Art & Oil: guest review of ‘The Oil Show’ in Dortmund
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Feb 17, 2012
The Oil Show art exhibition at the Hartware MedienKunstVerein in Dortmund, Germany, is a group show about oil and its deeply rooted influence in economy and society. This major exhibition, on til 18th March 2012, states “We have reached Peak Oil – the maximum capacity of global crude oil extraction and production. After Peak Oil, the...
New poetry on climate justice launched: No Condition is Permanent
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Dec 21, 2010
PLATFORM and African Writers Abroad proudly present 19 poets and 29 poems in a new volume crackling with acute observation and arresting calls to justice. The collection features powerful new work from acclaimed performance-poets Simon Murray (Sai Murai) and Dorothea Smartt, commissioned during PLATFORM’s season “C Words: Carbon, Climate, Capital, Culture” (Arnolfini, Bristol, England in...
Opening Today “Scorch/Drench”, and strange not to be there
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Oct 23, 2010
PLATFORM has created Scorch/Drench – an installation and a one week of films, discussions and workshops which inform and challenge our relationship to oil, at the invitation of curators of the season “Gentle Actions – Art, Ecology, Action” at Kunstnernes Hus Oslo, running 22.10.10 – 14.11.10. Anna and I aren’t travelling out there for a...
Disgust, Integrity, Solidarity
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Feb 19, 2010
Nearly three months have passed since C Words closed and I’ve been re-reading the blog entries, my and others’ copious notes and records, the heaps of rich and mostly positive feedback we’ve collected on paper, in emails, interviews on video, audio, and anecdotally. This compensates for the tiny art-critical response: one interesting and thoughtful review...
A Sense of Denial – C Words commisioned poem by Dorothea Smartt
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Dec 9, 2009
Dorothea Smartt (African Writers Abroad) joined the C Words closing Party and Benefit for the Canadian Indigenous Tar Sands Campaigners live via Skype. She performed her specially commisioned poem, A Sense of Denial, together with several other poems written specifically to the C Words season and inspired by the issues raised. A Sense of Denial Denial looks black, panelled,...
Full Circle – C Words commisioned poem by Simon Murray
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Dec 9, 2009
Two poets from African Writers Abroad were commssioned to respond to the C Words season. To craft the poem below, Simon Murray (Sai MuRai) borrows the title of Dorothea Smartt’s poetry workshop “Full Circle” and draws upon some of the many words, phrases and themes that arose throughout the C Words season. The poem was performed live...
The Last Weekend
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Dec 1, 2009
We had a barnstorming weekend. Really very good, and although a bit by the seat of our pants, we more than got away with it. Very good spirit among everyone. ‘C Words: where are we going?’ worked pretty well. Difficult to really reflect and evaluate when it’s all still so recent, but the discussions were...
Sound Recording of PLATFORM’s Tour of Bush House
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Nov 27, 2009
Prepare the Agitpod
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Nov 22, 2009
On 1st December PLATFORM’s Agitpod mobile cinema will set off on it’s return journey from Bristol to London, why not join us? The Agitpod has been projecting in gallery three at Arnolfini since C Words opened in October and the unique machine has been much admired, but it is on the open road that this...
Thoughts on Radicalism
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Nov 19, 2009
The last time I was in Bristol, a series of conversations and events brought this into sharp focus for me. The first was Friday’s Critical Tea Party. There were two visitors who’d been tempted upstairs by the offer of tea and cake. The conversation began with Pete and the Institute reflecting on the week, which...
Finding space to critique C Words
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Nov 14, 2009
As one of five C Words Co-Realizers one of my jobs is to reflect on the events which take place in the gallery. Yet, within the walls of Arnolfini I find it hard to find intellectual space or critical distance from the work. Fortunately, I shan’t be based in Bristol for the whole of our two month run of events. Each...
Killing T.I.N.A, Embracing T.A.B.O.O – The Writings on the Walls #6
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Nov 14, 2009
Dorothea Smartt, one of the two commissioned poets from African Writers Abroad, today releases a beautiful, inspiring poem created out of the 7th November creative writing workshop: Killing T.I.N.A, Embracing T.A.B.O.O (see below). The ink is still wet but Dorothea’s willingness to share this piece is testament to the amazing Creativity, Connections & Co-creations that...
