Whitechapel Project Space, London
Break 1: Launch, 26. Oct 2004

 
 
           
 
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Break 1: Launch at Whitechapel Project Space
on Tue 26th October

Abigail Reynolds at the Whitechapel Project Space in London.

 

The launch event offered a private view into the project, the practices of the participating artists and the process of exchanges that had just begun, as well as an invitation for anyone interested to take part in this ongoing dialogue.

The launch functioned as the first one in a series of breaks, open forums for discussion and debate, that take place during each phase of the project in both of the cities. They offer moments of pause in the process and invite other local practitioners to take part in the dialogue bringing in their creative and critical views on the concerns of the project. The breaks aim to also open space for communication and collaborations that may spin off beyond the set frames of City Breaks.

TUE 19.10.04
Opening at the Finnish Embassy: everyone (except Irit and Isaac) met for the first time a couple of days after Anu, Minna and Simo had arrived to London – and seemed to click with each other pretty well.

WED 20.10.04
Taru visited Whitechapel Project Space with Anu, Minna and Simo and met Richard there.

SAT 23.10.04
Everyone were invited to Irit’s and Isaac’s to show their work to each other and to talk about the project over a glass of wine and some food. Frustrations erupted unexpectedly, as the artists from Helsinki expressed their concerns about how the exchanges pivotal to it were supposed to take place as they felt the London-based group was not interested in a dialogue with them, but had left them to their own devices during their visit. Even though this incidence inevitably caused some tensions between the group, fortunately it did not deepen the gap between them further, but provoked more proactive engagements and efforts from all parties involved.

SUN 24.10.04
Everybody (except Taru and Chris) gathered at Irit's and Isaac's again to discuss various ideas and get helped with practical issues. Simo wanted to have an hands-on start on the project by producing something new already to the first launch event at the White Chapel Project Space. He presented his idea and the texts for the "Stencil Writings". The piece changed remarkably due to the input of the group.

TUE 26.10.04
Launch at Whitechapel Project Space