Alias is a platform built by artists for artists for the development of artist led groups in the South West of England.

We aim to nurture artist led activity by providing a critical context, resources and advice to artist led groups through an advisory service and by fostering the creation of an organic community where cooperative and collaborative projects can thrive.

INVIGORATE: WATCH THIS SPACE

tHE EVENTplace from the 5th-8th December 2007, The Exchange, Penzance

Collectively over the course of 'Invigorate' we explored a series of provocative questions as artists and curators: Why have we formed artist led projects? How do activist and educational strategies relate to artistic practice today? How do we as artists understand community? How and why do we choose to collaborate?

'Invigorate' was designed to activate a critical think-tank around issues of production, organisation and community. Our research led us to consider texts such as Michel Foucault’s ‘What is an Author?’ and Walter Benjamin’s ‘The Author as Producer’ and to begin to deconstruct our situation in relation to the role of the artist/producer and our relation to audiences, resources and galleries.

By bringing together an identified group of local artists to share their experiences with invitees and interested professionals working in Cornwall, we aspired to build on our collective experience and knowledge and to identify possible ways we can continue to expand the scope for artist led projects in Cornwall.

'Invigorate' consisted of several phases: the collective exhibition of documentation of recent past projects, a showcase for current collaborative work, artists talks, and a symposium where invited speakers gave presentations about their artist led projects and the discussion was opened to the audience to explore art and activism, community, commissioning, self - organisation and information exchange.

'Invigorate' succeeded in bringing together artists networks and in generating further collaborations and ongoing dialogues in terms of making work and in terms of further attempts to engage critically with our particular context as artists in Cornwall. What form this further critical engagement and practical action will take is currently under discussion between the curators and artists.

We intend to update our website to include documentation of the work that was made, talks that were given and the dialogues that were generated and to post information about future action.

download program (pdf doc)

texts/supporting material (click to download)
WALTER BENJAMIN - THE AUTHOR AS PRODUCER
Rebecca Weeks - Benjamin And Struggle
Okwui Enwezor - The Author As Producer

Key Speakers:
Blair Todd, Exhibitions Officer - The Exchange, Kath Wynne - Artist/Curator 'One.C', Steven Paige - Artist/Curator representing 'More Cornwall'.
Artists (documentation coming soon)

Sovay Berriman
Art Surgery (Andy Whall & Delpha Hudson)
M. INSTITUTE (WITH STEVEN PAIGE AND MICHAEL DONNELLY)
Alison Sharkey
ArtDept... (Rebecca Weeks & Ian Whitford) with
Alexandra Zierle and Paul Carter
Susanne Partoll, Kate Ogley, Samia Saidi
Stephanie Boon & Chantal Brooks
Veronica Vickery
Clarissa Beothy
Mary Fletcher
Rupert White (artcornwall.org)
Brendan Byrne, Timothy Crawley & Sue Emery (TAG)
Ken Turner
Volker Stox & Jesse Leroy Smith (exposure, revolver)
ana carvalho, lara houston, brendan byrne & paul mumford (vj theory)
Gillian Holt
aMANDA lORENS

Organisers/Curators:
Artdept (Rebecca Weeks & Ian Whitford) , Alexandra Zierle and Paul Carter & Andy Whall of Art Surgery.