There has been lots of research going on over recent months, seeing as we have had such a lovely time of it we thought it only fair to share just a few of the things that have inspired us most.
Catherine Yass, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill.
The moment I found most striking whilst visiting the exhibition, was standing on the balcony of the cafe looking out to sea. Far away on the horizon I could just about make out a tiny lighthouse in front of me. This is the subject of much of the work in this exhibition and a result of Yass’ residency period in the building. Something about that moment bolted me to the floor and connected me to the artist, the landscape, the building in which I stood, where she had undoubtedly stood too, the building I could only just see and of course the vastness of the water between me, her and it.
Daschund UN by Bennett Miller (AU), Fierce Festival, Birmingham.
This piece was a sort of living installation. Miller built a scale model of the famous United Nations office in Geneva. Sausage dogs took the place of world leaders and stood behind miniature microphones and country nameplates. This piece did two brilliant things. Firstly, all the sausage dogs were volunteered by willing and doting owners from the West Midlands and as a result brought a very unique slice of the community together. Secondly, it placed this ridiculous chaotic wriggling thing in front of us and left it there. Initially expecting some sort of grand performance I stood and took it in. The representatives from each country woofed, barged into others’ territory and fell asleep. Their owners failed to keep them under control in a sort of light hearted version of a much more serious and underlying message of messy chaos.
Helvetictoc by Tobie Langel (Switzerland), Lumiere Durham.
‘Oh no it isn’t’, my favourite of all the pieces in this city wide feast of night time light installations was this slightly po-faced live art pantomime. There’s something about its absolute-ness that made me want to rebel.
Out of Tune by AK Dolven, Folkestone Triennial.
A16th-century tenor bell removed for being out of tune with the others is suspended from a steel cable. The bell can be rung by visitors using a traditional rope bell-pull. This piece is so clear in its invitation to play, to be heard across the town, to be loud, to attract attention. This bell doesn’t care that it’s out of tune at all.
Le Jardin Flambeau by Compagnie Carabosse, Brighton Festival.
A complete and natural silence fell over literally hundreds of people as they gazed across and picked their way into this huge and extensive fire installation. Being outside and in the presence of real fire did something very strange to us all and gave us a reason to be together. It felt almost ancestral, ritualistic and satisfied some sort of weird search for a connection with generations gone way before us. The other brilliant thing about this piece was the lack of security. It went along the premise that fire is dangerous and if you don’t know that already then it’s about time you learnt.
Photo Credit. waatp.fr/people/anne-hove

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April 25th, 2012 by adamadmin

So the dust has settled somewhat after a truly marvellous weekend of lively creativity on the streets (and waters) of Shoreham By Sea. We had a brilliant time running Undercurrent Weekend this summer and wanted to extend a huge thank you to all of you that came along, took part and made it so much fun. We’d also like to thank all the Undercurrent artists who worked so tirelessly to present the pieces that you saw. We will be away for a little while plotting and planning our next adventures but will be back again in the new year. Keep your eyes on this blog and our twitter @Undercurrent_SE for exciting updates. For the time being here are a few snaps that will either remind you of your part in the magic or make just a teeny weeny bit jealous for not being there. . .

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November 8th, 2011 by adamadmin

As we make our final preparations for the weekend, we thought we would give you a tiny glimpse of what we have to come. Don’t worry though we’re too fond of a bit of mystery to give the game away completely. Here are some pics from Me and The Machine and Rachel Henson to keep you guessing.

 

The Tourist by Me and The Machine

Flickers Under The Bridge by Rachel Henson

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August 10th, 2011 by adamadmin

 

We thought we would be kind and give you some clues so you know what you are looking for when hunting down your Sailaway kit.

 

 

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July 30th, 2011 by adamadmin

Here are some images of our session last week, as well as a general introduction to Undercurrent Weekend, Coney came to talk to us specifically about The Loveliness Principle too. Codenames Doc and Leaky did a bit of explaining exactly why everyone had been invited. We all played some games and most of the evening was spent laughing our heads off, however what we were really there for was some serious secret agent training. From lemon jousting to teabag hiding, from present giving to lie detecting we began to understand more about the nature of what The Loveliness Principle is, and what it could become in Shoreham (and thanks again to Agent Peanut Butter for his most honest revelation!). Gradually the look on our new codename’s faces shifted from mildly confused to positively excited. We were all left inspired to think about Shoreham, our favourite parts of it, surprises and gifts, leaving messages in plain sight, special journeys and the transformations we could make. The next meeting will be held on Friday 29th July in Shoreham. Email ruthdudman@theundercurrent.co.uk if you would like to join us and be part of creating something ‘lovely’.

 

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July 20th, 2011 by adamadmin

 

This session is a chance to hear all about the weekend and meet some of the artists. Come along to find out how you might get involved and what is takes to become a playful secret agent….

 

We’ll bring the tea and cakes.

 

Houseboat Verda (the one with the bus on it!)
Riverbank
Shoreham By Sea
Tuesday, July 12 · 7:00pm – 9:00pm

 

Find the facebook page here, and tell us who else we should invite too.

This is houseboat Verda, you can’t miss it.

 

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July 4th, 2011 by adamadmin

 

All of the artists involved have been visiting on their first site visit over the last few weeks. Some of them are really familiar with Shoreham already, and for some this is their first time here. To begin with we tried to do as little talking (which wasn’t very easy) and as much walking as possible. Something that Rachel Henson is a master of is the immersive-ness of walking. Walking and absorbing what is around you is great for getting to grips with a new place. Here are a few of the things that we came across on our walks…..
 

 

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July 4th, 2011 by adamadmin

 

 

A Gift

I was given this book as a gift by someone who knew I would like it. It’s a collection of un-commissioned art in outdoor spaces all over the world. Some of these pieces are subtle, some are unplanned and some are comfortable in bending the rules a little bit. All the pieces documented in it are offerings to those that might find them.

 

Nele Azevedo, Minimum Monument Project, National Congress, Brasilia, Brazil, 2003, Ice

Masqerade, Stockholm, Sweden, 2007

Joshua Allen Harris, Airbear Club, Bew York, 2008, Trash Bags

 Slinkachu, ‘After the storm’, Tower Hill, London, England, 2007

A bit of History

Doing a bit of research into the history of the area I came across some facts about the famous music hall entertainer Florrie Forde. Florrie was from Australia but eventually moved to Shoreham beach and opened Flo’s Club in the 30’s. Bungalow Town as it was then called, was home to lots of artists, actors and filmmakers. The area including Flo’s club was looked down upon by its neighbours and those that frequented it were accused of rowdiness, drunkenness and ‘loose living’. Without suggesting a re-creation there’s something un-precious and life-loving about Flo’s story, that seems to resonate in the area still.

 

 

www.shorehambysea.com

 

A Conversation

Talking to a friend on a very wintery Hove station platform, we started thinking about collective spaces where people can be interested in something new and find other people that are interested in it too. We thought about how to give people fodder to talk about and get things started.

 

A Visit

The Minack Theatre in Cornwall was planned, financed and built by a woman called Rowena Cade in 1931. Rowena was the mastermind behind the idea and the ‘master builder’carving an entire auditorium and stage directly out of a cliff face. The theatre is a vast outdoor space that incorporates the gravitas of the dramatic coastline. Rowena who was born and lived in the community that she built the theatre for. She called on neighbours, locals and friends to make something incredible happen. It was after a visit to The Minack that this thing started to feel much more possible.

  

www.minack.com

 

A Definition
"An undercurrent is an underlying tendency, force, or influence often contrary to what is superficially apparent at the surface."

 

 

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July 4th, 2011 by adamadmin