Torange from public works has been collaborating with Katy Beinart as described in previous post.

Black Country Living Museum
Katy visited the museum and photographed various relevant items. she talked to the people running 'shops' including the bakery, confectioners, pub and homes. This was useful to find out what the traditional cakes and bread would have been so we make them for the cafe. katy also met with the Education officer who was really keen to be involved in some way and was going to check budgets and timings and get back to us.

Sandwell Farm Museum
Katy visited the museum and spoke with John Stokes, who is an archivist and historian, based there, and also responsible for natural history of the area. He was very interested in hearing about the project and in finding out more about the history of Charlemont. He also said he could do a talk as part of the shop programme. He has since been in touch with further information about the history of the area.

For more updates also check

http://www.multistory.org.uk/blog/program-for-the-shop/ and

http://www.multistory.org.uk/blog/making-progress-in-charlemont/

Posted February 7, 2012 12:26 by Torange Khonsari

public works in collaboration with Katy Beinart

first community meeting wednesday 18th Jan at 4pm

We are proposing a pop-up shop and cafe in Charlemont's row of shops, which will take place over 2 weeks in February 2012. Leading on from our previous research, the shop would have multiple functions including: an archive space for collecting and displaying artefacts and memories about the estate; holding classes and activities for adults which reflect the lost trades and knowledge of the community (and providing a space for 'local experts'; holding games nights to re-enact lost games; and generating funds through a cafe which people can then pitch for to make small local projects happen.

Flower arranging

Butcher – how to use cuts of meat and sausage making

cheese-making

bread-making

Barry – wildlife talk

using locally grown produce

re-enacting old games

other artists working in the area/with particular skills

We will design the space and furniture using reclaimed and locally sourced furniture and objects, with help from student or local volunteers.

Posted January 17, 2012 09:50 by Torange Khonsari

public works is invited to take part in a workshop in the suburb of Copenhagen - as part of the preparation for a local festival in summer 2012.

Tingbjerg is a multicultural community and suburb in the north-west part of Copenhagen. It is a small village and a meltingpot of human experiences from all over the world meeting Danish inhabitants in a condensed housing area builded in the 50's as an ideal social housing project in a beautiful surrounding landscape with approximately 6000 inhabitants.
Today, a stigmatized (and failed) version of the multicultural society. At the same time Tingbjerg functions as a test site for the multicultural society in its most condensed version. What we learn in places like Tingbjerg will probably guide the future decisionmaking of the Danish Welfare State e.g. Tingbjerg is generally surrounded by a distorted, fear-based, prejudicial mediation driven by ghetto terms with a public and political focus on conflicts.

VISIT TINGBJERG – A COMMUNITY ART FESTIVAL
That's what VISIT TINGBJERG wants to discuss through an extensive presentation of different experiences, images and stories based on new recognitions fostered by a group of twenty contemporary artists working in this public, socio-political art field. The title VISIT TINGBJERG refers strongly to the Danish Official Travel Guide, Visitdenmark (www.visitdenmark.com) and VisitCopenhagen (www.visitcopenhagen.dk) – official guides that focus on the good stories, the spectacular sites, the prosporus city, the luxurious experiences. When you arrive in the Copenhagen Airport the signs simply proclaim: "Welcome to the land of luxury and passion".

Organised by Matthias Hvass Borello and Kenneth A. Balfelt

Posted January 6, 2012 20:32 by Kathrin Böhm

Matilde Martinett, who currently works with public works sent this very cool gift-drawing - worth publishing! Merry Christmas to all friends and colleagues of public works and see you again in 2012.

Posted December 23, 2011 13:17 by Kathrin Böhm

On Thursday 15th December form 3 - 7 pm in front of the new firstite building in Colchester.
As part of the ongoing Colchester Inn project.

This is a first get together to find out more about who is using the space in front of the gallery. Skaters are obviously making good use of the new hard-edge landscpaing, and there is a very regular group of EMOs in one corner. We have linked up with Buffalo Jonny from Buffalo Tank to invite more members of the Colchester Skater's scene, and there will be video screenings, some mapping and lovely hot chocolate from Matt who is running the Bike Guru Cafe on the square.

Posted December 12, 2011 10:57 by Kathrin Böhm

Join us at 'DémocraCité' a one day symposium at  l’ENSA Paris-Malaquais on Friday December 9th.

