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Voorstel voor een bijdrage aan de kunstmanifestatie ‘Art in the open 1999’ op uitnodiging van Paul Collinson. Voorgestelde tentoonstellingsdata: 1 - 7 augustus, 1999, Quay Art, Kingston upon Hull. (Het project kon om financieel-technische redenen niet worden uitgevoerd.)
Het project bestaat uit twee onderdelen.
I. DE AMBULANTE COMPONENT
PORT(ABEL)
Basisbegrip voor het ambulante deel van het project is de ‘peddler’: de marskramer. Maar mijn marskramer verkoopt geen tastbare koopwaar, maar een ervaring. Hij draagt een lichtgewicht kijkdoos op zijn rug, die lijkt op een verkoopautomaat met een gleuf om een geldstuk in te werpen. De draagbare constructie is een voorziening voor de weergave van bewegend beeld en geluid, waarmee ‘ambulante indrukken’ worden aangeboden. Omdat de kijkdoos draagbaar is, kan hij op elke met de voet bereikbare plek worden gebruikt.
BOTH ENDS MEET
De kijkdoos is uitgerust met twee filmviewers voor twee Super8-films, die handmatig worden bediend met een enkele slinger.
Elke filmviewer heeft zijn eigen oculair. Beide films leggen hetzelfde onderwerp vast: de reis van de P&O-ferry van Rotterdam naar Kingston upon Hull, gezien vanuit twee verschillende perspectieven. Beide films zijn opgenomen vanaf het bovendek van de veerboot, met de camera loodrecht naar beneden. De beelden tonen een deel van de flank van het schip en de wervelingen in het wateroppervlak naast het schip terwijl het door de golven vaart. Op de opname van de camera aan bakboordzijde wordt de voorwaartse beweging van het schip weergegeven als een voortgang van boven naar beneden. De camera aan stuurboordzijde registreert de voortgang van het schip als een beweging van beneden naar boven.
> zie: 'media'
Het filmmateriaal wordt op lengte geknipt en in een lus gemonteerd. Terwijl de ‘klant’ de slinger bedient, is door het linker linker oculair de filmloop van de bakboordzijde te zien, terwijl door het rechter oculair gelijktijdig de filmloop van de stuurboordzijde te zien is. Boven elk oculair staat een woord. Boven het linkeroculair staat ‘arrival' (aankomst), boven het rechteroculair ‘departure' (vertrek).
> zie: 'media'
PULSEN
Het geluid is afkomstig van een stereo cassettebandje dat op een met de slinger geactiveerde walkman wordt afgespeeld. Het over twee kanalen verdeelde stereo-signaal is via een koptelefoon te beluisteren. Via de rechteroorschelp is het geluid van een kloppend hart te horen, via de linkeroorschelp het geluid van een scheepsmotor.
VOYAGE
Boven de gleuf voor de munt staat het woord “VOYAGE”. (ref. ‘The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology’: voyage: reis (met name over water) [...] : van het Latijnse viaticum = geld of proviand voor een reis....)
PRESENTATIE
Voor de presentatie van het ambulante projectonderdeel moet een dagelijkse vaste ‘handelsroute’ worden uitgestippeld: een rondwandeling van- en naar vooraf aangewezen ‘aanlegplekken’ in het centrum van Hull. De ronde verloopt volgens een tijdschema dat is gebaseerd op de verwachte hoeveelheid ‘vracht’ (munten) die onderweg kan worden opgehaald. Het is nodig om vooraf reclame te maken voor de performance, bijvoorbeeld door plattegrondjes uit te delen met de looproute en het tijdschema van de marskramer. De openbare dienstverlening wordt beperkt tot een periode van zeven dagen.
II. DE PLAATSELIJKE COMPONENT
De plaatselijke component bevindt zich in de verduisterde tentoonstellingsruimte van Quay Art en is voorzien van twee videoprojectoren. De vloer staat onder een laagje water. Twee tegenover elkaar geplaatste schermen dienen als projectievlakken. De naam van deze ruimte, die met kaplaarzen kan worden betreden, is: het ‘bestemmingsvertrek’:
Eén projector toont het beeld van het lichtbaken op de Maasvlakte aan de monding van de Nieuwe Maas, die toegang geeft tot de haven van Rotterdam. De daar tegenover geplaatste projector toont het beeld van de vuurtoren van Spurn Head aan de monding van de Humber, die toegang geeft tot de haven van Kingston upon Hull. Beide beelden zijn opgenomen vanaf de veerboot die de haven binnenvaart.
