About
Publication
Images
Video
Project carried out in the cities of Durban (December 3rd to 23rd, 2004), in South Africa, Belo Horizonte (February 4th to 20th, 2005), and São Paulo (February 22nd to 27th, 2005), in Brazil.
Organized by the partnership between the artists’ initiatives CEIA, Center for Experimentation and Information in Art (Belo Horizonte – Brazil), and PULSE (Durban – South Africa), the experimental project BLIND SPACES had the video art language and the urban context as guidelines – the city’s people and places, proposing an exchange of ideas and practices in direct relation with the everyday habits of several cities in the world. It is the first time two initiatives of the RAIN network have conceived a same project together.
*Both initiatives are a part of RAIN, an international network supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts (Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten). As an international network of artistic initiatives, RAIN has as its main goal assuring support for the consolidation of local infra-structure able to foster contemporary art productions in non-European countries. Stimulating the production of knowledge through exchange programs among different cultures and contexts stands as one of its main strategies.
BLIND SPACES aimed to focus on “cores” ignored by the everyday hustle and bustle, in search of revealing characteristics of the urban culture of large cities. The displacement provoked by foreign eyes upon unknown cities, spaces, people, and everyday life situations may unveil ongoing dynamics that, many times, are left unnoticed by those who live in the city.
Through the exchange between continents, the project intended to favor the collaboration between artists, bringing them closer to codes and symbols through their direct experiences with foreign contexts.
Due to its unlimited technological possibilities, video was the chosen media, offering the visual product instantaneous circulation and allowing extremely fertile strategies in experimental processes within the alternative fields of visual language.
Program
December 3rd to 23rd, 2004 – Duban, South Africa
February 4th to 20th, 2005 – Belo Horizonte, Brazil
February 22nd to 25th, 2005 – São Paulo, Brazil
In the first phase of the project, Brazilians Marcos Hill, Joacélio Batista and Pablo Lobato along with Englishman Owen Oppenheimer worked in the South African city of Durban, hosted by the artists’ initiative PULSE. From December 3rd to 23rd, 2004, the group approached the urban reality of the city, collecting images and going through processes that connected them with possible blind spaces.
The second phase started on February 4th, 2005, when South Africans Gregg Streak, Doung Jahangur, Alexander Wafer and Lebanese Nesrine Khodr were hosted by the Brazilian initiative CEIA, in Belo Horizonte. From February 4th to 20th this group carried on this project in Minas Gerais’ capital.
The first exhibition of the images produced was held on February 15th at Casa do Conde de Santa Marinha, Belo Horizonte, when BLIND SPACES participants hosted local video artists and other guests).
In the third phase, BLIND SPACES participants showed their works at Sesc Pinheiros, São Paulo. From February 22nd to 25th individual lectures and roundtable debates were shared with the local community, in addition to several video shows.
The fourth phase was the elaboration of a publishing featuring texts and images that resulted from the project, created and developed by CEIA and PULSE, and launched by CEIA in Belo Horizonte in October, 2007.
Guests
Alexander Wafer
Doung Jahangeer
Greg Streak
Joacélio Batista
Nesrine Khodr
Owen Oppenheimer
Pablo Lobato
Vaughn Sadie
Conceived and achieved by:
CEIA – Center of Experimentation and Information in Art (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
PULSE (Durban, South Africa)
RAIN* – Rijksakademie Artists’ Network
* The Blind Spaces Project is a collaboration between CEIA and PULSE, partners in RAIN - Rijksakademie Artists' Initiative Network.
CEIA Coordination:
Marco Paulo Rolla
Marcos Hill
CEIA Editorial Coordination:
Viviane Gandra
PULSE Coordination:
Greg Streak
CEIA Executive Production:
Patrícia Matos
Sponsors:
Stichting DOEN
Ducth Ministry of Foreign Affair Development Cooperation
Support:
Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten
PUBLISHING:
Video editing and DVD finishing:
Joacélio Batista
General editing and coordination, editorial production, graphic project, graphic production:
Viviane Gandra
Image editing, art direction, graphic project, composition, final artwork:
Pedro Miranda
Video text and subtitle translation:
Anthony Doyle, Rosana Lucas, Chei
Text Revision:
Regina Stocklen
Photography – intervention (Em Vão), exhibition and making of:
Doung Jahangeer, Greg Streak, Joacélio Batista, Marco Paulo Rolla, Marcos Hill, Pablo Lobato
Stills – posters:
Fábio Cançado
Cover Conception:
Pedro Miranda
Thanks to:
Anita, Casa do Conde de Santa Marinha, Chei, Déa Trancoso, Fábio Cançado, Júlia Panadés, Juliana Alvarenga, Laura Belém, Lucas Miranda, Mameto Muiandê, Miranda Young, Nolhanhla, Pedro Miranda, Ricardo Muniz, SESC Pinheiros - São Paulo, Vaughn Sadie.
