Driving in Caracas

I spent May and part of June in Venezuela. The original idea was to go in February and cross over land from Colombia at the San Cristobal border. As protests and violence escalated this was no longer a viable option.

Instead I waited in Colombia and traveled to Venezuela six weeks later crossing at the northern border of Paraguaichón. The bus continued through the country, for twelve hours, terminating in Caracas.

Below is a series of photos that illustrate a drive I took through the city. Life in Venezuela continues despite the many problems that its people face.

 

ACTIONArar

March 2014 34South|61North had been ongoing for just over a year and I had reached the north of South America. With this I went to be resident artist at ACCIONArar residency in Anolaima, Colombia.

Tzitzi and David recently started the residency space, they are a couple of Colombian artists who focus on performance. Tzitzi has organised the Encuentro de Acción en Vivo y Diferido AVD,  Bogota and has traveled in South America participating in various events. She and David founded the residency space in country house outside the small town Anolaima. The residency encourages artistic development in all areas with emphasis on performance. There is also great importance put on sharing the living space, cooking together, sharing ideas and chores.

I met the couple at GUACHO-INTRATERRESTRE earlier this year in Ecuador and I learnt about what they do in Anolaima.  After a very intense period in Medellin I contacted them asking if I could come and use the residency as a time to reflect and to decide what direction I would like to take 34South|61North. We agreed and I prepared myself to go to Anolaima.

I spent the residency thinking. In February 2013 I began an ongoing work to cover two continents and learn about the arts and how they fit into societies that I visited, whilst developing three ongoing works: Take Space and Make Them New, The Map Exchange and GMT-. I have been making these works and simultaneously researching arts spaces and cultural organisations and artists, giving work shops and talks.

This system has been rewarding and full of meetings and new ideas. It has worked well over south america.  Now, entering phase two of 34South|61North, Central and North America the project calls for a different approach. I will be spending more time looking at other artists ways of making and how organisations work in the places I visit. My personal/physical practice will take a back seat. Just like in South America I will be researching and making art simultaneously but now with the focus on research.

Thanks to Tzitzi and David for providing this experience and a space that allowed for time to reflect and prioritise a new direction.

 

 

Artist talk and networking in Tuluá 9 de Abril

On Wednesday I was invited to give a talk in Tuluá, a town about two hours form Cali in the Cauca Valley, Colombia. The idea was to share my work and the concepts behind 34South|61North with local artists, musicians and actors. This was to open up a debate on how to improve networking between artists in Tuluá with the eventual goal of opening an arts centre in the town. Once the space is opened the artists will encourage local youths to pursue creative pastimes instead of entering into crime and repeating the town’s violent history.

The residents were happy to have me there as they want to organise exchanges with international artists who can bring different perspectives to the arts in the town and forge cultural interchanges. Over the next months I will be assisting with ideas, information and contacts.

Goog Luck artists of Tuluá.

Accionarar Anolaima

Actionarar Residency

I was presented with an opportunity to be away form the city and to be quiet and to reflect.

34South|61North has take place almost exclusively in urban environments and being resident at Accionarar gave me the opportunity to asses the events from the past year.  The works that I have developed, the countries that I have traveled through and the people that I have met-and then how these experiences have affected my consciousness, way of seeing the world and way of behaving.

Now back in Bogota and more to come on this unique experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bloom3 Performance-Invitation to Guests

(Español abajo)
Bloom 3 part of Take Spaces and Make Them New

Background
34South|61North is an ongoing project by British artist Camilla Brendon which consists of her journey from Santiago, Chile to Anchorage, Alaska. She began the work in February 2013.

Saturday the 22nd
Bloom 3 is part of an ongoing work Take Spaces and Make Them New. This piece sees Camilla changing and temporarily altering environments that she visits with objects that she has taken from those places. Camilla makes the alterations using shapes, colours and formations that are a direct, if not obvious, response to her experiences in the particular city or country.

Casa Tres Patios
Bloom 3 is being shown to conclude the month long residency at Casa Tres Patios. This performance and installation piece is the final chapter in the first half of 34South61North. It comes directly before Camilla begins a period of reflection and evaluation of the first year of the project.

You are invited to:

Explore Casa Tres Patios and watch the performance and installation for as long as you like, observing how the house and its surroundings change over time.

Interact with the performance move the objects and remove them if you wish.

The dispersal of objects used in installations is a key part of Take Spaces and Make Them New. If you take an object you are invited to describe where you will be taking it and why you chose it.

Please also leave your email if you would like updates from 34South|61North.

You are invited to follow the progress of 34South|61North in these places:

http://www.camillabrendon.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/34south61north
@camillabrendon

Bloom 3 part of Take Spaces and Make Them New
Fondo
34South|61North (34Sur|61Norte) es un proyecto en marcha de la artista Británica, Camilla Brendon. El cual comenzó en Febrero 2013, y que consiste en su viaje desde Santiago de Chile hasta Anchorage de Alaska.

Sabado 22
Bloom 3 es una parte de la obra Take Spaces and Make Them New (Tomar Espacios y Hacerlos Nuevos), que es una parte de 34South|61North. En esta obra Camilla va cambiando y alterando temporalmente los ambientes de los lugares que ha visitado, con objetos que son del mismo sitio. Camilla hace estos cambios con formas, colores y formaciones que son una respuesta directa, a su experiencia en una ciudad o país específico, pero no obvia.

Casa Tres Patios
Con Bloom 3 se concluirá la residencia que hizo Camilla en Casa Tres Patios durante un mes. Este trabajo de performance e instalación es el último capítulo de la primera mitad de 34South|61North. Justo antes de un periodo de reflexión y evaluación del primer ano de la obra.

