have short attention spans? 

These children are fully absorbed in Chen Chieh-jen's film of a closed down factory in Taiwan. The film shows women - former workers of the factory - silently sewing and endlessly cleaning chairs. The film is slow motion. The camera pans over the deserted factory floor. The women look tired and rest their heads on the tables infront of them with coats over their heads.

So why do the children find this film so absorbing? 

Two separate groups of children watched this film and were then asked why they thought an artist would make a film rather than paint a picture. In each group, the reply was identical: 

'Because it makes you think!'

The Great Gallery/Cinema Debate

By Ruth McLees, Artes Mundi Live Guide.

The Israeli artist Yael Bartana is one of the artists exhibiting films in this Artes Mundi exhibition. She explores Jewish-Israeli society and history, and in Wall and Tower she presents us with a scenario of the Israeli Jews, having moved back to Poland, constructing a kibbutz (a collective settlement)on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto.

During my lunchtime tour I was asked, "What makes this art? It should be shown in a cinema not a gallery. And if it is art, why wasn't Schindler's List (the film) shown in a gallery?"

Filmed as it is in a propaganda/documentary style, and presented on a single cinema-type screen with seating for the audience, I can see why reading Yael's film as an artwork may be quite challenging.

In comparison, the Bulgarian artist Ergin Cavusoglu presents his films on multiple screens arranged around the gallery. When setting up for this show he deliberately arranged the screens so as to transform the space architecturally and allow the viewers to move between and around, and so become immersed in the action. The sound is designed to change as we walk through the space. He stipulated no chairs or benches for the audience so as to avoid dictating where they must sit to experience the film. In this way he keeps away from the cinematic formula of one seat=one view, and so steers his work firmly in the direction of art as opposed to cinema.

So, is it appropriate that Yael's work is exhibited here in the gallery of National Museum Wales? Many of her films are regularly shown in film festivals in cinemas around the world, so why are they here in this gallery? Do they become art as soon as they are placed in a gallery setting? Since classical times art has served as documentary and reportage with the aim of inciting a response in the viewer; perhaps this is all that is needed for Yael Bartana's films to be successfully read as art.

Ym mha ystafell mae'r Rembrandt?

gan Catrin Davies, tywysydd Artes Mundi

Rydym nawr yn ein trydydd wythnos yma yn yr Artes Mundi.  Yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, rydym ni, fel tywysyddion yr Artes Mundi wedi cyfarfod a nifer o wahanol ymwelwyr: Rhai yn dod o gefndir celf, ac yn wybodus o'u pwnc.  Rhai yn dod efo'u teuluoedd, tra bod eraill yn ymweld gyda'u colegau a'u hysgolion.  Ceir ambell i berson, serch hynny sy'n darganfod yr Artes Mundi trwy ddamwain- tra'n edrych am rhyw ddarn o gasliad yr amgueddfa...

Daw sawl berson i mewn i'r Artes Mundi, gan holi "Ble mae'r Rembrandt?", wrth edrych o'u cwmpas mewn rhyfeddod.  Er ein bod, wrth gwrs yn eu hateb, rydym hefyd yn eu hannog i edrych ar ychydig o'r gwaith cyfoes sydd gan yr Artes Mundi i'w gynnig.  Pleser yw gweld pobl na fyddai fel arfer yn mynychu'r sioe yn mwynhau'r profiad o wylio fideo gaiff ei ddangos ar draws 5 gwahanol sgrin. 

Dyma beth sy'n gwneud profiad yr Artes Mundi yn un mor unigryw.  Sawl oriel sy'n dangos gwaith gan artistiad cyfoes ar bwys gwaith gan arlunwyr o'r ganrif ddiwethaf?  Cafodd y syniad yma o gyfuno'r hen a'r newydd ei ddatblygu ymhellach eleni wrth i guriaduron y sioe benderfynu ddangos gwaith un o'r artistiaid, sef Olga Chernysheva yn yr un ystafell a chasgliad yr amgueddfa.  Mae'r syniad yma o gyfuno'r hen a'r newydd, yn fy marn i, yn rhoi ongl newydd i'r profiad o ymweld ag arddangosfa. 

Mae'r Artes Mundi yn denu cynulleidfa newydd i edrych ar gelf sy'n delio efo'r byd heddiw.  Rhaid cofio, serch hynny, bod y sioe hefyd yn rhoi'r cyfle i bobl ifanc i werthfawrogi celf o'r canrifoedd diwethaf, gan gymharu'r gwaith i'r hyn sy'n digwydd heddiw- a hyn i gyd o fewn yr un adeilad!

How long does it take to make a film? A long time!

By Catherine Stephens-Ward, Artes Mundi Live Guide

When you visit Artes Mundi the first work you see is Fernando Bryce’s work ‘Die Welt’. 195 black and white images, in small picture frames which fill three gallery walls. At first you would be mistaken for thinking that they are newspapers, but when you look more closely it is clear that these are ink drawings made by hand. Fernando has painstakingly copied newspaper pages, propaganda posters, adverts and maps and created a reproduction of the original. This process of looking, reading and recording is very labour intensive and to have amassed this collection of drawings must have taken a long time.

