http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 My Residency in Banff, Alberta, Canada Sun, 26 May 2013 08:13:24 +0000 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://www.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 This is a very short first post to get things going and because I'm exhausted. I was up early this morning (or rather yesterday GMT) after only a couple of hours sleep and after an 8 and a half hour flight and 2hr shuttle bus ride, I got here about 6.30pm.Arrived after fresh 23cm fresh snow fall and to a temperature of -17 degrees centigrade (!!!)It is now 10.28pm our time (and 5.28 GMT) and I really need some sleep. I have an early start tomorrow with introductions at 9.30am, but before that I want to go out for a short run (there is a good reason for this- my project involves running- more on that later). I will probably wake up early in any case, or not at all.So I will leave you with a scenic picture that I took from the shuttle bus window on my way here.With thanks to the CCW Research Fund at Camberwell College of Art, which has assisted with my travel here.More soon, Bonne NuitVéronique   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Was wide awake from 2am  and forced myself to get up at 6.30. Ventured out to a temperature -27degrees! It was still dark so I decided to start my run indoors (the recreation centre here opens at 6am!). Managed to complete a hard 5km on the treadmill- the room was very warm and it made me feel quite dizzy. I followed this with a quick run outdoors to get a feeling of what it would be like to run in the cold. I had wrapped up well but the most difficulty I had was in breathing. The air is very tight here because of the altitude and cold. It will take some getting used to. I was also wearing a wrap over my face, which kept me warm on the one hand but didn’t allow me to breathe very well on the other. The rest of the day was spent on introductions to the other artists on the programme, to the programme facilitators and to the technicians who will be helping us realise our projects. We also had introductions to library and community services staff, followed by a tour of the campus. This really is a beautiful setting, almost unreal. We really are surrounded by mountains (see picture).Managed a quick venture down into the town to get some maps to enable me to plan my running routes. Quite daunted by what I’m letting myself in for, but excited by the challenge.Went back up to campus for a ‘meet and greet’ followed by a pv of artists’ work from one of the self-directed programmes. By 8pm I’d had it and was literally falling asleep (hence no entry last night).Slept very badly again with additional complication of a pinched nerve on my right shoulder. Was wide awake again by 5.30 and went for a swim to ease the tension.Today we had our individual entrance and technical interviews. These were to talk about our project goals and to get some feedback from the peer advisors and programme directors and for the technical staff to get a handle on technical needs and issues. The first interview felt very formal and I felt too jet lagged to talk very cohesively; the second (technical) interview was more practical but the difficulties of realising the live aspect of my project were made very apparent. It will certainly pose a challenge and the outcome is not clear. It will involve a lot of experimentation with things that may or may not work. I may also have to limit my route if I can only use local networks.The good news is that I managed an almost 10km run following the bow river and fenland trails and then back uphill to the campus with spectacular views on the way. The day ended with the first round of artist presentations (mine is tomorrow). After tonight I feel quite intimidated by the prospect. We start tomorrow with a trip to Johnston Canyon. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 A yellow School Bus arrived at the Banff centre yesterday morning to take us to Johnson’s Canyon. After a short drive of about 30mins we arrived and ventured out along the trail walk through the canyon. It was fantastic scenery of woodland, gorges and frozen pools (see pics)- a few of us hung back from the group so we could experience the calm. Well worth the trip apart from the disappointment at the end that the coffee shop was closed- had to go without the hot-chocolate I’d been fantasising about.Got back to campus around 3-ish and spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for my presentation. Skipped dinner as had to go over to JPL building, where the presentations were going to be held, 45mins early, to check all was working okay. Mine was quite straightforward as it was all on DVD. Was still very nervous though even though I’ve done this tons of times before.Unfortunately, turned out I was scheduled last as one of the other artists has not yet arrived. As before, all presentations were very good, which made me feel even more nervous. Eventually, the inevitable came and it was my turn. It wasn’t as bad as I’d thought and I was able to speak freely (rather than read from notes), which was much better, although I think I spoke probably too quickly due to my nerves, but it meant I kept to time. Phew! Glad that’s over. Actually I had some very nice comments from some of the other artists, who said that they’d really enjoyed my talk, so can’t have been that bad. We went on to the campus bar afterwards for a well deserved drink. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Last night we were also finally given our studio keys, so I’ve been able to check it out today. Unfortunately, I’ve been given one of the smaller office-like studios (see pic), which is a shame as it’ll mean that if I want to try out any projections, I’ll have to use another space elsewhere. I think they think that because I’ll be spending a lot of time outside with my running, that I don’t need a lot of space. Also, it has padded office-like walls covered in coarse grey fabric (!) and some plug points on the middle of the wall-space. This means that I can pin a lot of things to the wall and plug things in, but I can’t use it as a surface to draw/work on. Anyway, I’ve come in this afternoon and made the best of it by moving the table against the window (I have a fantastic view at least) and opening out the space. I’ve also put a few maps and trail info up on the wall to make it look more studio-like. At least I’ve made good use of the map-pins I found here. We’ll see- at least I’m right next to the computer room and on the same floor as the technicians, which is handy.Did another run this morning and ventured a bit further out to the Vermillion Lakes Road (such a poetic name). This is just beyond where I ran the other day and it was really worth the trip (and the effort). Actually, it’s really flat, which is good. The views are spectacular – almost panoramic of the frozen lakes surrounded by mountains (unfortunately I didn’t have my camera on me, so I have no pics, but I will go back for sure). There was hardly anyone there and barely any cars came down- it was amazing and so peaceful, although a little windy. The run went well- I managed about 17km (about 10.5 miles), although I stopped briefly a few times to find my bearings and later on, to catch my breath- I’m still getting used to the altitude here, so it’ll probably take a while before I can do a long run straight through. I was very pleased with this though, and worth it for the scenery.Finished the morning with a brunch at Susan Kennard’s house. Susan is the Director of the New Media Institute. It was really generous of her to invite us all into her home. We all brought something to add to the food and/or drink. It was a great thing to do on a Sunday and really welcome, especially after my run- I was starving!Also met Nina Czegledy, who is one of the artist peer advisors (the others are Kate Rich and Willy Le Maitre).That’s all for now- I’m off for some food before the canteen closes at 7.30 (I’ll be posting this later on). More soon.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Have spent the last couple of days trying to get used to the studio- however much I put things on the wall, it still looks too office-like. I managed to find a roll of thin white paper lying around by the lift so I have taken it. It will be very useful to cover the walls with and also if I want to do any drawings of my routes/runs. One of the other artists also found me some left over black-out paper on a roll, so I can black out the room if I need to. Unfortunately, it will only cover half the window space.Yesterday morning the peer advisors met with the technicians and other staff to review the outcome of the entrance and technical interviews. This meant I couldn’t really talk to anyone about my project. I’m a little concerned about where to start technically with working out the live thing as there were a lot of things being bandied around at the technical interview which I’m not familiar with and I’d really like to make a start with some tests. I spent a frustrating morning trying to get the data from my Garmin GPS device I use to record my runs to transfer to some Mac software I just bought that it’s supposed to recognise the information and draw maps from. That’s something else I’ll have to ask about. GPS is just something I thought I might use as an additional tracking thing so the progress of my run can be seen in real-time.The sun gets really strong in the afternoon around 3-4pm. By 4pm I’d had enough of being in the studio and I decided I would go for a walk up Tunnel Mountain. It was also to see if it could be feasible territory to run up. No I’m not that hard-core-(!) Tunnel Mountain is not really a mountain, it’s more like a large hill, also, the paths go across it laterally so it’s much more gentle than one thinks. It was worth the trip as it overlooks the whole town and you get panoramic views once you reach the top. I also went at the right time of the day, just into early evening, before the sun went down. Beautiful. The only down side was that because it‘s been quite mild and sunny over the last 2 days, the snow has started to melt and the paths were quite slushy and slippery. Definitely not a good idea to run in those conditions. Got back just in time to go to the campus restaurant for tea. Had hoped to go down town for a cinema screening at 7pm, but I would have had to rush so I gave it a miss. Instead I stayed quite late in the studio cutting lengths of white paper to fit the width of the wall. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Started today with a swim before breakfast (my right shoulder is still painful, although better). The staff try to make themselves available between 9.30 and 10am each morning in case of any concerns. I had hoped to catch a technical person before 10 to get some advice, but when I got there at 9.45 people were setting up for the group mini- presentations that were starting at 10. These were 3minute slots where we were supposed to give a concentrated introduction to someone’s  work that had informed or inspired our own.I chose Harun Farocki’s ‘Deep Play’, that he showed at the last Documenta, mainly because of its focus on the construction and deconstruction of a live sporting event (a football match) and where in it you also have the tracking of the ball and game from each player’s point of view. Unfortunately, as it’s a 12 screen installation , it’s not an easy piece to show and I only had a fairly poor quality walk around clip from ‘You-Tube’.  I kept wishing afterwards that I’d shown something else like Florian Slotowa’s ‘Museum Sprints’, which would have been much more straight-forward to show and more fun.I came to the session in my running kit so that I could go out more or less straight afterwards on another run. This time I went out to Sundance Canyon via the Cave and Basin Trail and the Marsh Loop Trail. Great run- relatively flat through woodland and back through the marshes. The path looked like it is used a lot by cross-country skiers as there are tracks pretty much throughout. The snow is still quite deep in some areas, so it made the going quite slow. I came via the Bow Falls Trail but unfortunately access to the cliff-top and to the falls was closed due to the ice/snow. I had to cut back round to the bridge to find my way back to campus via the Bow River Trail on the other side of the river. Still, I managed just over 10 miles and it’s definitely a feasible run to record. Still struggling with my breathing though and had to stop briefly a few times. I hope I’ll be able to manage a non-stop run soon. I’d like to try some filming next week if I can.(Sorry no pics yet).Scott, one of the other artists from the group, did an introductory session to ‘Second Life’ this evening. He is developing a project using Second Life and is part of a performance art group in Second Life called Second Front. It was a good introduction, but not one that makes me want to join up any more than I did before- I still prefer real life, myself.Stayed in the studio late again- this time scanning maps of the areas in which I’m running. Don’t seem to be able to get hold of any maps that are detailed or large enough to work with in the studio.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Apologies, I’ve got really behind with this. I’ll have to update this in a few posts if I don’t want to leave anything out. (will add pics later). Now we have our studios, things have started to get  busy. Wednesday started with presentations from the peer advisors, Nina Czegledy, Willy LeMaître and Kate Rich. All very impressive. Nina and Willy’s work is very technology dependent and oriented – Nina works alot collaboratively with scientists and other artists on global digital projects that are very much on the ‘New Media’ circuit; Willy’s concerns are particularly vision and process oriented with modernist tendencies focussed on the question of appearance, so his work relies heavily on the processes of technology and its effects.Kate’s work is less driven by technology itself and more conceptually oriented. Her work is socially and politically motivated and uses the tools of technology in the world around us to infiltrate social and cultural infrastructures and networks. I found her work the most interesting, particularly her love of sports as a ‘mechanism for survival in the cultural realm’ (her words). It was refreshing after seeing so much work that is heavily dependent on technology, to see her involvement in outside tree-climbing activities- where there is no use of technology at all! I’m with her there.Following the presentations I made an appointment to see Robert, the technical line producer for the programme and the main point of contact for anything technical. I think he has a lot on his plate, trying to sort out everyone’s needs. Although there are other staff to liaise with for more specialist concerns, Robert seems to be the person who initially coordinates everything and tries to solve things in the first instance. I made an appointment to see him at 4pm, but because of having to answer to everyone’s needs, he didn’t get to me until after 5. I am still no nearer to solving the live thing for my project and Robert admitted he also need to do more work/research on this. He asked if I could do a search on live Mac/streaming software (although I don’t really know what I’m looking for), and I also mentioned my concerns in relation to getting data from my GPS device so I can print out routes that I am running and track my progress in real time live.Nina came by beforehand for a chat. Because she arrived late, she had not seen the artist presentations and wanted a sense of what people are doing. She was very encouraging about the live development of my project and was concerned about how it might be shown. I am quite clear that it should be made into some sort of event that is known about and that begins and ends at the centre (the New Media Institute), possibly outside. I am also clear that I will be working on some recorded runs in addition to the live output.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 On Thursday, I organised myself to do another run. I had it in mind to do the ‘Spray River Loop’, a trail that follows the path of a subsidiary river. I wanted to get this run in early as there was an organised trip to see Guy Maddin’s ( a local film maker) film ‘My Winnipeg’ at the University of Calgary later on. I woke up to a flurry of snow, which didn’t seem too bad. I’m quite used to the cold by now and quite well prepared for it. I was actually quite glad to see some fresh snow as I was concerned about running on anything too icy. When I set off it didn’t seem too bad- I made my way down to the river site and across the bridge to follow the trail. This is a popular one with the cross-country skiers, so quite easy to follow the tracks (or so I thought). Once I was on the trail, it became very tough going. It was snowing steadily and the snow had settled very quickly, so it was much deeper than I thought. I found it very difficult to run through (like running through mud or wet sand). Also, the cold made it much more difficult to control my breathing and very soon I had to keep stopping every few hundred metres to catch my breath. However, I persisted and wanted to see it through. The route itself was fairly straight-forward, following the river upstream, so a little undulating, but nothing too extreme under normal circumstances. I didn’t have to check the map to find my bearings except at the half-way point to loop round. The half-way point was marked by a small bridge so it wasn’t too difficult to keep on track, but I was really starting to be affected by the cold and to feel quite tired. I started to follow the trail back downstream and all was fine (apart from continued breathlessness) until I had the choice to continue the trail slightly higher up above the river, or to move down alongside. I thought if I moved down to a lower level (and altitude), it would help my breathing. All so far so good until I somehow lost the trail and found myself running in the middle of a golf-course!I tried to keep calm and continued on, thinking that I would eventually get back on track. The problem was that the snow had covered the marked route. Finally I found an adjoining road and started along it, before realising I was heading off in the wrong direction. For a moment I thought I was lost and was a little alarmed (I was also very tired), but I figured that if I followed the path of the river back I could find my way. Luckily I did. This is definitely the hardest run I have done so far. Very slow. Got back in time for lunch and a long, hot bath.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 The trip to see Guy Maddin’s film on Thursday evening was well worth while. It’s a personal account of the film-maker’s relationship with the place he grew up in (Winnipeg- a City in Eastern Canada, known for extreme cold winters). The event was marked by Guy himself, performing his personal melodramatic narration to the film live, followed by a Q & A. Shot almost entirely in black and white, this film, is an homage to the nostalgia of film itself, and to ‘film noir’, with the live voice-over reminiscent of early film police thrillers or silent movies. The only criticisms are that I thought it was a little long and a little (unnecessarily) repetitive in parts. I would like to see some of this film-maker’s other work. Because of its personal connection to a Canadian city, this film is going to mean more to a Canadian audience. I wonder how it would be seen abroad.Friday was a studio day. Good to get a bit of consolidated time, but still need to crack the technical thing. Had to go into town to get some materials from the hardware store and graphics shop. I’m surprised that there isn’t better provision for art-materials here. Stopped by the liquor store to stock up on wine and beer. The wine here is very expensive- you can’t get anything for less than $8.00 (£4.00), for some very mediocre Canadian wine.Arrived a little late for the organised thematic discussion on the question of Audience. This turned out to be a little frustrating and disappointing. I had hoped for a more critical and philosophical discussion around this. Instead, the agenda was much more market-driven and very narrowly considered around the specifics of ‘New Media’. I mentioned that I was concerned that there seemed to be this separation between what was ‘New Media’ and what was other Art, which was not very helpful. Shouldn’t we be talking about our work as art more holistically, rather than by using narrow definitions like New Media? I deliberately do not define myself in this way and feel very uncomfortable about considering myself like this as I see myself as an artist who uses different media to make work. My work is not defined by the media I use, but by the ideas.Later, I finally managed to get a more in depth chat with Robert about trying to make some headway with the live thing. This was more useful, but he still needs to do a bit more work. I also talked to Kenny, who is a lead programmer and who will help me specifically to figure out some things using mobile networks in the first instance. I’ll have a more in depth meeting with him on Monday.The evening ended with a screening of the excellent Harun Farocki and Andrei Ujica film ‘Videograms of a Revolution’, showing the Rumanian revolution of December 1989 in Bucharest in a new media-based form of historiography.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Now it’s got really busy, it’s really hard to keep this blog up, but I’m determined to do so.Saturday was a really active day. I tried a full-length recorded run wearing the camera kit I have brought with me to get some footage to show for Monday’s studio visits. I set off quite early as I had arranged to meet Kate at 2pm to try out the climbing gym and I would need time to recover. I decided to do a revised version of the run that included the Vermillion Lakes Road. I’ve figured that I’m much better off trying to run at as low an altitude as possible. Rather than cross through the town first, I followed the Bow River and Fenland trails from the start.- it’s much more straight-forward. Weather was fairly mild, but a little overcast so not great for filming, but as this was a first test I wasn’t too concerned.I haven’t worn this kit for a little while so I had difficulty in adjusting the belts I wear with the recorders in them. I started recording and managed to make my way to all the way to the start of the Vermilion Lakes Road, before realising that neither of recorders were on any longer. It was a bit annoying after having already run 4km, but since this was a test, I let it go. I switched them back on and continued my route.I checked halfway to see if the recording was still going. All seemed well and I continued my route back to the start.  I didn’t find running much of a problem and I seemed to be able to manage my breathing a lot better. I managed without too much difficulty to complete my route, only slowing at the end after climbing up the hill back to the Banff Centre. I was excited about seeing what footage I had and immediately checked to see what I had before doing anything else. I checked the card from the left cam and was pleased to see I had a complete recording. With the right cam I wasn’t so lucky- I’m not sure what happened but there was nothing there. I had enough time for a hot bath and some soup before going down to meet Kate for the climbing wall intro. It was great fun, though tiring especially after my run. Erika, my room-mate came too. Didn’t really have the right shoes but managed to have a go and get a sense of what to do. I really felt it in my arms the next day, but I’ll definitely go again.Saturday evening was rewarded with a trip to the Banff Hot Springs. These are located half way up Sulphur Mountain. Unfortunately the actual original springs are no longer active, and it is now a mineralised substitute, but it was great to be out in the cold air in a hot pool under the stars. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Sunday I was determined to have as a day of rest as I have not given myself time off really until now. (I was also feeling the effects of a few beers following the trip to the baths the night before). I’d forgotten that the clocks were going forward and I managed to drag myself out of bed to catch breakfast before the 9am cut off point, only to find I was too late. Had to make do with a mediocre breakfast wrap from the Kiln Café instead.I was desperate to do my laundry as I hadn’t had a chance until then, so I took myself down to the basement, hoping to have a browse in the library to pass the time. Unfortunately, I forgot it doesn’t open until 5pm on a Sunday. Instead I lazily read the local paper and tried to catch up with this blog. It was great to have fresh clean clothes again!When all was done, I took myself into town to get provisions for the evening’s social event. We organised to have a dinner between us , with everyone making some sort of contribution in food and wine. There is a kitchen/lounge in the basement of the hall I’m staying in, which is quite well equipped with an oven and other cooking implements, and a long table with plenty of chairs- a perfect setting for such an occasion. I’d promised to make a ‘mousse au chocolat’ (my mother’s recipe), so I had at least to get chocolate and eggs and of course a little cognac for flavour. Also bought a bottle of wine to add to the drink contributions.I ended up of course, buying many more things in the supermarket as I also needed to stock up on energy food like cereal bars and bananas.I stopped off in the dollar store on the way back to buy some postcards (yes I will send some eventually) and a rather kitsch thermos mug with a photograph of a Bear and the slogan Banff Rockies on it.Dinner was great fun and a great success- we had a fantastic meal of samples of roast chicken, salmon, sweet potato mash, roast potatoes, carrots and beans, followed by my chocolate mousse, which thankfully turned out well (after much egg-white beating). And of course much wine was drunk. We ended the evening (some of us), watching a screening of the Manchurian Candidate (the original better one with Frank Sinatra).Got back and sat in bed to catch up with the Blog until 3am, much like I’m doing now. Tomorrow I’ll only be a day behind and I can tell you about today’s activities. For now though it’s goodnight. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Yesterday was bitterly cold- -24 and a wind-chill of -30!. Hoped to go for a run but it was far too cold and very overcast. We started off the day with studio visits, which were scheduled for the whole morning. This was an opportunity for everyone to go round each of the artists’ studios in turn to see what they were working on and to get some feedback. Each visit had a scheduled 15 minutes. It was great to get a look at what everyone had been doing and also quite daunting. I managed to download the footage I had taken on Saturday and to get hold of a projector to project it onto the wall of my studio to get a sense of the experiential aspect. This really made a difference. I got some very good feedback- people particularly liked how the sound worked with the rhythm and sound of my breathing, along with the rhythm of the moving image itself. I couldn’t really say much about the development of the live thing, apart from that I had had a few conversations and various things had been flagged up that I would be talking about with Kenny and Robert later in the day. There were a few questions about the live aspect and the reason for it, which for me has very much to do with the performance of running a durational run. There something about being out there trying to do this run NOW that I want to be able to share with others as I’m doing it. There was also talk of how the footage would get shown and how one could get a sense of the liveness. For me, the liveness becomes like a scheduled programmed event that people know about and that takes place once at a particular time. I still intend for the live relay to be transmitted and projected onto large screens, possibly outside and `I also intend for there to be some recorded runs and for the live run itself to be recorded.There was a suggestion that using wi`fi networks might be particularly interesting because of the occasional loss of signal that could create its own rhythm with the piece. I agree, as long as it is not lost entirely.I managed to speak a little to Robert and to Kenny at some length in the afternoon, - we managed to test that we could relay an image from one of my cameras direct to a live internet video stream via a conversion box. We were also able to test a relay from computer to computer. We then looked at possibilities of live transmission using video transmission/receiver devices. On the surface this seems like a better option but for the range I need, it is very expensive. Kenny left me to do some more research around this and I got completely bogged down by it all. All this technological research doesn't feel very productive or creative. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Ended the evening last night feeling really frustrated and with the sense that I really wasn’t getting anywhere. Various options are being proposed but nothing concrete is happening. This development of my project is really very new to me technically, so when I research various components, I really don’t know what I’m looking at and if they will work. It doesn’t help that I haven’t really seen Robert and Kenny together. They have both talked about different things that don’t always coincide. We need to have a conversation together and to lay our cards on the table to figure out a viable way forward. In desperation I emailed them in the early hours to request this and copied to peer advisors and other staff. I don’t want to get annoyed because everyone has been very helpful, and I still feel very privileged to be here, but the technical staff are spread out very thinly amongst us and so have a lot to deal with. It’s not their fault, and they are very good, but they don’t really have the level of expertise in relation to my particular project. Meanwhile time is ticking on…It was still very cold today (about -17), but very much brighter and sunny. I was determined to try and get a run in. But what with trying to make progress and another scheduled discussion forum bang in the middle of the afternoon, it wasn’t going to happen. The good news is that Kate took on board my email plea and was very proactive in getting this meeting going with Kenny and Robert in her presence (although Robert wasn't around). She was very good in trying to pin down a means of moving forward and how we were going to do that. I feel a lot happier, but I’m still having to wait for various bit and pieces. The way forward is to do a rig that is as simple as possible  and to test it in the locality. This will mean only using a single rather than a dual eye-view in the first instance, but at least I’ll be able to see if something works (soon I hope!). I had been all ready to do another recorded run, but this meeting was too important to miss. I will catch up with Kenny again in the morning so that we can proactively sort out what I need to buy/order. I may need to forgo my own bullet cameras in favour of some small web-cams as these will directly stream to the internet without the need for a converter. It looks like either way, I’ll end up carrying a lot more than I had anticipated (they are talking of me carrying a computer!), which is a little worrying, considering the distance I hope to run. Initial tests will be on campus, both indoors and out, to see immediately if the system works. I really hope we can have something going by the weekend.