Out-line

Chaumont-sur-Loire Garden Festival progress 1

2011-03-29T06:01:00.005+01:00

After weeks of carefull planning, trying to speak French and in the end asking my dad to drive to France with an extra truck of materials, we are finally here in Chaumont.We had our first day of work and most of the digging on site is done, thanks to the help of Herve. He looks a lot like professor Calcus from the adventures of Tintin. He is genius with the digger.Also all the arrangements I've made so far worked out exactly as planned, maybe my french isn't so bad after all. So far so good!

Chaumont-sur-Loire Garden Festival

2011-02-21T21:45:00.004Z

At the end of this summer I summited a design for the 2011 Chaumont-sur-Loire Garden Festival, France. And I was one of the lucky few who got selected to build my garden. Assisting me with the tedious task is Aquarium Architecture, Stan (ex-colleague from the Netherlands) and Michael (a very reliable friend). This project has caused me already a few years of my life and many grey hairs, but it seems we are set to go now. My garden is named Le Jardin de Marees/Garden of the Tides and is inspired by the seas, for more information on the project itself check out my website: http://www.sarahfoque.com/landscape/landscapeproj17.html

I will keep you posted on the progress, now off to order some material in French (not my speciality!).

Occasionnal meeting

2010-06-12T20:59:00.002+01:00

The other day I was traveling from the Hague to Belgium. At the station I saw a guy sitting on a bench. We ended up talking the whole way to Antwerp. It was all about life. Occasionally you meet some one that just touches you deep into your soul and makes you think about the past, the present and the future, about where you are heading and where you have been. I love those occosional meetings. They improve my thoughts about humanity. And convince me that trying is worth while. Thank you stranger, it was nice meeting you and may I never know your name.

Art

2010-04-04T19:07:00.004+01:00

Recently I have been re-reading or starting to read books I've read some time ago or have been intending to read for a while. It really gave a renewed perspective on my art-practice, a new focus, which I feel I had lost for a while. My work focuses on the ephemeral nature of the landscape and which role people play in this constantly changing landscape. I'm interested in how to represent this drifting landscape, how to grasp the ever-changing nature of environment, which we help to create. I want to understand and use it as a tool for my designs.Currently I am reading Rhythmanalysis: Space, time and Everyday Life, by Henri Lefebvre. He see our world as a collection of rhythms, each element has its own rhythms, which is constituted out of millions of rhythms themselve. The tree, which can be seen as a static element, suddenly becomes a living thing in motion. It moves but much slowerr than us. I just love these ideas. It makes you look at the world with completely new eyes.
I am starting to return to my thinking before I left Edinburgh, I don't know whether this is a good or a bad thing, but it definately gives me a renewed energy.

Markus Miessen Lecture

2010-03-17T21:24:00.002Z

This evening I went to a Markus Miessen lecture at Stroom in The Hague. It was really interesting. Markus Miessen is the writer of did someone say participate and the violence of participation. During his lecture which was mostly based on the ideas of the last mentioned book, he showed us projects which he considered as failures. Believe me they weren't failures, each one of them was very inquisitive and very to the heart of things. It was very refreshing to see someone so succesful being really humble and constantly striving to learn and do better. An inspiration to us all I would say. He had such a good understanding of our world and how it works on societal and political level and how this relates to creation of space, but still had the naivity to believe in people. I think that this positive view towards humanity makes him create his projects. He really wants to make a difference, but he also has to patience to achieve it. All in all a very inspiring person!

MA-disertation

2010-03-10T19:55:00.002Z

After starting to read Doreen Massey I focused down my theme for my MA: How do various political systems influence public space? In this dissertation I want to compare various public spaces in various political systems, like compare public spaces in London to those in Havana. By doing this research I aim to visualize the impact of and relationship of politics with the landscape. I will focus on cities as these are where most people live and public spaces under go the most changes. Will keep you posted, thanks for the people who gave some good tips. I feel really excited and inspired!

