09_05_2010

Monday, once again, I found myself at the International terminal today.  This time, I was meeting South Africa artists Roger Ballen and Penny Siopsis with her husband academic Colin Richards (who will be speaking at the forum).  Siopsis is a painter, whose work explores ideas of vulnerability – “how an image can relate to power and repression”; similarly, Roger Ballen (although he was born in the United States, lives and practices in South Africa) explores themes of repression by controversially photographing people that live on the peripheries of South African society, in order to create powerful, abstract photography.  Was an honour to meet them both.  At least today’s pick-up was at 1:30pm! 

08_05_2010

First taste of airport pick-ups!

Wow, I am exhausted.  This morning, I was responsible for picking up Russian artist Olga Egorova at the airport.  So, at 5am I caught a taxi and headed out to the international terminal, where I stood in the queue with all the hired taxi drivers, holding a sign for Ms. Egorova.  Her flight was meant to arrive at 6am, but was delayed until close to 8am!  Needless-to-say, I was tired by the time she surfaced from customs.  Although, she was absolutely lovely, especially after having sat on a flight all the way from Russia, and was extremely patient when I advised her that we’d have to wait because now we were meant to be waiting for curator Tika Selman to arrive from the United States! Olga was supposed to already be in a taxi enroute to the Sofitel on Phillip Street in the CBD at this point, but there was no sense sending her off now, since Ms. Selman was going to be out of customs momentarily.  So, between me and the other intern Kate, we wrangled up Olga Egorova, Tika Selman, as well as artists Enrique Chagoya and Claudio Dicochea and hopped in taxis with them, escorting them all the way to the concierge desk at the Sofitel Hotel.  They really appreciated the personal efforts we made to welcome them to Sydney, as they all traveled here from all over the world (some for the first time)!  It was a real test to be welcoming and knowledgeable that early in the morning.  The artists were asking questions about their itineraries for the opening week, as well as general tourist questions, since they all intended to build in some sightseeing while in the city.  This was especially challenging for me, since I have only been living in Sydney for a year-and-a-half, but in the end, I think this actually helped me give them good advice, since I just did all the “touristy” things myself. It also really helped that the PPE interns were involved with drafting the artist’s itineraries – made answering their questions a lot easier. 

 PPE Interns: Me & Kate Jackson

07_05_2010

Opening Week!

Today I was in the office and the energy is electric!  Everyone is prepping for next week, which will be chocked full of events, parties, forums, artist talks and opening nights.  It’s going to be amazing!  Nisa asked me to draft up an event plan for the Keynote speaker address at City Recital Hall at Angel Place. This plan will be handed out to all staff helping to organize the event on the evening, to ensure that everyone is on the same page.  This evening, the other interns and I have been invited to the staff BBQ and Welcome on Cockatoo Island.  All BOS staff will be there, as well as some of the artists that are already in town.  It will be a great opportunity to get to know the people we’ll be working with in opening week.  We’ve been advised that everyone jumps on board during opening week, and helps where they are needed, which will also be a great opportunity to see how the Biennale functions outside of the Public Programs department. Have a look at the event plan I put together below:

30_04_2010_Part 2

Artist Interview:

Later in the same day, after the rest of the group had left the island,  Nisa, Dougal and I (with a videographer Alec) stayed behind to conduct an artist interview with Kadar Attia, about his work Kasbah.  This magnificent work, features rooftops the artist has collected from numerous shantytowns around the world.  With them, he has recreated the rooftops of these impoverished communities (like the favellas one might see in poorer parts of South America), but in an interesting inversion, has lowered them down to the ground.  He invites 1^st World visitors, to literally participate in the systems of economic disparity that exist our global world, and walk on the 3^rd World.  The work inspires consideration about many socio-political issues, things like, these countries remain oppressed because richer countries depend on their poverty for their prosperity.  In this work, Attia has installed 350 square metres of rooftop for visitors to traipse over and make such considerations.  The work in moving and interactive and as the artist calls it a “contemporary microcosm of reality”.

30_04_2010

First tour of Cockatoo Island!

Today, we met Nisa at an ungodly hour at Wharf 5 in Circular Quay to take our first tour of the artworks on Cockatoo Island, where we will be leading tours for the duration of the 17^th Biennale of Sydney. It was pouring rain, and probably the first real cold day we’ve had in Sydney this winter, so it was a bit challenging maintaining focus with these distractions, but we made the best of it. With the exhibition opening in just over a week, the energy on the island is frantic and exciting. The installation crew had their hands full, as many of the artworks were partially installed, if installed at all! Nevertheless, Nisa took us around to a few key works, like the Cai Guo Qiang “exploding cars”, Kader Attia’s Kasbah shanty town rooftops, Robert MacPherson’s road signs, Hiroshi Sugimoto’s electric charge photographic light boxes, and the AES+F nine-channel, 360 degree film installation, which features 75 000 still photographs animated into a film. It was great to actually get out to the island and walk around and get a sense for how the exhibition will feel when all the works have been installed. Furthermore, it became evident why Cockatoo Island was selected as a venue, as it lends much to the works that are responding directly to the space within which they are installed or the history of Cockatoo Island itself.

23_04_2010

Received this brief via email from Nisa Mackie today:

 

Kids Days and Kids Map Brief

Kids Map: 1 double sided A3 page, featuring the Cockatoo Island map and selected artworks, preferably themed alongside David Elliott’s (DE’s) concept.

Kid Map functions:

·       Kids Activity sheet with questions/games

·       Map

·       Audio tour guide

·       Interact with BoS Kids Days

Suggested elements:

·       Origami activity on one side

·       Survival map star system for Kids Days, get a sticker for completing activities?

·       Q&A’s to engage with works, answers upside down on alternate side

·       Mazes/puzzles/word games

·       Cockatoo Island Map as a dot-to-dot?

Kids Days: Three Saturdays of the exhibition period just for kids with craft stations and staff especially allocated to facilitate activities. Wake 

Kids Days held on:

Saturday, 3 July 10am–4pm

Saturday, 10 July 10am–4pm

Saturday, 17 July 10am–4pm

·       Craft stations (approx. 3–4)

·       Costumes for staff

·       Balloons and helium

Budgets:

2008 Budget for 2 Kids Days:

Costume hire	534
Helium	315
Craft Supplies	200
Balloon printing	Sponsored by other dept

 

2010 Proposed Budget for 3 Kids Days:

Costume hire	600	% decrease on 2008
Helium	500	% increase on 2008
Craft Supplies	400	% increase on 2008
Balloon printing 2008 Kid's Map:	TBC	n/a

 

The PPE interns – me, Kate and Nikki – were asked to head up this project.  It involves planning, from inception to completion, 3 “Kid’s Days” for the Biennale of Sydney.  This Project also involved creating a map for kids and parents to follow on the Kid’s Days, with games and activities and such.  So, the other interns and I (and two other students involved with the guiding course that are studying education) had a few meetings and came up with the concept “Escape from Prison Island” for the theme, and from there conceived of various games and activities to include on the map.  After the meeting, I offered to draw up a draft of the map, including all the components we discussed in our meetings.  It had been a while since I flexed my drawing abilities, but I must say, I am particularly proud of my “sleeping guard”.  Please see my sketch here: