About wandering and places

I really enjoy site visits as they mean endless hours of wandering. It is one of the rare occasion where wandering seems the best thing to do. To me it seems the best way to really take in a place. There is no rush, it is just you and the landscape. It does not matter whether it is urban or rural. It is also at those moments that I regret taking photographs as it breaks that magical moment of the now and the context. I rather draw and sketch then to take a photograph. I find by drawing the landscape it reveals its story. It suits the wandering spirit as it takes time and a full devotion to the landscape just like the wandering itself.
While wandering it is sometimes hard to imagine that this is a place someone or something calls home. While wandering I find myself becoming the first discoverer of this long forgotten place, but I am not. Day to day, especially in citys, people wake up in this place and live there daily lives in here, but do they really see it?

Coffee Chat Upside Down - Completed!

Last night or better said early this morning I finished the ceiling installation at the Forest Cafe. I am absolutely nackered. Photos will follow shortly.

Coffee chat upside down - installation 1

Last night I started taping the Forest Cafe's ceiling. I was up and down the ladder from 12.00 till 4.00 in the morning. Lucky for me the ladder is quite steady and I had Martin holding on to it as health and safety precaution. It is a very slow process, but I will get there in the end. It will probably take 2 more nights of taping to get it finished. So tonight I will be back on the ladder. I have definately overcome my fear of heights!

Rolling Design

As earlier mentioned on my blog, I am interested in hosting events as part of the design process. For sustainable design there has to be a link between place and the surrounding community, as they will be the ones maintaining and should be using the park. By hosting events open to all and aimed at all, you would create a sense of a place. This sense of place is an emotional link within people’s minds to a place. It is what turns a site into a place. Once this link is established durable and sustainable design can start. Sustainable to me is more than an environmental aspect; it is also about the community involvement and timing. Within rolling design, there is a stepped design process. Instead of complete (re)development in one go, the stepped process will be drawn out over time and really feed of the needs of community. This design approach would be most suitable for Council owned land, as costs would be spread over time and by community involvement there might be a reduction in cost of maintenance.

Process:

Events

First part designed or improvement of infrastructure.

More events

Second part designed

More events

Third Part

…

Events

First part designed or improvement of infrastructure.

More events

Second part designed

More events

Third Part

In rolling design the design process never stops as our landscape never stops evolving. This approach would make sure no park or public space ever gets run down and means small gradual costs instead of one great big expense, which isn’t even half as sustainable.

Contemporary Wayfarers

I was reading Tim Ingold’s book ‘Lines’ yesterday. It has this section on wayfaring and transport. Wayfaring to him, as I understood it, is a way of life. The wayfarer is his line of movement. Within wayfaring, there are no endpoints. In transport, the journey has no importance. It is merely the means to get to the needed location. Every journey, within transport, has an ending.

This section was to me extremely important as I could really see myself as a contemporary wayfarer. I have no home, and although I tend to linger in one spot for quite some time, there is this constant craving to move on. I am not so much influenced by my physical environment, but by the opportunities that lie beyond. I will go where the best opportunities are. When I leave a place I leave with an open network in place, human connections. My traces are left hopefully in people’s minds and emotions, not so much physical.

It is that kind inter-human and also spatial connections I try to map. I try to visualize my fellow contemporary wayfarers’ movements/traces as they tend not to have a physicality themselves.