Political Landscapes

2010-03-08T17:30:00.003Z

After discovering James Corner's book, 'Recovering Landscape', and long talks with Oli I came to realize that writing about Synergy in landscape architecture is a no go. James corner and others a like seem to have covered that topic briliantly, better then I ever could with my foreign English, (which by the way I am slowly losing due to my living in the Netherlands).
So I set my sights on another topic, still related to synergy: Political landscapes. It is a topic which really suits me, who thinks landscape is the platform of our daily life. Power relationship are an essential part of that daily life, so they must influence the platform on which they take place. Also landscape and politics have a long history together, war over land, feudal system, Irak (land bound resources), but also on a small scale: Regeneration as an election campaign. How did and does this relationship affect our landscape? And how can we, landscape architects use it? Should we use? So many questions,... Now I just need to get started and there in lies the problem...
I'll keep you up to date with my MA-ideas and attempts. I might even finish it!

Synergy

2010-02-03T20:33:00.003Z

Recently through reading 'Re-public' by zus and life/work experiences, I have become obsessed with synergy. It is something that surrounds us all and is characteristic of all good design, either in the concept, process or implementation. It is something I am dying to explore further through art experiments and research on a broad level. Lots of ideas floating through my head and if anyone has anything interesting to say about the subject please let me know.

I also want to use this idea my long overdue dissertation for my MA Landscape Architecture. Will keep you up to date with further exciting revelations on the theme of synergy!

Screen printing

2009-12-17T21:29:00.007Z

A month and a half ago I did an introduction course into screen printing. Ever since I go every Friday faithfully to the workshop to make some more prints. The medium is perfect to capture the mystifying city with all its layers. The different print course allow me to represent an aspect of city life. I recently started working on a serie, which I call Carte postale, of which 2 will be shown at the ProofDruk exhibition at de Haagse Kunstkring. Carte postale refers to an old post card collection book, which I bought years ago on a flee market. It is falling a part, but its title still has a golden shimmer: Carte Postale.
My prints are a bit like post cards. They show the cities I know, not in photographic sense. They attempt to clarify the scene shown, how it flows and functions, how things relate to one another. Each printing course show an aspect of city life in certain location in an abstracted version: Architectural relationships through abstracted geometric shapes, the reality through a photograph and movements through tape or sticky vinyl.

Carte Postale 1

Carte Postale 2

Time is the unknown denominator

2009-11-26T19:27:00.004Z

Everyone screams we need to find a solution to the urban question. Well the answer is time. We should build things now with of course respect to the earth, people and the future, but we shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes. Not everything can be a masterpiece. (Also people seem to have a habit to learn more from their mistakes). The best things will stand the test of time and will become essential parts of our future cities. This does not mean city building should be a free for all. We should keep on being innovative and strive for perfection. But we should also face up that there is no such thing as perfection. So no matter how much research we do we will never reach a single answer. Time is the unknown denominator and will be the judge of our achievements.
I as a designer would love to crack the puzzle as well. It makes me humble and respectful towards this big thing we call the city. It will still stand strong even after we are gone and only time will tell if our plans were good enough to live on.

Young Swampy Formalism

2009-10-08T12:00:00.007+01:00

Sarah Foqué (Leeds, UK), Eric Henzler (Stuttgart) , Erich Marty (Winterthur, CH) , Trine Pedersen (Kopenhagen, DK), Matthias Santiago Stähle (Hamburg) , Arne Schneider (Stuttgart)

Vernissage: Freitag, 30.10. 2009 , um 20 Uhr
Einführung: Gerhard Friebe
Ausstellungsdauer: 31.10.09 bis 22.11.09
Öffnungszeiten: Sa + So : 15- 19:00 und nach Vereinbarung (Tel.: 0711 / 6493968)
Ort: OP-Nord; Nordbahnhofstraße 45, 70191 Stuttgart , U-Bahn Linie 15, MilchhofDie Ausstellung Young Swampy Formalism bringt junge europäischer Künstler mit interschiedlichen Ansätzen in Malerei, Zeichnung und Videoarbeiten zusammen. Sie verbindet ein entscheidendes Merkmal: die Auseinandersetzung mit dem spannungsverhältnis zwischen Konzeptidee und Arbeitsprozess, verbunden mit einem klaren Hang zu subtilen Humor.

