Cosm’s Post

Welcome to the Art at the End of the World club and the second theme this spring “Nature eyes upon us”! March 1 and 15 at 11.30-13.30 CET, read more: https://lnkd.in/dhcMAj3q We humans have become more and more isolated from nature. Defining and seeing it as something outside of ourselves. Nature became something we can use for resources, adventures, or quiet time when we need it. A one-directional conversation. Turning this perspective around, how would nature see us? What would it think? This month we will explore natures eyes upon us, using art as a lens through which nature looks at us. We will ask ourselves the question, how can nature communicate with us? And maybe more importantly, are we listening?

ROGER ACKLING: 'SUNLIGHT', a purely visual critical reaction to Roger's solo show at Norwich Castle, avoiding context and art history. The full article is on my website blog. Don’t ask ‘What does it mean’, ask ‘What is it?’ Roger Ackling’s exhibition ‘Sunlight’ was opened by Simon Ofield-Kerr with these words, and they feel like a glass of fresh water. No need then to refer to context, art history, his influences and friends. What are they? ‘Sunlight’ is a gentle word, caressing, evocative, but the sun is the monstrous atomic generator of our universe, powerful beyond imagination, obliviously pumping out energy whose effects are benign and destructive. Roger sits by the sea with his little mirror forcing the mighty sun along bits of weathered wood with his will and his steady hand. Line below line - you have to ask how he makes them so straight, so uniform, so mechanical. Why this size and not that? why horizontal? Burning so evenly is an act of controlled damage like cutting, and the lines are also a way of cross-hatching, drawing, the muscular connections between brain, eye and hand operating together.

Written by me, an original unique IP- with strong cinematic visuals and ,essential, humanity themes- https://lnkd.in/dVp9VfR3

One of the signature qualities of a great art show is that the instant you step into the gallery, museum, or exhibition space, you feel like you've left the world behind and are suddenly immersed in a whole new reality. The individual pieces of art play off of one another, working together to create a unique experience for viewers. It's like strength in numbers or the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Keep this in mind when at work in the studio. Are you making art or an experience?

SNEAK PEEK Yesterday, members of the Slow Looking Club got an exclusive first look at the 10 Questioning Practices featured in my upcoming book, The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums. We even used one of them, The Perspectives Triangle, to explore this photograph by Imelda Schoutens. Questioning Practices are intentionally designed structures that foster engagement and inquiry in guided museum experiences. Tailored specifically for the museum context, they offer adaptable ways to spark meaningful discussions around art and objects, encouraging observation, critical thinking, and personal discovery. The 10 Questioning Practices in my book are versatile, flexible, and can be adjusted based on the object, audience, or programme goals. What makes them unique is that every time we use a Questioning Practice, we infuse something of ourselves into it - whether it’s our personal style of asking questions, facilitating discussions, or creating a welcoming atmosphere. I can’t wait to share all 10 with you in just a few weeks!

You can find this sign in any building, park, museum, airport… But when did you last examine where “here” is in your daily life? It’s an important thing to do. Think about where “here” is for you today. Turn off the electronics. Put down what you are holding. Look around you. How do you FEEL about where you are? It may not look the way you thought it would. That’s to be expected, and it’s also okay. “Here” is likely on the way to “there” and we don’t know where “there” is yet. The important thing is to not get stuck. “Here” may be a compromise. “Here” may be a dead end. “Here” may be someone else’s expectation. No matter where “here” is for you today, don’t ignore it. Learn from it. Grow from it. Use what “here” is telling you today to help you craft a better tomorrow. #youarehere 

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 On Sunday, 29 September, 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 invites an audience to an open and live setting that challenges the conventional distinction between on-screen and off-screen, onstage and backstage, process and outcome, theory and practice, and various roles and genres within an artwork. Across three acts, questions and answers about the collaboration will unfold, and the audience, too, will become part of this conversation. The dialogue is a performance, an installation, a film set, and part of the feature film that will be edited later. In this space and time, we will actively listen together, moving between past, present, and future notes. The performance closes Min Oh's exhibition 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, which combines existing and premiering works, curated and co-choreographed by Eugene Hannah Park. The concept of 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 emerged from the urge to know how non-hierarchical coexistence operates in multidisciplinary art. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙏𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙨: https://lnkd.in/e38AxvCD

Synchronistically, as we move further into darkness, after the autumn equinox, I will be speaking about “The meaning of Night” in the forthcoming Conference ”Surrealism and Arts-Based Research" (Online conference, Sept 30-Oct 1, 2024). I will be exploring some aspects of the Unconscious in Magritte’s painting and provide some clinical work, hoping to “bridge the imagination & reality divide”. https://lnkd.in/d-Tr5_Tp

How do you be open... While still being fiercely protective of your core? Those of you who have had the opportunity to see me speak on stage will know this: In that moment, proverbially breaking the 4th wall, I am a pure channel. Connected, conscious, creative. Heart open. Bearing my humanity for all to experience. There is so much discussion around... Form and format, content, and metrics. The methods, the frameworks.  The language. But all of these things are just that: mediums for exchange. Catalysts for change. And sometimes, these abstractions — even words themselves — have the opposite effect on the connection we are trying to form. In other words, they dis-intermediate. So when I speak to conference organizers, I start with the most important takeaway: How do you want your audience to FEEL? Because, in the end, that is the intent of exchange. To share.  To receive.  To be open. ••••••• 🗣️ Event: Stansberry Research, 2022 🤝 Agent: Gotham Artists

#StealMyIdeas June through August can be a quiet time for museums and galleries, with fewer exhibitions and foot traffic. But there are plenty of ways to keep the momentum going, even if you don’t have a show on the walls! Your communities have multiple interests outside the arts too, and it can be great time to connect with your audience through some unique ways: ☀️Start a Book Club: Choose books about famous artists, art history, or art techniques and invite audiences to come together and discuss! ☀️Organize a Flim Screening: Grab a projector, invite some art and film buffs, and screen art-related films, documentaries, or artist biopics. ☀️Host a Panel Discussion: Bring together art experts, critics, and artists for a panel discussion on current trends in the art world. What’s your antidote to the summer slump? How do you keep your regulars engaged through the summer? #GalleryEngagement #ArtCommunity #CreativeEvents #Artevents #ArtFervour The Victoria and Albert Museum book on Colour in Design was something I discovered at a summer book club, and is now one of my favourites!