Leeds 'Character Area' Kirkgate Regeneration

There have recently been some interesting developments towards the regeneration of an area of Leeds city centre. The Lower Kirkgate Townscape Heritage Initiative Scheme has defined a 'character area' that includes Kirkstall Market, the Corn Exchange, the First and Third White Cloth Halls, the Assembly Rooms and St Peter's Parish Church. Some preliminary work has already begun with the demolition of the later infill and west wing of the First White Cloth Hall [see below]. There seems to be a plan to reconstruct the building with some materials conserved from the damaged areas, although it remains unclear to what purpose.

The Kirkgate Character Area Management Plan is a particularly interesting read [it really is - to me at least!], as a document that necessarily has to negotiate historical research, the disparate interests of cultural and commercial stakeholders and the bureaucratic apparatus of local government. The online public consultation is open until 20 May.

Encountering the Contemporary

Ragley Hall

Nick's post..'Engaging, Creating; Artist and Maker Residencies in Public Spaces', (and Rebecca's comment) - (see below), raise some interesting points concerning the relationships between the past and the present - and the complexity of of this dynamic.  I'm reminded of a couple of 'encounters' I had recently...one at Ragley Hall, in the Midlands, where the late 17th century house is surrounded by rolling parkland which is also

Contemporary Sculpture at Ragley Hall

dotted with contemporary artwork...
 Although I'm not aware that any of the 'traditional' visitors made adverse comments?...and I know that English Heritage are also introducing contemporary art into their interpretation strategies....another example is perhaps more interesting, to me anyway, with my interest in the art market & museums (not as strange a conjunction as one would think of course!);

 

Sotheby's at Sudeley Castle

This is the move by Sotheby's to sell contemporary artworks against the landscape (literally and symbolically I think) of 'heritage'.  Sotheby's 'Selling Exhibition' at Sudeley Castle (shown here) also clearly demonstrates that these fascinating developments are moving into other areas of consumption....Maybe the 'zietgiest' is the present-in-the-past-in-the-present...and maybe that's a kind of eternal zietgiest...if there can be such a thing!

Mark

Perspectives on the Art Market

‘PERSPECTIVES ON THE ART MARKET’

Open Lecture Series No. IV

School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies

University of Leeds

 "Old Masters and New Masters, and their Masters: Gustave Coûteaux and the Belgian Art Market, ca. 1840-1870"

by

Dr Jan Dirk Baetens

FWO Doctoral Fellow

Art History Department, KULeuven Arts Faculty, Belgium

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

Baines Wing Lecture Theatre (2.34)

On WEDNESDAY 4^th May 2011

5.00pm -6.00pm

ALL WELCOME

Engaging, Creating; Artist and Maker Residencies in Public Spaces

I've just returned from attending this three day conference at the Victoria and Albert Museum which was exploring the role of artists residencies in the interpretation of museum sites and collections.

Overall, many projects were analysed; not least the artist in residence programme at the V&A (info here). Often, there was more of a focus on the relationship between artist and institution. Whilst the visitor was implicit in this discussion; fewer presentations dealt directly with the voice of the visitor and the impact of the residencies on their museum experience or understanding of the museum collections.

Tom Freshwater from the National Trust spoke about their new Contemporary Art Programme (info here). This was really interesting as he had used visitor comments to highlight how visitors had reacted to seeing 'art' when they weren't expecting it. Whilst many visitors appreciated the interventions, many threatened to cancel their membership citing that visiting a national trust property was all about getting away from the hubbub of modern life, rather than encountering the modern world in the form of 'contemporary art'. ( This is exactly what I'd done in my paper which looked at visitor comments about the contemporary art programme at the Bronte Parsonage Museum.)

There was a great presentation by artist Rebecca Jewell (website) who has been artist in residence at the British Museum. Her perspective as an artist was interesting as she has been working very much in an anthropological context; her work crossing boundaries between scientific illustration and fine art. It was particularly interesting to see an example of the British Museum displaying one of her drawings in place of an object which was too fragile to be displayed. Another project commented on the changing nature of scientific illustrations at the Natural History Museum, which are now seen as the 'art' collection, and little used or considered by the curators, their role having been supplanted by newer technologies.

Artist Stephen Farthing suggested that within the new REF framework for measuring impact; the most successful project he had been involved with was a residency at Birmingham City Football club, where he received an overwhelming response from football fans, interested in the subject rather than the content of his work.

A couple of other interesting residency programmes included:

Irish Museum of Modern Art (residency info here)

Luton Museum Truck Art project (exchange between Romany artist and Pakistani Truck artist; info here)

Visions of the Future: The Art of Science Fiction

Please take the time to visit the new Education Room display, 'Visions of the Future: The Art of Science Fiction' at the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, running from Monday 4 April - Saturday 11 June 2011.

This special display presents a selection from the University of Leeds' Special Collections, illustrating the history of science fiction artwork and its early development in utopian fictions to the images represented in contemporary film posters.

The display provides an insight into the development and artistic trends of the genre, and little-known facts, such as the important role Leeds played in the early history of science fiction in England.

"... in many ways science fiction was the true literature of the twentieth century, with a vast influence on film, television, advertising and consumer design. Science fiction is now the only place where the future survives..." J. G. Ballard, Miracles of Life, 2008.