The exhibition brings together young European artists with different positions in painting, drawing and filming. They all got one key feature in common: they're all dealing with the two poles of conceptual ideas and working process, combined with a clear preference for an understatedsense of humour.

Project Zagreb

2009-09-10T19:50:00.004+01:00

Since my move to the Netherlands and starting my new job. I spend about 1.5 hours on the train commuting. To me this equals to 1.5 hours of reading, sketching and writing time.
Recently I have been using this time to read 'Project Zagreb', a book by E. Blau and I. Rupnik. It deals with zagreb's urban history
One particular chapter of this book caught my attention, the section that deals with 'The Green Horseshoe'. The Green Horseshoe is a U-shaped network of green spaces and institutional buildings, which was the brain child of Milan Lenuci. Through architectural projects and programming he managed to maintain and create public space in the new urban expansion in the early 1900s. Milan Lenuci saved some areas from development by giving them a public program. For example: He created skating rinks on these spaces during winter and opened them up for sports and fairs during summer. By doing this he made the spaces part of public life and saved them from development. Milan Lenuci used public life to create public space.
According to me, my idea of rolling design (see earlier posts) is made up of a similar process of programming. In Rolling design though the process is used to re-link/re-engage people with an already existing public space. Rolling design is like the re-programming of a public space or the re-starting of a program in a public space. This type of programming allows people to re-claim the public realm for their public lives.

Irrepressible Movement - Photo's

2009-07-14T21:31:00.006+01:00

Last week my latest exhibition, which is a collaboration with James Johnson-Perkins, opened. Here are the first pictures:
James and I were invited by the artist in residency at Cecil Sharp House to create an installation. Cecil Sharp house is the base for the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The installation makes use of this context. The big squares with 3 rectangles symbolise a movement in English Morris dancing. Further they create a rhythm Throughout the building which reasonates of the music accompanying that same dance. In the staircase James built a big tower of Mega blocks. This tower symbolises a May pole. My lines follow the staircase round the May pole like a dance incorporating the architectural form.

Irrepressible Movement Flyer

2009-07-04T21:30:00.005+01:00

Sarah Foqué & James Johnson-Perkins: New Work
10 July – 29 August 2009
Open: 10 – 6pm, Tuesday – Saturday

private view: 6pm, Thursday 9th July
Cecil Sharp House
2 Regents Park Road
Camden
London
NW1 7AY

nearest tube: Camden Town

The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) are pleased to present an exhibition of new site specific work from artists Sarah Foqué and James Johnson-Perkins.

Through vividly coloured materials, both artists will respond to the Cecil Sharp House building, the home of the EFDSS, as a starting point for work as they attempt to directly interact with its community and interior.

Responding to a site's history and the movement of people through it, Sarah Foqué creates installations with straight bands of colour. Drawing on histories of philosophy and anthropology, Foqué focuses on the mapping and exploration of space and boundaries. Typically using coloured tape as a material to visualise her understanding of the space she is working in, Foqué will create a fluid portrait of the space and its activities, alluding to traditional dance figures.

James Johnson-Perkins utilises references to popular culture of the 1980s to create works of play and nostalgia. His installation, spanning all four storeys of the building stairwell, will attempt to build the tallest structure ever made from Mega-Bloks. This construction will represent an absurd May Pole in the centre of the building, at odds with the surrounding architecture.

