Current: The Nomadic Village UK
The Nomadic Village UK 2012
Wolsingham, County Durham, UK
Monday 21st May - Sunday 3rd June 2012
Public Opening: Friday 1st June 15:00 - 21:00
"One never goes as far, as when one doesn’t know where one is going." - C. Columbus
From 21 May to 3 June 2012, County Durham will house a village within a town, when a 'Nomadic Village' of over 30 international artists makes its temporary home in Wolsingham. The artists will live and work in camper vans, caravans, marquees, a converted police bus and even an adapted milk float based at the Desmesne Mill Picnic Area in Wolsingham. The 10-day project will provide space for professional artists working in a variety of mediums to live and work, engage and interact with the local community and produce work that responds to the location and situation. At the end of the Village, on Friday 1 June, there will be a public exhibition, and during the Village there will be open afternoons for the local residents to visit the artists at work.
The artists come from as far away as Australia and as near as Tow Law, and the work will vary from photography, film and digital media to 3-dimensional sculptural pieces. Participating artsits have been selected based on the quality of their work as well as their commitment to gaining inspiration from their temporary location and their artistic practice of working as nomadic artists. As well as being able to take advantage of the open afternoons and to chat to the artists and visit the focal point and the village 'mayor' - artist Klaus Mähring - many residents will be involved in the artists' work more directly: artists will be visited by and will visit pupils from Wolsingham School and Community College; a group of photographers based in Tow Law are going to be working with the local community during the time that the Nomadic Village is in Wolsingham to gather stories, images and anecdotes about other ‘visitors’; and other collaborations and interactions are being worked out at the moment.
The project is being brought together by ISIS Arts, in collaboration with Durham County Council and Wolsingham Parish Council. The Village is the brainchild of Klaus Mähring: a photographer who uses an old-fashioned plate camera to create stunning visual impressions of the landscape, he lives for six months of the year in his converted police bus, travelling for inspiration. Two years ago, he invited artists to camp with him in Bulgaria, and the resulting Nomadic Village was such a success that Mähring was keen to create another one with more structure and facilitation for interaction with the local community.
The Nomadic Village will create a unique working environment for artists, who will be able to draw inspiration from each other and from living with like-minded creative people, as well as from the beautiful location. It also gives the residents of Wolsingham, a rural location, an extraordinary opportunity to interact first-hand with artists and their practice, as well as enjoy the exhibition of the resulting artworks. This exhibition will then tour to Vienna and other parts of Austria, with further tours in discussion, taking the inspiration of Wolsingham to other communities internationally.
Nomadic Village Artists
Lindsay Duncanson / Marek Gabrsych / Lucas Gabrsych
Peter Westman / Penka Mincheva
Klaus Mähring says: "Nomadic Village is, on the one side, great for the artists, as it creates a semi-autonomous temporary zone that is perfect for the artistic process; on the other side it is a very interesting thing for local people, as they can follow and experience the artistic process in a very authentic, uncompromised way."
Lesley Shuttleworth, Head of Wolsingham Parish Council, says: "Wolsingham Parish Council are delighted that Wolsigham has been chosen for this exciting international event and that we have been able to accomodate the artists: Wolsingham is really looking forward to welcoming the artists as guests to our town."
The Nomadic Village consists of around 20 mobile units, many of them small in size, and they will remain static for the duration of the project. There will be one larger marquee, used as a kitchen and meeting area. The exhibition on 1 June will be open 3pm to 9pm and people interested in attending should email nomadicvillage@isisarts.org.uk.
The Nomadic Village UK site
Demesne Picnic Area, Wolsingham
DH13 3HE
ViewNomadic Village UK 2012in a larger map
Video from KlausMähring'sSteyr-Ikarus bus.
The project is funded by Arts Council England, and the artists are giving their time voluntarily.The Nomadic Village 2012 was conceived by Klaus Mähring from On the Road Productions, Austria, and developed as part of an ISIS Arts research residency in 2011: it will be produced by ISIS Arts, UK with support from Durham County Arts Team and Wolsingham Parish Council.
