PASW Regional Newsletter: Autumn 2004
Ixia (formerly Public Art Forum) Update
This autumn IXIA announces not only its new name but a number of exciting initiatives that are significant to its commitment to promote excellence in public art practice.
In July IXIA appointed the OPEN Space Research Unit based within Edinburgh College of Art to work on the development of a framework for assessing the impact of public art practice. The research will focus on the role of the artist within the processes and structures of public art commissioning. It will attempt to examine the complexity of current commissioning, encompassing the diverse areas of creative practice. The first stage of the research will work towards the creation of a framework for assessment, and methodologies for measuring impact will need to be developed. In doing so the team will need to consider the constituencies engaged in making public art happen; by its nature public art demands collaboration and negotiation amongst a variety of professionals.
The intention is not to create a template or matrix that restricts practice and this is a key challenge for the research. The framework for assessment will need to support the expansiveness of artistic practice. When considering impact, the view of successes may be different for commissioner, client and audience. Whilst different views of success do not necessarily suggest a conflict of aspirations, it will be hard to structure measures against fluid agendas. These are just a few of the challenges for the first stage of the research due to be completed by the end of November. The second stage will begin to test the framework and consider the relationship between the measurement of impact and issues of quality.
This research is an important part of IXIA's work in the next year. Whilst long being important for the sector, it is crucial that we work to present a greater understanding of practice, as policy makers and Government reasserts the value of the arts and culture to regeneration and the quality of the public realm. Other areas of IXIA's work will complement this work including an ongoing events programme, publications and a new quarterly collection of critical reviews, available this September.
On October 20th at the Open University in Milton Keynes IXIA's autumn event brings together participants from four research projects within the UK that focus on the relationship between 'public art' and 'audience'. These projects all consider the impact of public art on the audience, and definitions of public, place and identity. Contributors include Gillian Rose and Doreen Massey from the OU; Tim Hall from the University of Gloucestershire , Anna Douglas, co-coordinator of the Audientia project in Birmingham and artists Jacqui Roger and Jayne Murray. Jacqui and Jane are currently working with Arts Council East Midlands.
Desirable Places: artists' role in creating public places is published this September. This collection of essays considers the contribution of artists in the creation of places to live, work and act out public life. Contributors consider the role of art and artists as place makers within the current regeneration agendas and call for high quality urban and open spaces. The publication will be available to order from Central Books this autumn. For further information on this, and all of our activities join the email network at IXIA-info.com.
IXIA, 2nd Floor, 321 Bradford Street Birmingham , B5 6ET . Tel: 0121 622 4222.
Emma Larkinson, Director, IXIA