Artist-in-residence Matthew Cowan will be holding a free open studio event during the private view and on Friday 10 July, 10am - 5pm.

facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/s.php?ref=search&sid=0a1784a2abdb58800e15f4a312ccafa1&init=q&q=efdss%20%40%20csh#/event.php?eid=225214145092&ref=nf

http://efdss.org/news.htm#artistsnewwork

PGDip over

2009-06-24T11:34:00.007+01:00

Finally finished my PGDip in landscape architecture, what a trip it has been! I have learned to be patient and not to rush things.

My project, Rolling Design, encapsulates my thinking about landscape architecture and to a certain extent about public art. As set out earlier in this blog, Rolling design, uses events to activate a place. This process of activation will engage the community. The positive momentum created by the activation and engagement will lead to the start-up of an engaging and creative design process involving the designer but also the community and site, which will never end. Rolling Design will provide for gradual design interventions and a continuous process of activation.

Irrepressible Movement

2009-06-18T15:13:00.002+01:00

New Work from Sarah Foque & James Johnson-Perkins
Cecil Sharp House
Camden
London
10th Jul - 31st Aug
Preview, 9th July, 6pm

This exhibition showcases colourful new work from Sarah Foque & James Johnson-Perkins. Both artists' work is site specific and utilises intense colours in its execution. Sarah Foque creates installations with straight bands of colour, responding to a site's history and people's movement through it. James Johnson-Perkins uses references to popular culture of the 1980s to create works of play and nostalgia. His installation at Cecil Sharp House will span all four storeys of the building through the centre of the staircase, whilst Sarah Foque's multi-coloured lines will be immediately viewable from the main entrance.

http://www.johnson-perkins.co.uk/
http://www.efdss.org/

What is Queen Square?

2008-10-08T13:37:00.007+01:00

Last week I had a conversation with the MA landscape architecture course leader, Fleure Gething, about my idea of doing a personal design option as my elective. After a long think I had decided to not go ahead with it. But during our conversation she told me about Queen Square. Queen Square is an old Victorian Square near Hepworth Point, the building where the landscape department currently is situated. She told about its run down condition and lack of interest of the council and Leeds Met. This sparked my enthusiasm. By the end of our conversation I was quite keen to let my lines loose on this space. But this time I controlled myself, instead of just going in and doing something based on my instincts and observations as I normally do, I wanted to do some research and really give my work some more depth and rootedness. The key questions within this project would be what is Queen square, how well people know it and how can I activate it and raise its profile. The space exists, but how can I turn it into a place, a destination?

With those three core questions in my mind I started thinking. First of all what is Queen Square? On a first glance I would not classify it as a square but as a park, as it is mainly green space and not hard surfaced. I would also not call it a public space as it is hardly used and how can you classify a space as public as the public is hardly there to use it. These are just first observations no definite judgements, but no the less important to note down. For me to get a full understanding of the site I need to look at the history, the present and the future potential. Within the present situation my second question, how well do people know Queen Square, becomes quite important. The knowledge and view of the wider public on Queen Square will help to expand my view of the place beyond my own research. With this research question I would focus on the surroundings of Queen Square as this will be the main location of (possible) users of the square. The next question I asked myself was, how do you find out how well people know a place and how do you do this in a visual interesting way? First I thought about going round asking people the question and filming it, but as I am not good with camera and do not know how to edit film, I quickly dropped this idea. Then I thought about this book 'Lines, A brief history' by Tim Ingold, that I just read, in one of the chapters he talks about mapping and more interestingly how people draw a map for some one else to use to find their way to a certain location. These kinds of maps are simple line drawings showing the route and key recognizable point/landmarks. I would like to use this technique to see whether Queen Square is seen as a landmark and/or if it is even known at all. The idea I conceived is to go around the surrounding Leeds met buildings and private houses and ask the people there to draw me a map from Central Station to Hepworth Point, then I would ask them to do the same but this time the end location would be Queen Square, the third question would be what is Queen Square and the last would be how old are you, how long have you been living in Leeds and what is your occupation? The first question would show me whether Queen Square is used as a recognizable point to guide people from. The second would reveal if people know it at all and the third would provide me with their definition. The last questions would give me an idea of how much which type of people knows about Queen Square. The first two questions would provide me with a visual, while the others with a written text. This part of the project would require the help of Leeds Met students, visitors and staff and the inhabitants of the surrounding houses.
The last question how can I activate Queen Square and raise its profile? The answer of this question would be answered by the above research and also by doing research into wider Leeds cultural life. Cultural life here, does not only cover the arts, but also sports, performance, family days out,... I will look at what Leeds and more importantly what the users of the square lack in this field and how I could provide that within the context of Queen Square. First action would be to raise the profile of Queen Square by using my lines/art installation, which would be based on how people use and experience the square, the boundaries of the square and its history. After that I would again consult the people I consulted before and ask them what they would like to see in the Square and how they would like to see it to be used. After the consultation I will aim to host some cultural events and try to re-design Queen Square so it becomes more suitable to its new active functions. This design would not be an end point but a starting point for a new active and evolving life. If Queen Square's function would change, so would the infrastructure... The viability of our public spaces lies in their ability to adapt to our ever changing needs. They form the platform on which public life takes place.