I spoke to a lady in the gallery today who could relate to Fernando’s work the most because she could appreciate the amount of time that went into it. By comparison the other 6 artists in the show are exhibiting films. Is film-making quicker? Should we merit an artist’s work by the amount of time spent on it? And how can we measure time? The apparent absence of the artist’s hand should not influence how we judge a piece of art, the role of artist has after all been re-defined over time.

I was surprised to discover that Chen Chieh-Jen who has two 30 minute films in the show makes on average only one film a year. This says a lot! The extensive credits at the end of Adrian Pacci’s film ‘Per Speculum’ suggest that the film-making process is a complex one. In this film, Adrian plays the role of artist, producer and editor. We should not assume therefore that film-art is ‘easy’ or involves less artistic skill. I overheard someone in the gallery say that they could easily have made one of the films in Artes Mundi. I wanted to say ‘no you couldn’t’ but I didn’t.

"Where is the Welsh Artist?"

By Katherine Bujalska, Artes Mundi Live Guide

By now, working as a live guide for Artes Mundi 4, I have clocked up quite a few hours mingling with members of the public looking around the exhibition.   A response that I have heard again and again is “Where is the Welsh artist?” or “Why is there no Welsh artist?”.  It is a genuine concern for a lot of people.  This is a Welsh Art Prize, so why are we not giving exposure to, and rewarding our own, homegrown artists? 

Digging a little deeper though, I think I’m uncovering the real concern felt by many Welsh people who have come to the exhibition, and which a couple have expressed more explicitly on our comments board.  It is the preservation of Welsh culture and heritage, and the fact that this exhibition refers to neither. 

Yes!  That’s important!  Acknowledging, remembering, researching and actively engaging with these local elements of history and culture are vital for us, for our children, for their children, but surely that’s not all.  The more I have thought about this during the last week, the more I have realized that our own culture counts for little if we are not open to sharing it with others – those from neighbouring countries and those from countries half a world away!  And how can we expect anyone to care about us, or be interested in us or our culture or our art, over here in Wales if we don’t first show an interest and openness to countries and cultures other than our own? 

There are endless projects and organizations running the length and breadth of Wales, which are dedicated to looking creatively at the riches we already have in this country.  Artes Mundi happens only once every two years and gives us an incredible opportunity to be exposed to art from some really distant, different and intriguing countries.  So instead of banging the same old drum and hanging onto this inward-looking perspective, let’s encourage others to share what they have with us.  One day they may return the favour.

Olive trees and watchtowers

By Morag Colquhoun, Artes Mundi Live Guide

The artist that seems to be getting people talking the most this week is Israeli artist Yael Bartana.

In her video Mary Koszmary (which means 'Nightmare' in Polish), a young man makes a speech in the centre of a deserted stadium in Warsaw. Addressing his words to weed infested terraces, he calls for Jews to return to Poland - the country where so many Jewish people were murdered during the Holocaust. 

This is part of the artist's 'Jewish Renaissance Movement in Poland' ...

What are we to make of it? Is it a spoof? Is it deadly serious?

In another video set in a Polish park, vigorous young men and women build the first physical manifestation of 'the movement': a watch tower surrounded by a wall. Does this video bring to mind the creation of Israeli Kibbutz? The idealism of socialism? Some viewers have also been reminded of concentration camps.

 
Yael Bartana

Mur i Wieża (Wall and Tower) - 2009
One channel RED transfer to 35mm film  Duration: 16 min.
Courtesy Annet Gelink Gallery Amsterdam

Some strong reactions to this work have come from viewers who have had direct experiences that they could relate to the work. 

One young man had met many Israelis while travelling around the world. He told me that he hated 'Zionism'. At the same time, he was unsettled by the work as it seemed to propose a forced solution to the problems and conflict that surround the state of Israel.

Another viewer had been present during the establishment of the state of Israel, as part of the occupying British Army force. He had supported the foundation of Israel but only on condition that the Palestinian people received equal treatment, an equality he felt they had not yet received. When I spoke to him he had not yet seen Yael Bartana's other video work, 'A Declaration', in which a young man replaces the Israeli flag with an olive tree ... perhaps his sentiments found an echo in that work.

These conversations bring to mind a conversation that I had with another Artes Mundi artist, Adrian Paci, in which he stressed the importance of viewers' own responses.

There is no right or wrong way to view any of the Artes Mundi art works I feel but hopefully lots of interesting responses and conversations to come ...