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Started the day today with an indoor run on the running track in the Sally Borden Recreation Centre. It goes around the perimeter of the viewing gallery above the basketball gym. Quite a nice idea, but the circuit is not very long- only about 100m. However, I managed to make myself do 100 circuits (10km) as I wanted to keep a feel of running a certain measure of distance. I may do some filming there- in any case -we talked about doing some initial tests using a lengthy extension cable. I also need to keep up my training and was concerned I might not get out again today to run outside as I was due to meet Kenny to continue where we had left off yesterday. It was very boring run going round and round- I had to make myself keep going. It was also too warm and the atmosphere was very dry. I didn’t seem to have any altitude problems though or shortness of breath. Not bad since up here we are at 1500m. Must be getting used to it now.I met with Kenny after 1pm to go into Canmore, the nearest bigger town, to try to find a USB video capture device that will connect to the computer and that I can connect my cameras to. Edwin the line producer for the residency came with us. He wanted to collect some things for a film he is shooting in the next couple of days. We also wanted to find a larger mobile ‘phone store to get some information on mobile ‘phone internet connection. It will be easier for me to use kenny’s ‘phone in the end whilst I’m here as the cost of increasing the capacity of my own ‘phone or buying one here, is too prohibitive.Canmore is a strange sprawling town- really spaced out and flat and made for driving in- a real car town quite industrial and surrounded by mountains. Got back to Banff around 3.30 to try some initial tests on the running track with my cameras. I’d got hold of some very long extension leads in the morning as the capturing device we were using has to be plugged in. After getting all the kit up there, none of it worked! (it  seemed that east my PDR recording unit wasn’t recognising the capturing device). Went back to the studio and realised that the unit will stream live video to the internet via the capturing device, but it is unable to record at the same time. It’s looking increasingly likely I’ll be using webCams to do this- much simpler and less connections, but I’m concerned about image quality. Now I know what the problem was this afternoon, we’ll try again tomorrow with the PDR units on standby.Ended the evening by attending the Ed’s (another artist) screening choice: Lucky People Center International, an extremely rare anthropological documentary from 1998 with the common thematic of dancing running through it. Great film.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Mixed day yesterday. In the morning tried another recorded run to the Vermillion Lakes Road. It was another glorious day, but still pretty cold: -13 with a wind-chill of -25 but sunny. I needed all the layers I had on. The sun made a difference to the whole run and to the recorded footage -much better contrast and much more colourful. I’m looking forward to taking some still photographs. Managed to do the run non-stop, which I’m very pleased about- I must be getting used to the altitude. Quite slow though and my breathing is erratic and heavy. On the way back I overshot the Fenland trail and found myself almost joining the highway. I turned back, but it probably added 2km to the route.Got back pretty exhausted around midday which gave me a couple of hours to recuperate before meeting Kenny at 2. We decided to do the testing on the ground floor of the building where the New Media Institute in based and where I have my studio. The AVDC converter (which takes the feed from my recording unit to the computer), only runs on mains so we had to use a 100ft lead to get enough slack to allow me to run freely. It looked quite a sight and rather odd!  We managed to get the live streaming to work in the end through ‘i-chat’, but the picture quality particularly on the receiving computer was very poor. It was really disappointing after all that, but I wasn’t entirely surprised as i-chat is very basic. Kenny suggested I research other live streaming software, which when I got back to the studio I remembered I already had- a week ago! I remember speaking at length to Robert about using VLC, which is a media player that also supports live video and audio streaming (apart from it doesn’t do it for Macs, I later found). It seems that most software for this only works with PC’s- I’m beginning to realise that if I want to take this any further when I get back to London, I’m going to have to invest in one (or 2 if I still want to work with both eye views), of those tiny ee-pc’s, especially since the way we’re going (at least for these current tests), it looks like I’ll be running with them!I was a bit done in for the rest of the day following my run and probably dehydrated. I had a splitting headache all afternoon and evening. I went to an informal concert of contemporary classical music with flute and percussion. It didn’t help. Later, Bruce, one of the other artists, hosted a Flusser night. This was an introduction to the ideas of image and media theorist Vilèm Flusser, followed by a televised interview with Miklós Peternák. Turns out that Bruce is a Flusser expert as he has been working on the archives in Berlin. Must read more of Flusser’s work.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Today was much warmer at -4 in the morning, which is mild for here. I was toying with going in to Calgary to seek out some mini web-cams. I’m looking the possibility of working direct with these as they can plug straight into a computer without the need for an intermediary device. If I’m having to carry small computers now, as I run (light as they may be), I need everything else to be very light. I haven’t got to the level of those army guys who run marathons with huge rucksacks. The only thing is, there are only a few buses a day. I knew I wouldn’t make the 9.45 as I had to have a quick chat with Kenny before the weekend. The next bus wasn’t ‘til 12.45 and it’s a 4hr round trip. This would mean getting back after 7pm or even later. I really didn’t want to spend the rest of the day on a bus, with a shorter stop in Calgary. Besides, I don’t need the cameras yet.Instead, I decided to go out to take some still photographs along yesterday’s route with a medium format camera I’ve borrowed from Goldsmith’s. I’d been told that there are bikes we can use here for free, which would make it a lot quicker and