I would like to undertake this design exercise as part of my 2nd Nature elective as it would provide a new way of looking and thinking about public places. It would see public space more as a verb then as an inert static object.

About wandering and places

2008-10-06T08:39:00.003+01:00

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?

MA in Landscape architecture

2008-10-04T18:15:00.007+01:00

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/art practice on the other hand try/tries 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 major design project.

For my major design project I would like to work on the connection between the city center through the dark arches and Holbeck and Beeston Hill beyond. This cut up area has different architectural languages and big diversity of people in its communities, ranging from the vibrant city center to the redevelopment of Holbeck through the deserted industrial area onto the impoverished area of Beeston Hill. How do you create a connection between these four distinct areas, not only on a architectural level but also on a human interactive level. How do you design the urban landscape as a platform for social interaction?

Further I would like to explore, what I call Rolling Design, which encompasses the intentions of the 3 elements mentioned above.
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 hopefully using the place. 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 particular 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 Part designed or improvement of infrastructure
More events

In rolling design the design process never stops as our landscapes never stop 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. The whole idea of rolling design refers back to Bernard tschumi’s concept of the landscape as a platform for living and architecture as an event.

Within the context of Holbeck and Beeston Hill site and my MA, I would do research on the involved organisations (for example, re’new, Leeds City Council,…) and how to work with them, as well as, the visual and historical analysis. I hope to realise one event on site with the support of the involved partners. For the design I would design a phasing plan, master plan and one part of the area to detail design stage.

As landscape architect and artist I am foremost interested in creating places for people. I see my major design project as part of my personal research in human-place interaction.

Coffee Chat Upside Down - Completed!

2008-09-16T14:07:00.001+01:00

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

2008-09-15T13:39:00.002+01:00

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

2008-09-14T14:34:00.001+01:00

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

2008-09-14T14:30:00.004+01:00

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

2008-09-12T13:40:00.005+01:00

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

2008-09-11T23:37:00.006+01:00

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

2008-09-11T22:38:00.003+01:00

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

2008-09-10T14:16:00.032+01:00

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...

2008-09-09T13:55:00.023+01:00

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

2008-09-03T09:04:00.001+01:00

Image by Jose Cava, Dreamer

Unearthed

2008-08-31T14:54:00.012+01:00

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

2008-08-24T13:24:00.012+01:00

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

2008-08-22T13:44:00.004+01:00

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

2008-08-21T14:21:00.008+01:00

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

2008-08-20T13:44:00.010+01:00

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

Coffee Chat - Completed!

2008-08-17T15:25:00.007+01:00

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

2008-08-14T14:45:00.007+01:00

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

2008-08-13T08:07:00.005+01:00

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

2008-08-12T13:37:00.004+01:00

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

2008-08-07T10:37:00.008+01:00

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

2008-07-30T13:45:00.008+01:00

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

2008-06-07T23:58:00.005+01:00

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