O Gymru i Taiwan i Bwlgaria mewn awr a hanner

Gan Catrin Davies, Tywysydd Artes Mundi
By Catrin Davies, Artes Mundi Live Guide

Cawsom ymweliad gan blant o ysgol St Gabriel y prynhawn yma.  Daeth 22 o blant i edrych, ymateb ac i siarad am y gwaith yma yn arddangosfa Artes Mundi.  Yn hytrach na edrych ar yr holl waith yn yr arddangosfa, penderfynodd Kat, sef y tywysydd arall a mi i ganolbwyntio ar dau fideo.  Rhain oedd 'Factory' gan artist o Daiwan a 'Liminal Crossing' gan artist o Bwlgaria.  Mae rhai o'r themau yn yr arddangosfa eleni yn gymhleth, efo gwleidyddiaeth yn ddylanwad amlwg mewn ambell i ddarn.  Sialens oedd gan Kat a mi, felly, i greu gweithdy cyffrous, heb or-gymhlethu'r plant oedd ond yn 9 mlwydd oed.  Sut mae esbonio fideo am ffactori sydd wedi cau yn Taiwan, oherwydd fod gweithwyr yn rhatach yn Tseina?  Sut mae esbonio fideo sy'n dangos pobl yn gadael eu cartrefi yn Bwlgaria am fywyd gwell yn Twrci?  Fyddai'r disgyblion yn deall yr hyn oeddynt yn eu gweld?  Cafodd unrhyw bryderon oedd gennyf eu chwalu wrth i'r plant ddechrau ymateb a thrafod y gwaith.  Roedd pob ymateb wedi ei ystyried, gydag un disgybl yn dweud fod y ffatri yn Taiwan yn ymddangos fel lle trist i gymharu a'r ffatri a welir yn 'Coronation Street'!  Roedd eu ymateb i'r gwaith yn ddeallus, a sawl disgybl yn edrych ar safbwyntiau gwahanol. 

Ar ol edrych ar y fideo o Daiwan ac yna Bwlgaria, dychwelasom unwaith eto i Gymru fach i wneud gweithgaredd am y thema, 'Teithio.'  Dyma lle yr oeddynt nes daeth yr amser iddynt hwy ddychwelyd ar eu taith hwythau yn ol i'r ysgol.  

From Wales to Taiwan to Bulgaria in an hour and a half

We had a visit from the pupils of St Gabiel school this afternoon.  22 children came to look,talk about and respond to the work here at the Artes Mundi.  We concentrated on two works in the exhibition.  These were, Factory, by an artist from Taiwan, and 'Liminal Crossing', by an artist originally from Bulgaria.  Political issues have had an influence on much of the work in the show this year.  Our challenge, as live guides was to break down some of the themes in the exhibition for a class of 8 - 10 year olds.  How do you explain a video that's based on a factory in Taiwan that closed down due to cheaper labour elsewhere?  Would they understand why a family left their homes in Bulgaria for a better life in Turkey?  Any concerns that I had were shattered as soon as we began our discussion with the pupils.  All of their responses were informed and relevant, with one pupil even commenting that the factory in Taiwan seemed like a depressing place to work compared to the factory on Coronation Street!  Their understanding and interaction with the work was great, with many of the individuals considering different viewpoints. 

After looking at the work from Taiwan and Bulgaria, we returned once again to Wales to make an activity based on the theme of 'Journey'.  This is where we stayed until it was time for them to depart on their own journey back to their school. 

Artes Mundi is here!

By Catherine Stephens-Ward, Artes Mundi Live Guide

 
From the moment Artes Mundi opened on Tuesday night, my feet haven't touched the ground. I have already experienced so much during my time at the Museum that I don't know where to begin, so I will start at the beginning. I saw the exhibition for the first time, just moments before the private view opened, which over 300 people came to. Like in all exhibition previews that I have gone to, I talked more than I saw, and it was really interesting to finally hear other people's views on the art works, having formed my own opinions during the last 4 weeks that I have been studying them.

 

The following day, I got to meet some of the artists- Olga from Russia, Adrian from Albania, Ergin from Bulgaria and Yael from Israel. I was very excited. I had so many questions I wanted answers to- what was life really like in Communist Albania? Does a Jewish Renaissance movement actually exist? And why are people pushing a piano over the Bulgarian/Turkish border?

I got my answers and a lot more. Hearing their stories from all over the world was a very special and unique experience. Olga told me that the reason why there is no-one buying from the market stalls in her watercolour pictures is that often it is so cold in Moscow that people don't leave their houses. I hadn't thought of this. When I gave my first tour today, I passed on my new found knowledge. I have learnt so much about the world we live in, but how much do we really know?  

Artes Mundi opens to the public

Carl Grainger writes:

The fourth Artes Mundi Exhibition opens to the public today at the National Museum Cardiff. I was at Tuesday evening's preview and there was general agreement that the show was serious and thought provoking - and that it would be well worth spending time to see it thoroughly. 

Previews are always crowded and there's never enough time to see everything properly but two works have immediately lodged themselves in my mind. I was fascinated by A New Silk Road, a video installation and series of photographs by Gulnara Kasmalieva and Muratbek Djumaliev, two artists from Kyrgyzstan who explore the current, post-communism patterns of life and commerce on this most ancient of trading routes.   

Yael Bartana with Wall and Tower - photo: Darren Britton
 

I also had the chance to watch the whole of Yael Bartana's film, Wall and Tower, and was very moved by it.

Take a look at the review in the Guardian to whet your appetite - but do come to see the show for yourself and let us know what you think.