easier. After finally locating them and getting hold of a lock, I set off bike in hand with the camera. There’s a steep slope down from the Banff Centre to the Bow River trail. I decided not to cycle down it as the bike was a bit precarious. It’s a bloke’s road racer with drop handle bars (which I’m not used to), and had only one set of gears working. It give me a chance to begin photographing from the start of the route as I walked down, taking in the Bow River Falls and the fantastic Bow Springs Hotel. This vast hotel was built in the 19th century for the railway workers. It’s amazing and very grand (very expensive too), with imposing character. Reminds me of the hotel from ‘The Shining’.It was great to take time to stop and to look at the scenery properly (only thing is, there’s a tendency to take too many similar photos- I have to be more ruthless and selective- there are only 15 exposures in a roll of film). As time went the wind started up and it began to get quite cold. Standing still to take photographs and to change film didn’t help either. I forced myself to carry on to the end of the Vermillion Lakes Road and made it nearly all the way before it became too much and my finger and toes got too painful and I could no longer feel them and I headed back (it’s not worth getting frostbite for art). Was very glad to have the bike for speed. Now about to go off for a quiet evening by the fireside with wine and a film.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104  Three days behind with the blog so lots of catching up to do. Saturday was a fairly quiet morning. I had it in mind to do another recorded run in the afternoon, so took it fairly easy. It’s a shame that the library here isn’t open on a Saturday, as I would have liked to go there then. Went up to the theatre building to book some tickets for the evening to see ProArteDanza, a Canadian contemporary dance company. It’s great to take advantage of things like this that are on here and as artists we get a discount.My run in the afternoon retraced the route I’d taken previously to Sundance Canyon, via the Cave & Basin and the Marsh Loop Trails. I didn’t leave until around 3ish as it was a little overcast in the morning and I was waiting for it to clear. Turned out to be quite a nice, mild afternoon. The warmer weather has started to melt some of the ice and snow, so it was quite slushy in parts; in other areas the snow was still quite compacted –easier to run on in some ways, but very bumpy, hard terrain. I’d forgotten that the route there is on a very slight incline so it was a little hard going as I neared the canyon site and downhill most of the way back, which was a lot easier. I even picked up a little speed. I like this route as it’s quite varied through forest pines and the purple/brown/ ochre colours of the marshland plants are particularly beautiful. On this route I was more or less the other side of the Vermillion Lakes, and so the mountains were also very much in view.I managed to do a complete run without stopping and also got a complete recording on both sides. A successful day. Got back just in time to have a long bath, dinner and get to the theatre. I wore my special ochre velvet slacks for the occasion.The performance was very mixed and varied- mixing contemporary with classical in both the music and the dance. It was very dynamic in parts, mainly in pieces that had the younger dancers and slow and considered in others, showing great strength and endurance from the older dancers. My favourite pieces were the one using Gavin Bryars’ ‘Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet’ and Handel’s ‘Lascia Ch’io Pianga’. Great, very moving music, which had older members of the company performing in pieces full of slow tension and experience. Very moving.We finished the evening with a few drinks in the posh dining room bar for Ruth's (another of the artists), birthday. I sampled a highly recommended gin martini- fantastic but very strong! One was enough. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Was determined to have Sunday off.  Decided I would spend the day visiting 3 of Banff’s main museums. Set off with Flossie, a Canadian artist  who has lived in Australia for a long time.We walked to the Cave and Basin Museum (site of the Banff original hot springs), following the trail. It was snowing lightly and the ground was very slippery with the ice underneath.We came to the Museum via the Marsh Broadwalk Trail, where we saw 2 of the smaller hot springs steaming away amongst lush green and white algae. It’s quite unique and beautiful.The first thing we noticed was the strong smell of the sulphur as we walked into the Museum, coming from the interior pool in the cave. The Basin is a long disused outdoor bathing pavilion, which used to be the largest in Canada. Unfortunately due to persistent structural problems and low attendance, it was forced to close in 1992. There is also an adjoining mineral pool, which is now home to a rare species of snail. Despite the history of this site, I was a little disappointed: the display on the 2nd floor seemed a bit tired and didn’t go into enough detail.Second stop was Banff Park Museum (Western Canada's oldest natural history museum). Now this was really worth a visit. When you step inside, it’s as if you’ve stepped back in time into a 19th Century eccentric explorer’s collection of stuffed animals, birds and insects. The rooms are wood-panelled and full of glass display cases that house the collection, which spills out onto the top of the cases and onto the walls of the building. It’s amazing. It was developed in 1895 by Norman Sanson, a former soldier and local meteorologist, who became the Museum’s curator and who went out and personally collected many of the specimens. Everything is here- mostly animals from the locality, but also some that have no relation to the area, but came to the Museum through trading networks.Last stop was the Whyte Museum (of art, culture  and history of the Canadian rockies). This was founded by local artists and philanthropists Peter and Catherine Whyte. Saw quite a stunning exhibition of landscape photographs by Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky. They were obviously shot with a large format camera and showed amazing colour and detail. These documentary photographs focus on humanitity’s impact on the planet, capturing images of the land altered by mankind. Despite this they have a certain ambivalence and it’s difficult to know what the position of the photographer is regarding this. Spent quite along time in an exhibition about the Luxton Family, local pioneers responsible for putting Banff on the map. It was quite fascinating, not least because of the three generations of women in the family who were very active and the strong ties the family had with the Indians in the region.Finished the day with another group dinner and a screening of ‘Man on Wire’.