De ene projector vertoont een lichtfase die bestaat uit een reeks van vijf witte flitsen, gevolgd door 14 seconden donker: het signaal van het lichtbaken op de Maasvlakte (51° 58' N / 4° 01' O)
De andere projector vertoont een lichtfase die bestaat uit een groen licht dat met een interval van 3 seconden knippert. Dit is het signaal van Spurn Point Beacon bij Spurn Head (53° 34' 4" N / 0° 06' 5“ O)
CLOSED CIRCUIT (GESLOTEN KRING)
Het ‘bestemmingsvertrek’ is zowel het beginpunt als het eindpunt van de dagelijkse handelsroute van de marskramer.
Dave Priestman, Mike Stubbs, Lorna More, Martin Chalk & Flick Lawes, Arnold Schalks.
FAX MESSAGE FOR PAUL COLLINSON
Roterdam, April 1, 1999.
Dear Paul, back to the desk again!
I have failed to do so, but I suppose it’s not too late to thank you very much for inviting me to send a project proposal. I really enjoyed meeting you and Chrissy and I’m thrilled by the idea to cooperate with Quay Art. After you left, I made some preliminary notes for the project. I will try and convert them into a more consistent concept.
QUESTIONS
Did I understand correctly, that my August residence is meant for research and reconnaissance, and that it is an upbeat for the September Open Studio event? Would it be acceptable for Quay Art if I am not be available before October 20, 1999?
THOUGHTS ON THE CONCEPT
The basic idea of my Hull project will be the ‘pedlar’, a travelling seller of small items. However, the pedlar that I’m thinking of is not selling material goods.
EQUIPMENT
My ‘porter’ carries a light-weight peep box on his back: a device with eyepieces and other features. It looks like a vending machine with a slot for a coin to be inserted. The portable construction is a vehicle for reproduction and display, inside which ‘ambulant impressions’ are being offered. (one of my notes says: ‘Voyeur Voyage’). It should facilitate an easy exchange of images or other sources of information. I haven’t decided about the applied technique yet, but I’m thinking of a combination of text and/ or slide and/or film and/or sound. For the cinematographic facility, a Super-8 loop projection device with a crank for manual operation might be provided, for the audio contribution a battery powered walkman and an ear piece (auditory funnel) should be added.
MOBILITY AND LOCATION
Because the peep box is portable, there are practically no restrictions to it’s usability. It could be operational on land as well as at sea.
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FAX MESSAGE FOR PAUL COLLINSON
Roterdam, April 6, 1999
Hi Paul!
I haven’t kept my promise to mail you a continued proposal this weekend, because my considerations weren’t mature enough to announce. In the meantime I managed to formulate a more consistent concept for the project:
I want to propose a project that consists of two components: an ambulant and a local one.
I. THE AMBULANT COMPONENT
PORT(ABLE)
The basic idea for the ambulant part of my project is the ‘pedlar’: a travelling merchant. The pedlar I’m thinking of is not selling material goods. He carries a light-weight peep box on his back: a device with two eyepieces and two earpieces. It looks like a vending machine with a slot for a coin to be inserted. The portable construction is a facility for reproduction and display, inside which ‘ambulant impressions’ are being offered. It is equipped with two film viewing devices with a crank for manual operation and a battery powered walkman. Because the peep box is portable, there are practically no restrictions to its range of employment.
BOTH ENDS MEET
The peep box is equipped with two viewers for two Super8 films, manually operated by a single crank. Each eyepiece corresponds with its own display facility.
Both films registered the same subject: a shipʼs journey. They show the same action, perceived from two different perspectives. Both films are shot from the shipʼs upper deck with the camera fixed perpendicular to the water surface. The footage shows part of shipʼs side and the turbulence of the water below as the ship plies the waves. When the camera is held over the port side of the ship, the forward movement is reproduced as a progression from top to bottom. When the camera is held over the starboard side of the ship, the forward movement is reproduced as a progression from bottom to top. The footage will be edited and cut into a loop format. As the ʻcustomerʼ operates the crank, the left viewing device (left eyepiece) shows the portside filmloop, while the right viewing device (right eyepiece) simultaneously shows the starboard filmloop. A small sign is fixed over each eyepiece. The left sign reads “arrival”, the right one “departure”.
PULSES
The synchronic audio track is provided by a crank-activated walkman, playing an ordinary two track (stereo) cassette loop-tape. Its reproduction facility is split in two sections. Through the left earpiece, the sound of a beating heart can be heard, through the right earpiece you can hear the sound of a shipʼs engine.
VOYAGE
Over the aperture for the coin, there is a small sign, reading: “VOYAGE”. (ref. ʻThe Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymologyʼ: voyage journey (spec. by water) [...] : – from Latin viaticum = money or provisions for a journey....)
PRESENTATION
For the presentation of the ambulant component of the project, I propose to ʻplotʼ a daily ʻcourseʼ, which should be considered as a trade route from and to designated ʻportsʼ within Hullʼs city centre. Maybe it would be profitable to provide some pre-publicity on the performance, perhaps by handing out flyers with a time schedule? I have no futher information on the Open Studioʼs time frame, but I propose to limit the public performance component to a seven day period.
