Here's my account of the the Tate Modern charrette on 10th May 2008.
It was great to be in the Turbine Hall in Tate Modern for a reason rather than to just pass through on the way to look at something else. I’ve always felt the space is a brilliant piece of work in its own right without any other curatorial art in it.
Talking to other wheelchair users on the day confirmed my feeling that the Turbine Hall slope is regarded as a brilliant feature to speed down in a wheelchair. There’s something very powerful about sitting at the top of that slope before swooping down it on the beautifully smooth concrete floor. To me it feels like a feature designed just for wheelchair users, as opposed to the heavy carpets and mean spaces that you often encounter in other buildings.
The day’s events made me think about how the artist Carsten Holler used the Turbine Hall. His work, Test Site (perhaps better known as the slides) let people occupy different places in that customarily serious space in a playful way. Our group had talked before about the volume of the space and how human beings occupied so little of it – as far as I’m concerned Holler nailed it when he made Test Site. YouTube has plenty of clips of people shrieking in delight as they plummet down the slide. I thought it was significant that most of the clips were of adults, as something that came out of our activity was that there shouldn’t be any age restriction on who took part.
The first thing our group did was played. We mucked about. I scooted around at top speed and Tom flew a small helicopter about in order to try and occupy the height of the space. We’d thought about mounting a lightweight camera on it to record other parts of the hall and then play them back at ground level, but regrettably, it was clear that this could not be achieved without hitting a lot of innocent bystanders.
Joolz, hell-bent on mischief, climbed one of the iron pillars by the side of the wall, chucked balls around and made a swing by throwing wool over one of the girders. The (real) security guards told him off several times (which I couldn’t help thinking he took as a measure of success…)
In the end our activity focused around some pool balls Joolz had brought along. It was all about the fun of shooting the balls out of a cardboard tube and chasing them as they gathered speed down the slope. The kinetic energy that they built up felt like a conclusive expression of my relationship to the space. We encouraged everyone present to chase the balls, which also gave the activity a nice focal point.
I wish we could have made more impact playing back our photos and film clips. We projected them through the frosted glass walls that ran the length of the education suites. The glass filtered the images in a very pleasing way. I’d have loved to be able to project larger scale films along the whole length of the walls with close-up shots of the balls rolling directly toward the viewer – possibly it would have added a new dimension to an otherwise flat wall, but hey ho, in only a few hours there was definitely potential for further experimentation.
I was delighted that another group’s activity (How quickly can you get from A to B?) used the slope as well. I’m pretty sure when Herzog & de Meuron converted the Turbine Hall they didn’t realize it would become such an exciting feature for a small section of society, but one day I hope they get to know that it is.
Caroline Cardus
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
It's all about the way you roll...
InQbate workshop - The Lounge feature
Good morningJust uploaded our last issue of The Lounge, Salon's own in-house quarterly, in pdf - thought you'd be interested in a little of my own perspective on the InQbate workshop. You can read it here
Originally we were going to do a double-spread, but image copyright restrictions elsewhere put a stop to that. I'll come back with the longer article in a bit.
Feel free to ask me more about the magazine.
Monday, 30 June 2008
InQbate – Brighton… My Experience by Chris Ankin
Do you know what I love about art? it’s the fact that you can give any number of artists a task, and they will all interpret and come up with something unique and individual.
And so it was with the InQbate workshop in Brighton. I think many of us felt a degree of trepidation when we all gathered that morning, none of us knowing what design problem we were to be set, none of us really knowing what was expected of us, and I for one feeling that little element of self-doubt that I often get when faced with something new.
Part of that ‘concern’ probably came from the fact that we were to be paired with another artist, whilst I consider myself very easy going and easy to get along with, when it comes ‘our precious art’ some of us can rightly be a little non-compromising at times.
Any concerns I may have had sooner melted away however, when I was introduced to Tony Heaton – an equally easy going and easy to get along with sculptor.
We spent a good initial amount of time simply chatting to each other about our art, and comparing our thoughts – we could easily have done this for a good deal longer, there was however a design problem to address.
A Place Where Two People Meet
The InQbate space is a wonderfully large and very customisable space in which to work. It can be divided into several smaller spaces as it was on this day, or be used as one very large venue.
This flexibility extends beyond mere adjustable space size; there are many variations in lighting, sound, vision and surface space, which all combines to allow maximum variations.
After being allowed ‘introductory’ time, we were given the design task for the day, which was ‘A space where two people meet’. We set about tackling this by engaging in a joint brainstorming session.
