The UK Space Art Forum is a meeting point for artists who have made
or
want to make work for Space (that is, not on Earth or in similar
conditions) and scientists, museum staff or curators who want to
collaborate with them. Last year's Space Art Forum, organised at the Lux Centre, London, by
the Arts Catalyst was a great success and many alliances were formed. Speakers included Jean-Marc Phillippe, whose Mars project is near
fruition, Cornelia Parker, whose work can be seen in Tate Modern and
who is trying to send a meteorite back into space, and the
Association
for Autonomous Astronauts. Institutions represented included the
National Space Science Centre, Leicester, Jodrell Bank, Manchester,
Kingston University Department of Aeronautics and Imperial College of
Science, Technology & Medicine.
This year's Space Art Forum will be around a specific theme:
performances and objects that could be made for different states of
gravity, such as earth orbit or parabolic flight (see below).
Dancers, choreographers, circus and theatre practitioners are welcome
as well as visual artists.
Scientists and engineers involved in space and interested in these
ideas are also invited to speak about their work.
A parabolic flight creates the conditions of zero gravity - otherwise
only experienced for any length of time in orbit or space travel - by
putting an aircraft into a series of diving manoeuvres. Parabolic
flights require a specially adapted aircraft and a highly specialised
team of flight crew, trained instructors and doctors. They are
undertaken by a handful of space agencies around the world
specifically for astronaut/cosmonaut training and scientific
experiments. During each parabola, bodies and objects inside the
aircraft float freely for 25 - 30 seconds. A flight will have between
10 and 30 parabolas. Many people experience severe discomfort in zero
gravity - nausea, disorientation and sickness are common. But it is
becoming feasible for artistic activities to take place in this
environment and we will be focusing on these in this forum.
How to attend - send by email or fax the following information:
50 words on your ideas, work, or a proposed project for altered
gravity.
Your audio-visual requirements.
Up to 30 delegates will be asked to make a 10 minute presentation. If
more than 30 apply we will select participants based on closeness to
our criteria. We will accept submissions right up to the date of the
forum, if there is room.
You are also welcome to attend as a non-participating member, for
which a UK£ 10.00 charge will be made.
There will be a basic buffet lunch including wine and soft drinks.
Guest Speakers:
Dragan Zhivadinov was a founder member of NSK (Neue Slovenische
Kunst)
and is now the Director of Noordung. In August and December of 1999
he
presented the first theatrical performance in zero gravity with his
company in the Yuri Gagarin Training Centre, Star City, Moscow. He
has undertaken cosmonaut training at Baikonur, the Russian launch pad in
Kazakstan. With Peljhan, he aims to set up a national Space Agency in
Slovenia in collaboration with the Russians with art as its main aim.
Marko Peljhan set up Makrolab, an art-science autonomous research
station resembling Mir Space Station. It was first shown in at
Documenta in 1997 and then on the remote Rottnest Island off
Australia. He intends eventually to install Makrolab in Antarctica.
In
1998 he set up a live radio phone-in with the cosmonauts on Mir. He
was responsible for arranging Noordung's Russian parabolic flights
and
the recent flight for the Arts Catalyst.
The Arts Catalyst, who will chair the forum, recently organised a
parabolic flight for choreographer Kitsou Dubois, the first ever
artist in zero gravity, with her dancers from Star City, Russia. They
are facilitating a collaborative project between Dubois and the
Biodynamics Group at Imperial College with the European Space Agency.
Also onboard the Russian flight, as well as the dance company, were a
video artist, a physicist, a broadcaster, a space technologist and a
climber. The Arts Catalyst is investigating organising further
parabolic flights. Nicola Triscott and Rob La Frenais, chairing the
forum, both have zero gravity experience.
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