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1mile² Artist reflections 2009

It “feels like an incredible privilege to be given a defined area like this to explore in a city like this, and I can completely understand the motivation for this project … Let me know if you ever need an advocate for this programme of work!”

Richard Layzell, UK artist on residence in 1mile² Shanghai (China)

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Practice development and impact of the residency…

The 1mile² undertaken in the London Borough of Waltham Forest opened up a new field of my artistic practice, and was a nourishing experience for both my current and future work.

Xu Zhifeng (Shaw), Shanghai artist on residence in 1mile² Waltham Forest (UK)

The residency was an extremely productive and thought provoking time for us. The process of being in India shifted the way we were thinking about our practice and prompted us to begin thinking about site specific art practice within the process of globalisation and amidst new technologies that shrink the globe. It gave us a clear and exciting direction for future work.

Kelda Free and David Brazier UK artists, on residence in 1mile² New Delhi (India)

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The residency in Dhaka precipitated a defining point in my practice.

Syrah Miah, UK artist, on residence in 1mile² Dhaka (Bangladesh)

It enabled us to take our process into a very different context … The collaborative process was incredible – whoever selected the artists, was inspired, the four artists worked together extremely well, to the point where you ‘couldn’t see the join’ – the mark of a real collaboration. It made us reflect on how to replicate that synergy – and we will be taking that learning forward with us…

Sandra Hall and Lee Griffiths (Friction Arts), UK artists on residence in 1mile² Johannesburg (South Africa)

The work I produced during this residency has given me an opportunity to think out of the box. I experimented with new techniques and tried to explore different possibilities which maybe I will use further in my art practice.

Adeel Zafar, local artist involved in 1mile² Karachi (Pakistan)

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The residency made me think about the community perspective, which is not a very strong concept here in Shanghai; to look at the issue of migration, and its impact on culture and bio-diversity. As a result, I am trying to use more found objects and plants in my installation and video work.

Chen Hangfeng, Shanghai artist on residence in 1mile² Bradford (UK)

…the project has provided an opportunity to work with an international artist; this friendship has provided potential for linking my work back to China. To work with an ecologist has widened my understanding of environmental issues…

Yan Preston, UK local artist 1mile² Bradford (UK)

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Outcomes of the residency…

Chen Hangfeng, Shanghai artist in 1mile² Bradford (UK)

• I made a video work during the residency: Talking to the wall, which showed at the Visiting Arts sharing event at Asia House. http://www.chenhangfeng.com/ChenHangfeng/Works_zuo_pin/tiao_mu/2010/4/13_Talking_to_the_wall___dui_zhe_qiang_shuo_hua.html

• A solo show at Collective gallery in Edinburg for their Christmas window project. http://www.chenhangfeng.com/ChenHangfeng/Works_zuo_pin/tiao_mu/2008/6/2_Fleeting_Desire___fei_wu_de_yu_wang.html

• After returning to Shanghai, a film maker Liu Yong, who has been documenting the 1mile² Shanghai team, interviewed me for a documentary about the art and environment.

• The magazine Public Art in Shanghai also published an article about my activity during 1mile² Bradford.

• When I saw the antique Chinese photo collections at the National Media Museum, I had an idea to show the photos in China alongside a show with contemporary Chinese artists' works related to the same area and topic. There is a possibility of an exhibition of work from the National Media Museum in Shanghai.

• I was invited by Richard Layzell, the international artist on residence in 1mile² Shanghai, to participate in a show called Document A which he organized. My video work You Can Get Them was shown there (see below).

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Richard Layzell, UK artist in 1mile² Shanghai (China)

Through 1mile² Richard connected with and invited Chinese artist Chen Hangfeng to join an exhibition he curated at the King's Lynn Arts Centre. The exhibition’s themes had synergy with those of 1mile²:

document | a (local : global) aims to bring the world here, and to celebrate this fantastic location, within the context of an ambitious international art event which features artists from the

UK, China, Thailand, Switzerland, Russia, Australia, Canada, Korea and Cameroon. King’s Lynn may appear remote in the UK landmass (“Where is it? Not sure if I’ve been there”) or the cultural pecking order, but that’s the point. What an opportunity to challenge that particular status quo. www.documenta.org.uk

Syrah Miah, UK artist in 1mile² Dhaka (Bangladesh)

I have been asked to write for a new contemporary art magazine in Bangladesh called DEP-art. This is a fantastic opportunity to keep alive the link to the place I was resident in as an artist, and develop those bridges I formed as an artist from the UK in Bangladesh. Writing about current exhibitions and artistic practice in the UK for a Bangladeshi audience presents exciting challenges and opportunities.

Xu Zhifeng (Shaw), Shanghai artist in 1mile² Waltham Forest (UK)

1mile² has provided an opportunity for me to work with British born artist Nick Hersey, who is currently living and working in Shanghai. We are collaborating on a project that has developed directly out of my time spent in Waltham Forest and the ideas I initiated for HOMEWALK.

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Kianoosh Vahabi, local artist coordinator 1mile² Tehran (Iran)

We held a public exhibition featuring the work of each of the five local artists involved with 1mile² Tehran and Andrew Dodds, the UK artist who spent a short residency in Tehran researching the square mile.

The exhibition was held at Azad Gallery and ran for two weeks, attended by a significant audience of artists and members of the public.

Sandra Hall and Lee Griffiths (Friction Arts), UK artists in 1mile² Johannesburg (South Africa)

The success of the project, and the confidence it has given us in our processes has led to a number of opportunities, disseminative and developmental, including seminars detailing the project at our own HQ, which was very well attended by Arts Council and City Council officers, as well as a wide range of stakeholders.

The MA Socially Engaged Practice course at Staffs University and the

University now want to place a PhD student with us to document our methodologies, something we have wanted to happen, but previously been unable to arrange.

We have also delivered 2 seminars in Sofia, Bulgaria as part of another short residency there, which were extremely well received – we are now developing a project with the Roma community in the city and our ‘African stories’ played no small part in developing the relationships there.

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1mile²

a Visiting Arts programme delivered in partnership with:

www.visitingarts.org.uk | www.square-mile.net

Images

Old foreigner © Richard Layzell

Circle © Xu Zhifeng (Shaw)

British company logos © Kelda Free and David Brazier

Sadarghat, Old Dhaka © O. Beuchet

Elijah © Sandra Hall and Lee Griffiths (Friction Arts)

Adeel putting the finishing touches to Man Grows © Shahana Rajani

Image courtesy of Chen Hangfeng

Image courtesy of Yan Preston

Film still Talking to the Wall (2009) © Chen Hangfeng

Document: an exhibition flyer courtesy of Richard Layzell

Map of Old Dhaka from 1924 © Mahbubur Rahman

Balloons No. 25-25B © Zu Xhifeng (Shaw)

Balloons No. 56 © Zu Xhifeng (Shaw)

White eared bulbuls © Kianoosh Vahabi

Mail © Sandra Hall and Lee Griffiths (Friction Arts)