As it turned out, we happened to have the largest area of the sub-divided InQbate space to work with. This presented us with the first decision – do we do something minimalistic and allow the extra space to add power to the work we produce, or do we utilise the area by filling it with lots of material?
Tony had a great idea of having two interlocking squares, the majority of the square being representative of the individuals entities, and the ‘mini square’ created by the interlock is the place ‘where two people meet’.
And so it was with the InQbate workshop in Brighton. I think many of us felt a degree of trepidation when we all gathered that morning, none of us knowing what design problem we were to be set, none of us really knowing what was expected of us, and I for one feeling that little element of self-doubt that I often get when faced with something new.
Part of that ‘concern’ probably came from the fact that we were to be paired with another artist, whilst I consider myself very easy going and easy to get along with, when it comes ‘our precious art’ some of us can rightly be a little non-compromising at times.
Any concerns I may have had sooner melted away however, when I was introduced to Tony Heaton – an equally easy going and easy to get along with sculptor.
We spent a good initial amount of time simply chatting to each other about our art, and comparing our thoughts – we could easily have done this for a good deal longer, there was however a design problem to address.
A Place Where Two People Meet
The InQbate space is a wonderfully large and very customisable space in which to work. It can be divided into several smaller spaces as it was on this day, or be used as one very large venue.
This flexibility extends beyond mere adjustable space size; there are many variations in lighting, sound, vision and surface space, which all combines to allow maximum variations.
After being allowed ‘introductory’ time, we were given the design task for the day, which was ‘A space where two people meet’. We set about tackling this by engaging in a joint brainstorming session.
As it turned out, we happened to have the largest area of the sub-divided InQbate space to work with. This presented us with the first decision – do we do something minimalistic and allow the extra space to add power to the work we produce, or do we utilise the area by filling it with lots of material?
Tony had a great idea of having two interlocking squares, the majority of the square being representative of the individuals entities, and the ‘mini square’ created by the interlock is the place ‘where two people meet’.
Chris Ankin
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Tate Modern inSECURITY?
Still reeling a bit from yesterday - fantastic fun but also really exhausting. I've put some images from our group on the Flickr group. Hope to get the video edited so that can go up somewhere too (Daminen I'm hoping to impose on you here...).
Really interested to see how wearing a high vis vest makes the person inside invisible/invulnerable - people just assume you are'official' and however mystifying your actions it must be OK. I've never felt so at home at Tate Modern.... Tempted to take back the outfit on another day to see how well it works on a freelance basis.
Definate split in approach in our group i felt between the artists, who wanted to work out what to do by doing it, and the architects who I think wanted to have more idea of what we were doing before it started. However, all the negotiations were part of the process to and we ended up with something we'd never have achieved individually.
Great that the Tate were so tolerant, although Marcus looked a bit nervous at times.
Steph
Really interested to see how wearing a high vis vest makes the person inside invisible/invulnerable - people just assume you are'official' and however mystifying your actions it must be OK. I've never felt so at home at Tate Modern.... Tempted to take back the outfit on another day to see how well it works on a freelance basis.
Definate split in approach in our group i felt between the artists, who wanted to work out what to do by doing it, and the architects who I think wanted to have more idea of what we were doing before it started. However, all the negotiations were part of the process to and we ended up with something we'd never have achieved individually.
Great that the Tate were so tolerant, although Marcus looked a bit nervous at times.
Steph
Monday, 11 February 2008
What is a Charrette?
The word charrette is the name architects give to a collaborative workshop in which a group of designers and others draft a creative response to a design problem. While the organisation of a charrette varies, depending on the design problem posed, and the individuals involved, they most often take place across a limited amount of time, in a shared space and where people are divided into small teams. At the end of the workshop, each sub-group then presents its work to the full group as material for future dialogue.
The charrette is a creative method for integrating the aptitudes and interests of a diverse group of people so as share knowledge and experiences, to learn from each other, to work through a specific design problem creatively and constructively, and to produce concrete examples of design improvements.
Main characteristics
Work collaboratively
All the people in a charrette are involved as active participants, with an equal role and value. Whilst charrettes can involve multiple sessions to help develop collaborative relationships, a simple form is made up of three sessions – an introductory event, where people get to know each other and agree shared goals; the design workshop itself; and a feedback process, to allow time for reflection, to share outcomes and where dialogue can be continued and developed.
Design from different perspectives
Bringing together people with diverse knowledge and experience related to the design problem set, enables a richness of outcomes, not restricted by a partial or un-informed view.