OS 1st Print

OS 1st Print was my second attempt to have a solo exhibition in the Tent Gallery at ECA, Evolution House. This time no buildings collapsed and everything went according to plan. OS 1st Print was a follow-up on the mapping theme from Chicago. For this project I walked Edinburgh waterfront from the river Almond at Cramond to the river Esk. During the walks I was constantly writing down my personal thoughts. These writings I later used to form a 3D map of Edinburgh's waterfront. The whole idea was based on Derrida's sentence: "Just as texts are built, so are buildings written". For me the same can be applied to the landscape. The landscape as we experience it is a product of our reflections.
In this art work I used my personal background and physicality to write the landscape. The map that was created is irreversibly linked to me; this is my perception/reflection on Edinburgh's waterfront. When walking I was exposed to the elements, which influenced my moods and thoughts. The map is a snapshot of time, my thoughts and experiences of the waterfront changed from day to day. I could not complete the whole walk in one day. I did not attempt to get back to frame of mind where I was when I started walking again. Every section of the walk has its own style, and was not edited except for a few spelling mistakes. This does however not interfere with the coherence of the text as it is all written by me and my specific writing style. Also the presentation, wherein the text loses it appearance of text over a distance, helps to create a sense of coherence.
The 3D aspect of the map was for me essential as it allowed people to walk around the art work just like I walked along the waterfront. There is a long line of artist which saw walking as an art form, for example Richard Long. I tried to take this, to me highly reflective action which formed the base for this installation, back into the gallery. To make people wander I wrote the text from left to right, but printed it on 5 sheets of acetate, which where hanged from the ceiling following an abstraction of the landform of Edinburgh's waterfront. The distance, over which the sheets were hanged, and the size of text forced people to walk, if they wanted to read the text. Hopefully it gave them the same reflective state of mind as I got when walking the waterfront. Another aim of this work was to make people think about Edinburgh's often forgotten waterfront and its development.

Coffee chat upside down

I'll be again installing in the Forest Cafe, but this time on the ceiling and it will be semi-permanent. I will start installing this Sunday night, so from Monday onwards have a look up when you are in the Forest Cafe in Edinburgh.

An interesting question

Just recently I got asked whether I took the patterns I made in an installation back to the studio to keep on working on it. The answer is no, I don't. The only thing left of my installations is just piles of used tape and lots, and lots of photographs. The whole taping thing is about spatial awareness and bringing people more in touch with the environment they live in. To me the most important thing within the whole installation process is the installing itself. The taping is such an in the moment process. For instant with 'Unearthed' if I would have made it on an other day it would have been completely different due to people working on different locations. In this way my work is also related to time.
I do produce some studio work in the form of notes and sketches for possible installations. Also my section drawings and notes made while reading books I consider to be studio work. I actually do not spend a lot of time in one specific place, which I would call studio. My kind of art permits me to be out there, observing people and their interaction with their environment in a specific time frame.

'Unearthed' installed

The weekend up in Birnie, was fantastic. I arrived in on Friday lunchtime. I got picked up from the station by Tania, one of the digger supervisors. She then dropped me off at B&Q to pick up some more materials for the installation. About an hour later we arrived on site. There I saw for the first in my life an archaeological dig in action. I got a site tour by one of the students, named Tanya. After that I just observed and chatted to some of the diggers. The dig day ended with a site overview presentation in which we had a brief update on what had been discovered in each trench that week. After this we left site and had dinner with the group and a birthday party in the evening as it was one of the student's birthday.

The following day, it was a day off for the diggers. There was an excursion planned. I hopped along to see a reconstruction of an iron-age roundhouse as research for my installation the following day. I had an early night as I wanted to get to site one hour before everyone else so I had a moment alone there and to have a good kick-start.
The following day, it was a day off for the diggers. There was an excursion planned. I hopped along to see a reconstruction of an iron-age roundhouse as research for my installation the following day. I had an early night as I wanted to get to site one hour before everyone else so I had a moment alone there and to have a good kick-start.