Participants include: Markus Bader Raumlabor, Nicolas Bonnenfant et Pablo Georgieff CoLoCo, Francesco Careri Stalker, Santiago Cirugeda Recetas Urbanas, Anne Debarre, Maarten Gielen Rotor, Andreas Lang Publicworks, Caroline Maniaque, Yann Moulier Boutang Multitudes,, Ramon ParramonIdensitat, Constantin Petcou, AAA, Meredith TenHoor.

Faire les territoires autrement: 

Participations et expérimentations collectives
Journée d’études du département Art Architecture Politique (AAP)

Vendredi 9 décembre 2011 de 9h00 à 18h30
Amphi 2 des Loges
entrée libre

Monrning

9h00 Accueil des participants :Nasrine Seraji AA dipl. RIBA, directrice de l'ENSA Paris-Malaquais 
9h30 Ouverture et présentation de la journée. Jac Fol AAP/ Enrico Chapel et Thierry Mandoul 
9h45 Caroline Maniaque, maître-assistante ENSA Paris-Malaquais « Architecture et actions,
1960s : retour d'expérience » 
10h15 Francesco Careri, Stalker, Rome. « Pidgin City. Une ville métisse pour le projet indéterminé » 
11h00 Constantin Petcou, Atelier d'Architecture autogérée, Paris. « Faire rhizome » 
11h30 Santiago Cirugeda, Recetas Urbanas, Séville. « Architecture négative » 
12h00 Ramon Parramon, Idensitat, Barcelone. « Cities, communities and artistic practices » 
12h30 Discussion

Afternoon

14h15 Meredith TenHoor, Princeton university, New-York. « Lieux empruntés, espaces inventés »
14h45 Maarten Gielen, Rotor, Bruxelles. « Préoccupations... »
15h15 Yann Moulier Boutang, Multitudes, professeur des universités, Paris « Wiki-architecture » 16h00 Markus Bader, Raumlabor, Berlin. «Total freedom is no freedom at all?»
16h30 Andreas Lang, Publicworks, Londres. « Local cultural production,and co-authorship »
17h00 Nicolas Bonnenfant, Pablo Georgieff, CoLoCo, Paris. « Actions territoriales, la pioche VS Google Earth »
17h30 Anne Debarre, maître-assistante ENSA Paris-Malaquais « Activations, acteurs, interactions »
18h00 Discussion, conclusion

Regarder autrement l’architecture et le territoire pour en saisir collectivement les potentialités, investir des objets et des espaces délaissés pour qu’ils deviennent des lieux appropriables par chacun, élaborer des projets relationnels, participatifs : telles sont les stratégies que développent depuis plus d’une décennie des collectifs qui réunissent architectes, artistes, paysagistes, urbanistes... Pour ce faire, ils se glissent dans des interstices spatiaux, réglementaires, administratifs, économiques, ils inventent des tactiques multiples et annoncent des modalités alternatives de fabrication de l’espace architectural et urbain.

Stalker propose des marches collectives dans la banlieue de Rome.L’Atelier d’architecture autogérée organise un système d’éco-interstices dans l’Est parisien pour contrecarrer la crise de la ville capitaliste.Raumlabor imagine des ateliers collectifs pour construire et tester du mobilier à Berlin, à Saint-Nazaire et dans d’autres villes. Recetas Urbanasfait une animation vidéo avec des Playmobil pour décrire le procédé constructif d’un abri sur les toits de Séville. CoLoCo imagine dans les cours anglaises du 104, centre culturel à Paris, un jardin participatif planté de graines et boutures collectées dans le quartier. Rotor développe une base de données sur les matériaux mis au rebut par plus de 200 entreprises belges.

Autant d’actions qui font d’un projet sur l’espace, le lieu d’un acte poli­ti­que et qui engagent une pra­ti­que esthé­ti­que pro­fon­dé­ment démo­cra­ti­que. Autant d’œuvres collectives qui rejettent toutes méthodes académiques et privilégient avant tout l’expérience du terrain, l’implication dans la fabrication et l’exécution en favorisant la relation à autrui. Autant de bricolages savants qui questionnent, et enfin critiquent, l’élaboration de la ville libérale et de la société de consommation tout en envisageant des propositions éthiques relatives à l’habitation, l’écologie.

Comment interpréter ces productions à première vue insaisissables ?  Se réfèrent-elles à l’art, à l’architecture, à l’activisme social des années 1960? D’où vient leur passion pour l’interactivité et les réseaux? De quels imaginaires politiques et esthétiques sont-ils porteurs ?

La journée d’études du département Art/Architecture/Politique-ENSA Paris-Malaquais veut interroger ces démarches nouvelles qui invitent les citoyens à la transformation de leurs cadres de vie.