Compress designing period
A charrette speeds up the usual design process, making it intensive and ‘quick-thinking’. It also encourages people to abandon their usual working patterns and “think outside of the box.”
Communicate in short feedback loops
During the charrette, design ideas are created within sub-group based upon a shared vision, and presented within hours for further review, critique, and refinement from other sub-groups. This allows instant creative feedback to a design proposal, which can then be reviewed, changed, and re-presented for further review.
Study the details and the whole
Lasting agreement is based on a fully informed dialogue, which is best done by looking at the details and the big picture concurrently. Studies at these two scales also inform each other and can add to the creativity of the design response.
Agree intended goals
By measuring progress against a agreed set of intended goals, the design process should be transparent and constructive for all the participants
Produce a believable solution
If design solutions are resolved practically and believably (however ‘off-the-wall’) there is a level of seriousness and rigour to the process for everyone involved.
Design-on-site as a valuable collaborative tool
Design is a powerful way of enabling a shared vision. Site investigations through drawing and debate can be used to illustrate, analyse and creatively resolve the complexity of the problem set.
Working on site enables the design team to immediately grapple with both practicalities and bigger ideas; and to imagine proposed solutions easily and concretely in a real space.
The charrette is a creative method for integrating the aptitudes and interests of a diverse group of people so as share knowledge and experiences, to learn from each other, to work through a specific design problem creatively and constructively, and to produce concrete examples of design improvements.
Main characteristics
Work collaboratively
All the people in a charrette are involved as active participants, with an equal role and value. Whilst charrettes can involve multiple sessions to help develop collaborative relationships, a simple form is made up of three sessions – an introductory event, where people get to know each other and agree shared goals; the design workshop itself; and a feedback process, to allow time for reflection, to share outcomes and where dialogue can be continued and developed.
Design from different perspectives
Bringing together people with diverse knowledge and experience related to the design problem set, enables a richness of outcomes, not restricted by a partial or un-informed view.
Compress designing period
A charrette speeds up the usual design process, making it intensive and ‘quick-thinking’. It also encourages people to abandon their usual working patterns and “think outside of the box.”
Communicate in short feedback loops
During the charrette, design ideas are created within sub-group based upon a shared vision, and presented within hours for further review, critique, and refinement from other sub-groups. This allows instant creative feedback to a design proposal, which can then be reviewed, changed, and re-presented for further review.
Study the details and the whole
Lasting agreement is based on a fully informed dialogue, which is best done by looking at the details and the big picture concurrently. Studies at these two scales also inform each other and can add to the creativity of the design response.
Agree intended goals
By measuring progress against a agreed set of intended goals, the design process should be transparent and constructive for all the participants
Produce a believable solution
If design solutions are resolved practically and believably (however ‘off-the-wall’) there is a level of seriousness and rigour to the process for everyone involved.
Design-on-site as a valuable collaborative tool
Design is a powerful way of enabling a shared vision. Site investigations through drawing and debate can be used to illustrate, analyse and creatively resolve the complexity of the problem set.
Working on site enables the design team to immediately grapple with both practicalities and bigger ideas; and to imagine proposed solutions easily and concretely in a real space.
Architecture-InsideOut Events News
Architecture-InsideOut is a collaboration between Diablo Arts, DADA-South and the University of Brighton which aims to develop and capture innovative forms of design practice for the built environment, led by the creativity and experiences of deaf and disabled artists.
Our latest project (funded by Arts Council SE) involves setting up a series of events which:
• Provide the opportunity for deaf and disabled artists to collaborate in exploring ways of improving the built environment
• Enable deaf and disabled artists and architects to engage creatively in developing design improvements
• Offer ‘discursive spaces’ for artists interested in architecture, and for architects, deaf and disabled artists and other associated agencies to be able to share their expertise and experiences
• Open up potential for future partnerships and continuing creative work around disability and architecture
There will be two events being planned over the next few months;
Places are limited for phase 1 so will be offered to those whose current portfolio links closely to the built environment. We are developing other opportunities for charrettes and workshops later in the year, so please check back regularly here on the blog and the project website - currently under construction but coming soon.
Dates
InsideOut@InQbate
Two one - day workshops are planned with up to 8 deaf and disabled participants in each.
Friday 11th April 2008: 10.00 – 4.00pm
Thursday 10th April 2008: 10.00 – 4.00pm
Opening up!
Friday 25th April 2008: Introductory evening
McAulay Studio, Tate Modern, 4.00 – 7.00pm
Saturday 10th May 2008: collaborative design workshop
McAulay Studio, Tate Modern, 10.00 – 6.00pm
We hope that artists and architects will be able to participate in both these days, so that teams can get to know each other before the charrette itself.