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 St. Patrick's day. Feeling pretty despondent. Had a frustrating couple of days. Kenny and now Dominic, who are helping me, are finding it difficult to make progress quickly. Although they seem to have spent some time trying to push on, things are not as straightforward as they seem. I had hoped to move on to the next stage by now, which is to actually start to test the range and signal outside. This will help me determine my route and how far I can go for the live run. I also need to practise the route. To get a feel of it, I went out yesterday (Monday) late afternoon and did 10 laps (14km) around the perimeter of the Banff Centre. It was hard work as it includes a steep climb, but it was great to see 2 deer watching me each time I went round!Yesterday we also had a brief meeting about the Open Studios next week. I’m getting very nervous about this as I am nowhere near where I would like to be and it’s difficult to plan ahead. As well as the live streaming of the run, if it ever works, I’d like to show one of the recorded runs as a 2-screen projection. It should be straight-forward but I can’t seem to find a space that will accommodate it. My own studio space is too small.We were told about other spaces that we can use if we need to. The problem with these is that most of them are formal single-screen projection studios. Although they have great systems within them, they are difficult to adapt to more than one screen. Other suggested spaces don’t seem suitable either: ‘The Other Gallery’ is a small ‘L’ shaped gallery, where it's possible to show 2 projections, but only far apart. My screens need to be at right angles to each other to get that sense of the view from each eye and of immersion. Using the corner of a room would be fine as an alternative, but can I find one? The only other space is an empty studio which has large skylights and an open top (unfortunately Greg from our group had to leave abruptly at the weekend for personal and health reasons).I’ll make a point of speaking with someone 1st thing tomorrow as I’m really concerned and a little stressed. Spent most of the afternoon and evening today trying to make a go of it in my studio and was fairly optimistic at one point. I blacked out my window and its lovely view and covered it with a large sheet of white paper cut to size. It looked great. The adjoining wall has already been covered with paper, so it looks fine on the surface. Unfortunately, I can just get far back enough to project an acceptable image size onto the window screen, but not onto the adjoining side wall, even using a mirror. Feeling low and over-tired. Hope tomorrow's better. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 There’s been a bit of a gap as things have got even busier in the work up to the Open Studios next Wednesday(25th). Following the last post there has been some progress, but not in all areas: I still feel really behind with the live run, mainly due to waiting for a component to arrive, which has halted the progress I could have made. The component is an AV digital converter, which would mean that I would be able to connect my own (good quality) bullet cameras via the recording device to the small computer I’ll be carrying when I’m running(!). Using web-cams would be more straightforward and would eliminate the need to carry my recording device as the recording could be made at the receiving end. However, the picture quality so far has been pretty poor. I may still buy some better quality webcams, if I can find any that are the right shape to wear.I finally did a couple of tests on Wednesday and Thursday to test coverage using the mobile network and using the Banff centre Wi-Fi network. Both work and have their limitations. The mobile network allows me an extended coverage so I can venture further afield, but we are limited with the streaming software we can use. The Wi-Fi network needs an open network and so limits me to devising a run around the Banff Centre site, which has coverage in most buildings on the site. I went around the perimeter route I had run earlier in the week to test where I was getting Wi-Fi coverage and Dominic found a way of making a recording from his end so we could see where I was going out of zone. We also tested whether when I did go out of zone, the streaming would shut down entirely, or whether it would just freeze or go blank and pick up again once back in zone.The latter happened, which is promising, as I had always envisaged something like that happening, which says something about the failure and limitations of technology. I like that concept.I finally solved the issue regarding where to show the projection of one of my recorded runs. Following my despondency on Tuesday evening I had a chat with Edwin (one of the technical coordinators). He suggested I show in one of the screening studios and we had a conversation about me making some frame supports that I could cover in paper and suspend from the tracking system just below the ceiling. After thinking about it for a bit, I decided against it. The screening room just didn’t feel right- it’s far too big and I would lose all sense of intimacy and immersion (it would also be at least a day’s work to make the screens). I felt I was trying to make something fit a space it really wasn’t suited to. I looked at the projection in my studio again- it wasn’t as small as I’d thought.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 Just a quick entry for now as I need to sleep. It's the night before the Open Studios (or rather the  morning of by now).It's been pretty hectic and I still haven't got where I should/wanted to be. Wasn't helped by the mail department holding onto the delivery of that component I was waiting for for 3 days. I finally went yesterday (Monday) with a tracking number, having found out that it had been delivered and signed for on Thursday afternoon. I was seething, especially since I had actually gone up there on Friday and had asked about it. This put me 3 days back, when I could have been testing things and making progress.In the event, having got the component we did some tests yesterday using the wi-fi network , which worked to an extent but the image was breaking up appallingly and looked pretty terrible. We realised that this is probably due to the fact that the network for whatever reason runs well below capacity. I have noticed how slow the internet is before and yesterday when we were trying to work with this streaming, there were only 2 bars on the wi-fi network. We decided to have a word with one of the senior staff members to ask him if he could have a word with IT to see if they can do anything about it. Tom asked them this morning and typically,we heard nothing and then found that the person we should speak to had gone home for the day. That means there's nothing doing until tomorrow morning and I have the studio to prepare.I was really disappointed with this at this late stage and because I was quite tired it really got to me. I decided to go for a run on campus in preparation for tomorrow and to clear my head.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 It's all over. I'm sitting in the departure lounge at Calgary airport, waiting to board the plane.I will be spending most of the flight updating you on events since my last post the night before the Open Studios, which took place on Wednesday (25th).In short, all went very well , much better than expected and I managed to do a live streamed run using the wireless network. It was exciting, exhilarating and exhausting. The days following were spent trying to recover, climbing Sulphur Mountain, taking some photographs and doing another recorded run. Oh and we also had a wrap party on Saturday night. Sunday was spent clearing the studio (slowly). More to follow... ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 In the event, as soon as I got on the 'plane I realised how exhausted I was and also that I wouldn't be able to actually 'post anything from the air (duh!). I also ran out of battery power. So instead I watched 'Slumdog Millionaire' and tried to get some sleep.Next posts will be reflecting back a week ago from now to the end of the residency...  