Elle constitue le deuxième volet d’un projet démarré au printemps 2011 avec l’exposition « Urbanités inattendues » (ENSA Toulouse/AERA) et la journée d’études tenue à Toulouse à cette occasion.

Département AAP : Clotilde Barto, Anne Debarre, Xavier Dousson, Catherine Clarisse, Xavier Fabre, Jac Fol, Bertrand Lamarche, Thierry Mandoul, Caroline Maniaque, Caroline de Saint Pierre, Emmanuel Pinard, Yann Rocher, Jean-François Roullin

Posted December 4, 2011 17:12 by Andreas Lang

ARCHITECTURE OF MULTIPLE AUTHORSHIP
Opening: Thursday 1st December 2011,
Talk at 6:30pm - in Main Forum
40-44 Spring House,
Holloway Road
London N7 8JL 

A collaborative project between London Metropolitan Univeristy and public works presents a programme of events and workshops  on how architecture can become part of a progressive process of social change and exchange, rather than an end product. We will pose questions about where the architecture lies within this context and our shifting roles as architects in the development of spatial production.

Exhibition open: 1 – 9 December 2011
The exhibition illustrates the process of the development and construction of three cultural in villages in the Indian state of West Bengal, with each one reflection the particular local cultural traditions and skills. The project was led by Indian NGO Banglanatak.com, and aims to develop the unique folk art and culture based creative industry in a way that benefits poor and marginalised rural and tribal communities in West Bengal.

The programme of events to considers the position of architecture in socially driven projects, and how buildings become part of the process of cultural and educational production.


01 Dec 6:30pm, Lecture and exhibition opening - with a one evening International Village Shop

06 Dec 1pm-2pm, “Moving In” workshop, a workshop to frame different possibilities for the appropriation of the buildings, to host existing needs and develop possible new programmes and activities
All students welcome, see leaflet in shop for signing in

07 Dec 10am – 1pm, Seminar: Peter Carl, Maurice Mitchell, Bo Tang, Torange Khonsari, Julie Scott, Jonathan Karkut

09 Dec 1pm-2pm, “Moving In” workshop

Posted November 29, 2011 21:44 by Kathrin Böhm

The two mobile exhibition cases which normally tour with the mobile Folk Float, are currently in an exhibition on architecture and mobility in Glasgow. "Mobile Solutions" runs until the 17th December at the Mackintosh Museum at the School of Art and Design in Glasgow. That's a lot of mobility. The vitrines will come back to the Florence Mine Creative Centre in Egremont afterwards, where the Float is now at home and has its own special socket.

Installation shot by Janet Wilson.

Posted November 18, 2011 09:54 by Kathrin Böhm

Designing Economic Cultures is a series of seminars organised by Brave New Alpes, and tailored for design students that takes the contemporary precarious working conditions of creatives as a starting point and investigates strategies of how to go beyond this current state of insecurity.

As the crisis of the financial market seems to have turned into the crisis of all social relations and of everyday life itself, designers are as affected by these developments as most other actors in society. How can we face these conditions with our creative skills and deal with them in a more proactive and propositive way?
The seminars will serve as a platform to discuss and develop questions like the following:
How can designers avoid the conventional choice between either financial stability or critically engaged work?
Which work settings may positively affect our abilities to address contested social, political and environmental issues?
What alternative economic values and strategies can be adopted to overcome precarity?
What can critically engaged creatives learn from the experiences of self-organised citizens and workers in other fields?


public works – exchanging practices

· speaking about the organisational structure of their collective and practice
 
· introducing two projects with different economies

· mapping the growing international network of colleagues, sites and work
 


Wednesday, 9 November 2011
5pm
Hexagon
Lockwood Building
1st floor
Goldsmiths College
All welcome.

Posted November 3, 2011 12:08 by Kathrin Böhm

Matilde Martinetti who currently works with public works went to Birmingham for the Public Evaluation Event of Eastside Projects: a three day production symposium, analysing and evaluating three years of work and presence in the city. Refelcting on shifts in artist run activity in Birmingham, the UK and internationally, and impact and changes in cultural policy agendas, regeneration and support structures for art spaces with invited speakers/respondents/representations.

public works handed out some lovely gold medals alongside some reflections about what we like and dislike, and we had stickers prepared for everyone in the audience to set a shelf life for certain elements in the space.

For a 30 min clip of the whole event on Bambuser click here.

Posted October 31, 2011 11:54 by Kathrin Böhm