FT07 @ Assembly St Just
Artists’ Forum, St Just, Cornwall, 29th Feb - 3rd of March 2008
Background
A group of 8 London based, emerging artists with the aid of funding from Artquest London are holding a four-day forum session at Assembly residency space, St Just Cornwall. Our forum group decided to use this funding to explore the different aspects of the London art scene in relation to other National Art Centres, with the aim of not being so London-centric in our approach.
Objectives
This particular session is being hosted by Assembly, a residency space in St Just, set up by Abigail Reynolds and Andy Harper, who currently straddle the Cornish/London art worlds by dividing their practices between the two locations. The decision to mobilize their practices, the relevance of doing so, and their decision to create a residency space available for other artists to do the same, will inform the discussions we have throughout the 4 day residency. Ultimately, the aim for the artists in residence is that discussion should stimulate a creative process. The format is going to be two discussions, exploring broadly the theme of a London / Cornwall divide from two different angles.
1. Practice, in terms of mobilizing and relocating practice; the practicalities and logistics for any artist attempting to do so. Relevant as so many opportunities available to artists seem to be formatted as residencies, involving a temporary upheaval and relocation. In addition to this we will take a wider look at the contemporary relevance and implications of doing so.
2. Infrastructure, an exploration of the creative infrastructures in Cornwall and their roles in bridging this divide. How it affects the remit of the organisations and the work that they carry out. How successful they are as platforms and support networks for local artists and their role in ensuring that the criticality of work being made is kept in context.