Accessibility
The venues are wheelchair accessible and British Sign Language Interpreters will be present. Additional access requirements can also be accommodated on request.
Capturing and learning from these events
We have also asked some deaf and disabled artists to creatively capture these events, and to make a short work related to each one. As well as designs made during each event, these works will be shown on the Architecture-InsideOut website (in development) and will be publically debated via the Architecture- InsideOut blog at http://architecture-insideout.blogspot.com/
In addition, we will have a public follow-up session at Tate Modern to view these works, to discuss what has been learnt, and to make plans for future activities.
Future Developments
We are hoping to plan a series of charrettes and other events over the next year, with a first as part of the South East architecture festival (architecture08) in June.
To date we have invited specific deaf and disabled artists; for the next event we hope to make this an open submission, so if you know artists who might want to participate next time round, please ask them to contact us. We also hope to develop more projects, publicise work, related to architecture, by deaf and disabled artists, and to support more partnering between artists and architects.
Please get in touch if you would like to get involved, or would like to tell us about related projects you are working on.
Contact: architectureinsideout@googlemail.com
Zoe Partington-Sollinger (Diablo Arts)
Stevie Rice and Mandy Legg (DADA-South)
Jos Boys (Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Brighton)
Our latest project (funded by Arts Council SE) involves setting up a series of events which:
• Provide the opportunity for deaf and disabled artists to collaborate in exploring ways of improving the built environment
• Enable deaf and disabled artists and architects to engage creatively in developing design improvements
• Offer ‘discursive spaces’ for artists interested in architecture, and for architects, deaf and disabled artists and other associated agencies to be able to share their expertise and experiences
• Open up potential for future partnerships and continuing creative work around disability and architecture
There will be two events being planned over the next few months;
- An artists’ one-day exploratory workshop offering ‘hands-on’ involvement in creatively manipulating 3-D space, light, colour, sound, objects, layout etc., hosted by InQbate at the University of Sussex
- An intensive design workshop with selected architects hosted by Tate Modern in London. This second event – known by architects as a charrette – is an opportunity to undertake a ‘design-in-a-day’ as part of a small team of 4 – 5, in competition with up to 8 other teams. For more details of how a charrette works, see What is a Charette?.
Places are limited for phase 1 so will be offered to those whose current portfolio links closely to the built environment. We are developing other opportunities for charrettes and workshops later in the year, so please check back regularly here on the blog and the project website - currently under construction but coming soon.
Dates
InsideOut@InQbate
Two one - day workshops are planned with up to 8 deaf and disabled participants in each.
Friday 11th April 2008: 10.00 – 4.00pm
Thursday 10th April 2008: 10.00 – 4.00pm
Opening up!
Friday 25th April 2008: Introductory evening
McAulay Studio, Tate Modern, 4.00 – 7.00pm
Saturday 10th May 2008: collaborative design workshop
McAulay Studio, Tate Modern, 10.00 – 6.00pm
We hope that artists and architects will be able to participate in both these days, so that teams can get to know each other before the charrette itself.
Accessibility
The venues are wheelchair accessible and British Sign Language Interpreters will be present. Additional access requirements can also be accommodated on request.
Capturing and learning from these events
We have also asked some deaf and disabled artists to creatively capture these events, and to make a short work related to each one. As well as designs made during each event, these works will be shown on the Architecture-InsideOut website (in development) and will be publically debated via the Architecture- InsideOut blog at http://architecture-insideout.blogspot.com/
In addition, we will have a public follow-up session at Tate Modern to view these works, to discuss what has been learnt, and to make plans for future activities.
Future Developments
We are hoping to plan a series of charrettes and other events over the next year, with a first as part of the South East architecture festival (architecture08) in June.
To date we have invited specific deaf and disabled artists; for the next event we hope to make this an open submission, so if you know artists who might want to participate next time round, please ask them to contact us. We also hope to develop more projects, publicise work, related to architecture, by deaf and disabled artists, and to support more partnering between artists and architects.
Please get in touch if you would like to get involved, or would like to tell us about related projects you are working on.
Contact: architectureinsideout@googlemail.com
Zoe Partington-Sollinger (Diablo Arts)
Stevie Rice and Mandy Legg (DADA-South)
Jos Boys (Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Brighton)
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Welcome
Welcome to the Architecture-InsideOut blog, a place to promote contact and debate between all who are interested in this exciting and evolving area.
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