Sunday morning I arrived on site at 8.15 and had the spot all to myself. It was quite mystical. Eagerly I started setting up the bamboo canes. As soon as I started, I hitted the first problem: "ROCKS!". Although the site has a sandy soil, it also has a lot of rocks, making it quite hard to set-up the canes. Luckily, I got some assistance from Craig. The setting up of the bamboo canes took much longer then anticipated. When the canes where up it suddenly dawned on me how big this roundhouse actually is/was. I was trying to reconstruct roundhouse D, which was located next to where I was setting up. The third problem I encountered was the wind, which made it impossible to tape up the bamboo canes. This is the reason why a project like this requires planning and at least one site visit before, to test things out. On the other hand doing this this way makes you more inventive and puts you actually more in touch with the site. In the end I taped only on the ground. The bamboo canes were the only upstanding element. I used colour-coding for different elements.
Grey and black = bulks, also called sections
Silver and white = archaeological features left in-situ
Light blue = inner post circle of the roundhouse
Brown and pink = Outer post circle and wall of the roundhouse
Other colours = Archaeologists’ movements; with the lines for movement from point a to b and fields for concentrated movements on one spot like digging, drawing,…
It was a really hardcore taping day as the only break I had, was 20 minutes over lunchtime. The process of taping was slower than expected because of the wind, the first time use of gaffer tape on grass and the need of pinning the tape down with nails.
In the end I did not manage to do all of what I had envisaged, but I did manage to end up with a strong composition which reflected my ideas. It was a bit of a creative and partly emotional rollercoaster, but one which ended up being a hell of a good ride!

Where it all began...

In 2007 I started my second year of my MFA in Art, Space and Nature. The first month an a half I spent thinking about what I wanted to achieve/do with this masters. I started reading books, mainly philosophy books. One of them was called 'The Fate of Place'. this book gives an overview of the history of the notions of place and space in philosophy. Both the thinking and the book accompanied me on my 2.5 week residency in Chicago at the John David Mooney Foundation as part of my course. While travelling there I decided that whatever direction I would take it needed to relate to landscape/space and people. While being in Chicago I tried to have a look at an old airfield/park to maybe re-design. During one of the field trips to the derelict airfield, the cold drove me into the Field Museum. It is there where I discovered the mapping festival, which was on while I was there. I bought a ticket to see the map exhibition and darwin exhibition. I think I spent about 2 hours looking at the most fantastic maps. The most beautiful one was this Japanese map depicting the route from a certain city to the Emperor's Palace. The unusual thing about this map was that it was drawn 3D with the route being a straight line with very detailed sketches of what was along the route. It pictured more the experience of the route, then an actual cartographic plan/map of the route. An other interesting thing was the medium it was drawn on. It was drawn on a rice paper scroll. I can still remember looking through the protecting glass box longing to unscroll the whole thing. I wanted to see the complete story. It was at this point that I realised that our daily maps have lost their human connections and that landscapes are to be experienced to be fully appreciated and to be loved. I could/can only hope that one day I will be able to make people feel and understand the landscape as I did that day through that drawing/map.
The following day I started to explore the wider city. During these explorations I made these abstract sections through the city (drawings). I also visited the map exhibition at the museum of contemporary art, which was again interesting, but nothing grabbed me as the scroll map. I continued my daily explorations till the last week. On one of my walk abouts. I followed the chicago river North. Reaching what I think to remember was North Avenue. There I discovered a big art supply shop. These kind of shops are to me what, a candy store is to a little kid. I walked in browsed through the different aisles. One aisle in particular, caught my attention, the ailse with the adhesives. 'Eureka', I thought, 'for my last night presentation, showing what I had been doing during my stay, I could make a wall drawing with coloured masking tape'. Using tape meant, I did not need to re-paint the walls, saving myself a lot of time.
In the last week I started my drawing on the wall. It became a big map of Chicago covering the 3.5 by 5m wall and and the same amount of floor space. There was one peculliar thing about this map. In the centre where I had been walking I followed the map faithfully, but where I hadn't walked the artistic composition took the over hand. By doing this I questioned the map of Chicago. Why would I believe a piece of paper if I myself had not seen this landscape and verified it? A map quite often is just a snapshot of a specific time and can be out of date and wrong. This was my first tape installation. The wall drawing itself evolved lots after talking to John David Mooney, who told me: "It is not finished, I give you 2 hours to finish it and you know what to do". And I did. He gave me the right push at the right time.

