Liverpool 17-20 October 2006

Last October the British Council brought a group of curators and arts professionals on a Visual Arts Showcase as part of their Creative Networks project. As a curator of mainly film, video and computer based art, this presented a really interesting opportunity for me to experience the broader world of contemporary visual art.  The conversations were multilingual, mostly a blend of English, French and Italian, the company was a spectrum of people working at an institutional to a grass roots level within the arts.

Two topics dominated the debate; firstly, the pros and cons of working within an institution versus working as an independent arts professional. The opposing existences presented caused me to sway, thinking how wonderful it would be to have the structure, weight and financial support of working within an institution … how lucky I am to have the creative and collaborative freedom that being independent allows … back again and so on.

The other thing on people’s minds was a matter of geography, the nuances of working within the (perceived) center/core of the art world versus working on the fringes. These conversations worked kind of like a chain letter, everyone contributing to them as the days passed. The discussion interchangeable, passed from person to person, examinedfrom every angle, my contribution concluded eating fish, chips and mushy peas with Akiko Miki, curator at Palais de Tokyo in Paris on our way to the airport.

Our journey took us through the TATE Liverpool, A Foundation, the International and Independents exhibitions,MuseumMan some of the Fringe events, on a walking tour of the public art along with many interesting talks and networking sessions, curating being the central focus of these.

I had heard of FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) through my work at Darklight and had met curatorKaren Allen at the festival in Dublin last June. The four story building that houses FACT is where you can see thelatest blockbuster, visit an installation by a rising star of experimental film, check out the upcoming local film festival or delve into Tenant Spin, a long running founding project at FACT. There is also a bar, café and media lounge.

FACT also run a comprehensive education programme. We visited the studio, which is fitted out with video and audio edit stations and used for classes, hire, and the residency programme. They also offer facilities for corporate events.I don’t know the details of how the financing or functioning of FACT unfolds but it seems to successfully marry the mainstream with the sublime, the commercial with the ‘not for profit’. Bringing audiences together through exposure and education in a relaxed unpretentious atmosphere.

As part of the Biennial exhibition there I saw FAITH ( 2006) by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, which was commissionedby Liverpool Biennial. This is an artist whose work I love, as he navigates the worlds of film and gallery based exhibition, gaining the highest accolades in both. In 005 he was presented with Thailand’s most prestigious award for visual artists. FAITH ( 006) is a tender portrait of lost love and transformation. Moving between the genres of romance and sci-fi, the film illustrates that the critically acclaimed director is continuing his tradition of cinematography which acts as a beautiful feast for the eyes and is gorgeously seductive.

Nicky Gogan,

Director, Darklight Festival