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 At last. It's already a week ago that we had the Open Studios and the opportunity to open the doors of our studios and other spaces to the public…I planned to do a live streamed run scheduled to take place in the 1st hour of the Open Studios, between 3 and 4pm. Just to put myself under even more pressure, I put posters up around the building and elsewhere the day before to advertise my live event:‘ Véronique is out running right now.'Live-streamed run (a work in progress)25th March 3-4pm Banff Centre Campus/JPL306 (see 1st image)At that stage I still didn’t  know whether or not I could pull it off, but I was determined to make it happen one way or another.It actually wasn’t as stressful as I had thought (although writing my blog entry that night I was pretty despondent).We ended up getting the equipment we needed delivered to the studios from the AV services at 9pm that night  instead of the following morning. I felt relieved as I thought it would give me a chance to get the studio ready and leave me the morning to focus on final preparations for the live run. In the event I had the wrong standard of DVD players delivered (despite specifying the need for them to be multi-regional), and I was also given computer speakers that I couldn’t use for the 2 screen recorded projection. There was nothing I could do about it that night as the AV people leave at 10pm, so I decided to prepare everything else and to come back in the morning at 7am, when the AV store would re-open.  At 7am sharp the following morning I was sitting outside the equipment store waiting for the guy to turn up. I didn’t have to wait too long.I set to work and had everything ready by about 10am, which meant I missed breakfast, but it was worth it. The studio looked great- a work in progress in itself with all my notes, maps, small drawings and trail information on the wall on the left side of the studio and the facing window blocked off with the adjacent right hand wall forming a corner for the two- screen recorded run projections (see 2nd and 3rd images).I could now spend the rest of the morning and the first part of the afternoon preparing for the live event. We finally managed to track down Hung, the IT manager, but there was nothing doing. He was surprised that we could do any streaming at all from outside, as the Wi-Fi network is really set up for interior use only and doesn’t extend very far. This didn’t seem too promising but following some further tests with Dominik, we came up with something that we thought would work… (see next entry).... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 "I will be out running between 3 & 4. Check computer screen to see live feed. V."A receiving computer was set up in my studio at the end of the morning for the live stream. Previously I been using Dominik’s computer for tests, so we had to install/configure everything again to make it work.I would be relaying the live video feed from my camera through the recording PDR unit via the USB AV component to the small transmitting computer, all of which I would be wearing! Both computers had streaming software installed to do this and Dominik worked out that to get the best quality image on the receiving computer, we would have to build in a delay in the live stream of 1 minute.I was unsure of what the implications of this would mean for the piece (I had intended an imperceptible delay -what I see, you see, at the same time), but I didn’t have a choice. It was either this and get an acceptable/good image, or have less delay and a very poor quality image. I figured the former would be a better compromise and that something quite interesting and unpredictable might happen in the event. Suddenly I felt this was finally going to work!Dominik went through how I would need to set up each computer immediately prior to the event. I also wanted the receiving computer to be able to save the transmitting stream as a document. I was nervous of doing this on my own as I also knew that I would be nervous enough preparing to run. I also wanted to be able to try and do this independently so that I would have the confidence to continue post Banff. As a safe measure I asked Dominik if he could be around at the start in case I had any problems. It was lucky that I did, as in the heat of the moment I had forgotten a few things. People started turning up to the studio as I was getting ready to go. Suddenly, this was really happening. I was off and then a minute later I was off on-screen. This added a strange/funny temporal dimension and sense of continuous anticipation to the event which was compounded by the live spoken relay I was having with Dominik using ‘walkie talkies’ to determine my presence in and out of ‘zone’. Heard in the room at the time, (“ We’ve lost you, over”/ “ Am I still there, over”) it would also be repeated on screen a minute later. Apparently there was quite a presence in and out of the studio watching the proceedings. My only regret was not to have been able to experience this for myself.I managed almost 10k before deciding I was exhausted enough. I returned to a cheering crowd in the home straight of the studio corridor. Thanks Dominik for being there and for making it happen! ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104 I’ve been back just over 2 weeks and after getting over acute jet-lag followed by a nasty bronchial cough/cold, I have the job of reviewing what I did in Banff and trying to get it ‘out there’. I haven’t got anything pre-planned, so it’ll be a case of being pro-active, seeking out /following up opportunities and contacts. I’ve got a few ideas of people/places to approach and I will be putting together a proposal/package I can send out. The difficulty will be in making something coherent from all of this, especially the video work.I always find this difficult to do, particularly with this work, to convey the best sense of what it is. This work is not conventional linear single screen video work that can easily translate to a few minutes on a single DVD. I always feel I’m compromising the work when I try and ‘package’ it for a proposal or exhibition opportunity and I think that I don’t always make the right choices to really give justice to the work or at least a clear sense of it.I must get better at doing this. The other difficulty is that although my work has a clear relationship to performance (after all, this is what I came to Banff to develop), I don’t feel I really fit into the ‘scene’ as my work isn’t ‘presented’ to an audience in the way that most performance works tend to get shown. The same goes with my use of photography.I’m going to sign up for an Artist Advisory Session at ArtsAdmin to see if I can get some sound advice. I’m also going to see if I can in the short-term see what’s possible through UAL (University of the Arts London), from whom I received some research funding for my travel to Banff. To honour this I have to give some form of public address. It would be good to give a talk/lecture in the first instance, but I’m also going to see if I can get some of this work shown in one or more of the exhibition spaces- afterall this work is research for their benefit too. It’s been very odd to be back, not least because I’m currently in studio limboland after having had 5 very full weeks in a studio with 24hr access. Unfortunately the studio I was due to move into in Camberwell as soon as I got back has been delayed by a month- very frustrating as it makes it difficult to unpack this work both literally and metaphorically. I’m missing seeing the mountain views and breathing in mountain air every day- London seems very grubby by comparison and overpopulated. It’s taking a while to re-adjust, but it’s also great to be back! I’m ending this with a last view taken form my studio in Banff before I left. I’ll be adding dates of related lectures/exhibitions once they are confirmed.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/509104