White line through a lens

Image by Jose Cava, Dreamer

Unearthed

Installation/Event, 7 September 2008

Birnie, Elgin

With this installation/1-day event Sarah Foqué aims to visualize and explore the connections between the archaeological dig and the interpretation of its finds. The lines, which make up this installation, try to follow the well organized movements of the digging archaeologist into the lines of thoughts of the interpreting archaeologist.

‘Unearthed’ focuses on the big Roman Iron-age round house found on site. It attempts to visualize the process of the dig on the ground and to give an abstract reconstruction of the architectural boundaries of the round house in space.

White line through a lens

Whenever I walked through the meadows I got annoyed with that over the top thick white line which separates the cyclers from the pedestrians and vica versa. The line is so thick that to me it distracts from the beauty of the meadows and the only thing you can do is follow the line. I have tried once before to interact with this line and to provide a break of the straightness. So last night armed with my beautifull gaffertape and Sam as moral support, I ended up having another attempt in trying to break up this line. This one I named 'White line through a lens'. I attempted to break the line up like a lens breaks white light up into the colour spectrum. Next time I think I will have to see it bigger as from a distant it is still the white line that is the most obvious element in the meadows.

Roman's room and Birnie

OThrough taping at the Forest I got 2 more sessions coming up. 1 in the room of Roman (a Forest volunteer) for a creative writing event he is hosting and the other is on a field where an archeological dig is happening in Birnie. Dates and more information will follow.

Dissertation, the moment of truth

As said in one of my previous posts, I am currently trying to write my project statement for my future dissertation. My first idea was to write about how politics influence the physical state of the landscape and use Brussels as my case study. I was also looking for a way in which I could incorporate my lines. This appeared quite difficult as they are practically 2 different subjects. So the only way to resolve the issue was to go back to my main interests in landscape architecture, the origin of my lines and what I want to achieve with these lines.

My main interest in landscape in architecture has from very early on been the idea of 'Genius Loci', the spirit of a place and the creation of a connection between people and landscape. One other major interest of mine is what I call accidental spaces. This is what you can call leftover space, spaces that have no function or meaning. they have no identity and are in derelict state, but they are also pockets of opportunity.
My lines on the other hand try to map people's movements through space and by mapping I gain a better understanding of the human-place relations and aim to enhance human-place awareness. The lines aspire to record and link up human space interaction. So I decided that these 3 elements should reflect in my dissertation.

So currently for my dissertation I am thinking of finding myself an accidental space and try to transform it into a place which is rooted into the surrounding community through a series of events. It would be a good test to see whether it is the people, who give a place its' spirit.

A thought

Emotions
All tangled up
Stay, go
leave, hang on
Whirll in the beauty
till it is a pool of mud

Coffee Chat - Completed!

Taping at the Forest Cafe has come to an end, as all good things do. I will need some time to step away from this experience. Letting go with this project seems so much harder than with other taping projects I have done. Nowhere before have I done this as an event before. People seem much more interested in the work when they see it being made in front of their eyes, it seems to draw people more in. It is a bit like Tschumi's thinking the landscape and architecture as a platform for an event and life in general. It also reflects on my latest thinking paths.

I used to be a firm believer of the 'Genius Loci' idea, but now I think it is us who give a place a spirit and transform it into a place. Of course there are certain natural and cultural monuments which have an emotional impact on us, because of their greatness, but still that greatness is defined by the people experiencing it and on some of us even these won't have an impact. The more I experience, read and research the further I drift away from the 'Genius Loci' idea. Like at the Forest, without the people there, the building would be nothing more than a bunch of structured stones. This building comes alive through the people and all their efforts. To be able to map their movements and at least for a little while feel a part of this was fantastic. By doing this whole project I have come to realise that it us who create our environment and no one else. We call the shots.