Estan invitados a:

Explorar Casa Tres Patios, ver el performance e instalación y observar como cambia la casa y su alrededor en el transcurso del dia.

Ser parte de la obra, mover la ubicación de los objetos y sacarlos del espacio si desean.

La distribución de los objetos usados en los intervenciones es una parte importante de Take Spaces and Make Them New. Si sacan un objeto, estan invitados a hacer una descripción de a donde van a llevar el objeto y porque eligieron este.

Si quieren actualizaciones de 34South|61North tambien indicar su correo electronico.

Estan invitados a seguir la continuación de 34South|61North en estos sitios:

http://www.camillabrendon.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/34south61north
@camillabrendon

Bloom 3- Take Spaces and Make Them New

Los esperemos este sábado el 22 de Febrero en Casa Tres Patios, aparte de 12 30hrs la artista Camilla Brendon estara haciendo un intervención del edificio y de su alrededor. El evento terminara a las 20hrs. Bienvenidos!

Mas info:
http://www.casatrespatios.org
http://on.fb.me/1jHgO7A

We invite you to a live installation piece by British artist Camilla Brendon this Saturday the 22 of February in Casa Tres Patios, Medellín. The event will see Camilla change the insides of C3P and the areas that surround the house. The piece will be from 12 30-8pm.

More information:
http://www.casatrespatios.org
http://on.fb.me/1jHgO7A

Cambiando el Entorno

La semana pasado estuvimos explorando como podemos ocupar y cambiar espacios con nuestros cuerpos y objetos de la vida cotidiano. Los secciones empezaron con actividades hacho por El Cuerpo Habla.

Last week we were exploring how we can occupy and change spaces with our bodies and objects form day to day life. The sessions began with exercises and games led by El Cuerpo Habla, (the body talks).

El segundo parte fue de hacer unas cosas para intervenir con espacios públicos con casas de desecho y de la vida cotidiana.

The second part was making objects to install into public space with wast materials and day to day objects.

Terminamos cloqueando obras en la calle cerca que estación Hospital en Prado Central, Medellín.

We finished putting works in the streets of Pardo Central, Medellin, close to Hospital metro station.

Cambiando el Entorno

(English below)
El Miercoles 12 y Jueves 13 daré dos tardes de talleres con el gropo El Cuerpo Habla, de 14-17hrs en Casa Tres Patios, Medellin. Vamos a explorar como podemos cambiar nuestros alredadores usando objectos y nuestros propios cuerops.

El taller esta abierto y gratuito a todos.

No olviden traier:
-Un objecto con valor sentimental de tu vida
-Un objecto de tu vida cotidiana
-Algun material de desecho eg. plastico o carton

Mas info aca:
http://bit.ly/1fSZcoT

Wednesday and Thursday 12 and 13th I will be giving a workshop with the performative Medellin based group El Cuerpo Habla. The two days will go from 2-5pm and be in and around Casa Tres Patios, Medellín. We will be looking at how we can change our every day surroundings using movements of our bodies and day to day objects.

The workshop is free and open to everybody.
Please remember to bring:
-An object that has sentimental value
-An object with no value that you use in your day to day existence
-A waste or recyclable material form your life eg. plastic or cardboard

More info here:
http://bit.ly/1fSZcoT

Conversatorio Lunes 10 de Feb

(ingles abajo)
El proximo Lunes voy a dar un conversatorio a la universidad aquí en Medellín. El enfoque sera sobre la obra 34South|61North y como estoy trabajando en esto en Medellín durante mi residencia en Casa Tres Patios.

Los días siguientes 12-13 voy a dar un taller en Casa Tres Patios durante las trades con el grupo El Cuerpo Habla, contacta a mi o C3P para mas información.

Next Monday I will be giving a talk at the University here in Medellin. I will be talking about my work 34South|61North and how my residency is affecting the project.

In the days that follow (12-13th) I’m leading a workshop for three afternoons. The workshop will be led in conjunction with the performance group El Cuerpo Habla. Contact me or C3P for more information.

Arrival- Casa Tres Patios, Medellín

Since leaving Sustainable Bolivia in early November i’ve been on a fast paced journey through Peru and Ecuador and some of Colombia to finally reach Medellín. I will be staying here and working as a resident artist at Casa Tres Patios until the end of February.

This residency is at a crucial time as geographically and potentially time wise is the half way moment in 34South|61North. It is also a time of change, signifying the end to my prolonged stay in the Andean region.

I’m reflecting on all the good, bad, busy, crazy, creative, stressful and joyful times that have filled up the last three months and am using  these contemplations to ignite new ideas in my practice, influencing the direction in which it will move.

On the 10th of Feburary i’ll be giving a talk at the University of Antioquia here in Medellín about my practice and why I’m traveling over two continents as an investigation of artistic practices and a development of my own work. This talk will be a couple of days before I being a run a workshop held over three afternoons at C3P. It will run with the assistance of El Cuerpo Habla, a performative based collective made up by students of Fine Art and Dance and lectures form the university. Times and dates to come.

I’m using the month here to re-consider how I’ve been working with objects and space. This is regarding the use of my own body in public and private spaces and my use of found and wast objects. I’m interested about how I can bring the two elements together so that they work simultaneously or become the same thing.

The residency will finish with an  exhibition that will include a performative installation work. I’m looking at how I can change the garden, hallways, entrance and street outside Casa Tres Patios over the course of a day.

An investigation during the residency of the subtleties of objects and how they bring a new essence to a place  will be presented during the exhibition.

I’m interested in how my physical condition will change as the day of the show and installation of the work wears on and how the audience will react to what I’m doing and making.

Above are some photos of Casa Tres Patios, the space I’m going to give the workshop in and then do the show. I’d like to hear ideas of how you would work to transform this space.

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