II. THE LOCAL COMPONENT
This component employs the same techniques as the ambulant component: film and audio. This part of the project should take place on a location that is suitable for film screening: an obscured space that is fitted with two Super8 film projectors and simple sound equipment. The film projectors will use two opposite walls of the space as a projection surface. One film shows an impression of daily life on specific locations in Rotterdam. The opposite projector shows congruent impressions of daily life on specific locations in Hull. The accompanying sounds support the film sequences.
In order to find matching situations in the two cities, I will need to do some on site research. For the Rotterdam reel, for instance, I want to make a sequence of the city of Rotterdam filmed from the ʻSpace-Cabinʼ. This panaromic elevator is a hi-fi feature of the ʻEuromastʼ tower. It slowly revolves upwards from 92 meters to an altitude of 185 meters, where it orbits for a few minutes, offering a magnificent allround view of the city of Rotterdam. I want to find a place in Hull that offers a equivalent overview.
Well Paul, these are my current thoughts on the project. I hope they make sense to you. However, I will need some feedback to know whether my concept fits in with your expectations/intentions and whether my schedule/technical/organisational conditions are reasonable for Quay Art. I assume youʼre probably moving full speed ahead for the upcoming Quay Art show on April 28. But if you have a minute to spare, could you please drop me a line with your opinion about my plans so far? It makes it much easier for me to navigate through an area of serious mental turbulence.
It seems to me that life always comes in contractions.
Sincerely, Arnold Schalks.
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FAX MESSAGE FOR PAUL COLLINSON
Rotterdam, April 7, 1999
Hi Paul!
Iʼm sorry to bother you again, but last night I reconsidered the version of the concept, I sent yesterday. I sensed that it hadnʼt reached perfection yet. So I reviewed the story this morning. The version Iʼm sending you now, marks the final stage of my project proposal. The major changes were made in the second section of the concept: II The Local Component. In the other paragraphs I changed a few formulations for styleʼs sake. Iʼm very content with the plan now, and I hope to be able to carry it out later this year. I hope you like it too!
I wish you lots of success with the upcoming show.
Sincerely,
Arnold.
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FAX MESSAGE FOR PAUL COLLINSON
Rotterdam, July 12, 1999
Dear Paul;
Iʼm sorry to hear that Quay Art didnʼt receive the International Initiatives Award. It would certainly have made things much easier. But I guess we both went through enough experiences to know that a rejection doesnʼt naturally mean the end of a project. I must admit Iʼm not in favour of separating the ambulatory component from the local component, because I conceived both aspects together, as a unity. From my perspective, mobility, and more specifically commuting, implies a point of departure and a point of arrival/return. But as you write in todayʼs message, you will soon be able to confirm what budget is available. Maybe itʼs too early to worry.
About my August research visit
If itʼs not too short noticed, I would like to come and visit Hull from August 1 - 7/8. Would it not be more convenient, when I arrange all the travel document business here in Rotterdam, as it is the point of departure? All I would need is your confirmation that the first week of August is OK.
About the prospects of accessing funding from the CBK
I looked up the agenda of the Ontwikkelings- en Stimuleringssubsidie-committee (which is the proper address for this type of project) and it states that its next meeting this year will be on September 14. (The second next meeting is scheduled for December 7.) If we want to participate in the September-rounds, we should deliver our funding request before August 27. We will not know if our request has been granted before September 14. Applying is an option, but as far as Iʼm concerned not a very realistic one.
At this moment Iʼm up to my ears in the stage project. After a long exhaustive period of begging and scraping together the resources to finance 6 out of 7 evenings of performance, I ʻm obliged (to the many generous sponsors and to myself) to invest all my energy and creativity to put my intentions into practice. This month, BRANDSCHAT has absolute priority. Iʼm sorry that I canʼt be more positive about the financial prospects, but unfortunately time is too short to be flexible.
In the past few years I was proud and able to support most of my artprojects with a substantial ʻartist contributionʼ. Stipends and succesful applications provided the necessary private resources. These days are over. This year, Iʼm fully self supporting as far as my visual art is concerned. I lack the credit to pay most of the materials in advance. For the Hull project it means that I can only carry out my plans if I have the guarantee that all project related expenses are covered by funding. Thatʼs part of being professional, as they say.
I suggest to proceed with the preparations as far as we can. It will anyhow be useful to come to Hull in August and get a better view of, and discuss the technical, environmental and conceptual possibilities. Should it prove that the complete project cannot be carried out as planned, we should consider to delay the project till next year, to have a better access to funding resources. No matter what, Iʼm looking forward to my journey to and stay in Kingston upon Hull.
So far Paul, let me know what you think.
Regards Arnold.