A very good lesson to learn I would say, especially for my design skills. It makes me think back on my design ideas for the Grass market in Edinburgh about a year ago. with this project I wanted to create a big spiral within the space, activating the whole space as a platform for and symbol of free movement. I am slowly starting to re-focus my thoughts for my future dissertation on human-spatial interaction and doing research via the placing of my lines. But how do you write about these things? How do you build up a valid case when it is all based in experience, interaction and visual research, and very little written words?

Progress 3 - Coffee Chat

Yesterday had a half day taping session which ended with a short boogie hour at 1.00 in the morning. I am starting to get to know people a lot better. With this I am starting to have more dialogues with people. I got a lot more WHY-questions, which to me have been a really good learning school.

I managed to finish of the main staircase, hallway and part of the cafe.

Tonight and tomorrow I will be having a night off, but Saturday I will be taping all day.

The photo was taken by Erica

Progress 2 - Coffee Chat

Last night I was taping from 17.00 till 23.30 and this morning I was again up at 6.00 to go to work. My back and knees hurt, whoever said art is easy should be shot! ... But, it is really worth all the agony.

Last night I was working on the staircase in the back of the Forest Cafe. The floor in the cafe was too mucky and wet because of the rain outside. I was hoping to finish the staircase area last night, but unfortunately did not manage. The Steps have this little lip sticking out, which makes taping them a bit more of delicate job and hence take a bit longer. Hopefully I will finnish it today.

For the cafe area I am planning to have a few strong lines running chaotically into the space together with some smaller compositions scattered around. This will reflect on the constant changing of layout of the room and the constant shifts in occupation of the space.

I will be taping from 14.00 till 21.00 (probably later).

Regards
Sarah

Work in Progress - Coffee Chat

Yesterday I started taping in the Forest Cafe in Edinburgh. This is the first time I have done my taping so publicly. It is a really good experience, as you get lots of immediate responses from people and occassionaly a WHY-question. These questions are probably the most challenging of this whole project. They make working in such a open environment incredibly interesting. One night taping in this environment has pushed my thinking so much further. After this project I will start writing my project statement for my dissertation. Finally pin some points down, give myself some proper guidance for the future.

Also the people in the forest are very supportive for which I am incredibly gratefull!

I will continue taping tonight at 18.00 till about 21.00 and Wednesday from 14.00 till 21.00 and hopefully (and Sadly) that will be me done!

Dialogue

ECA Degree show 2008

14-24 June

Sarah Foque, Exhibiting MFA Art, Space & Nature Student

In ‘Dialogue’, Sarah Foqué explored the limits of space within the context of a gallery. She interacted with the physicality of the building, mainly its connection points to the outer world and the other artists’ exhibition space. Instead of using continuous lines, the artist opted for the use of interrupted lines which created a suggestion of movement and connection, but did not box work in. On the edges between in and out the artist created a denser network of lines with the aim to break through the space and invite the viewer in. This project was a real challenge for the artist as it demanded a respectful interaction with the exhibition space of others, the building and the artists’ own concept of breaking through boundaries.

Coffee Chat

Exhibition/ performance by Sarah Foque

11-17th of August

Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Place, Edinburgh

Coffee chat deals with the spatial politics of a transitory space. A café has an ever changing occupancy; its non-physical spatial boundaries are therefore in constant flux. The work aims to pick up on these constant changing spatial arrangements and to visualise the movements through and usage of space through the abstract language of coloured lines. By this approach the artist hopes to uncover the hidden relation between the architectural boundaries, the boundaries of personal space, people’s movements and the public realm. The visual quality of the art work aspires to make people aware of their environment.

Degree show

The degree show installing is over. All went well and the expected hick-ups stayed suprisingly away. Please come and have a look at the show at Evolution House at the corner of Potter Row with Lady Lawsons Street, Edinburgh. The show opens on the 14th of June and will be on til the 24th of June.

Sarah