Residency update – VITAL CAPACITIES

Landscape [Design & Development]

The initial plan was to create a loop map in order to represent the continues endeavour we find our selves in searching and freeing fish. But over the residency period I pursued on an end goal. That end being the Tree of life!
In older versions of tuner we have been deprived of Vegetation, leaving a more sterile approach. But this has been hard as I love trees. And now with this new reincarnation of Tuner and its updated water system allowing the ability of more vertical landscapes (rather than water line dependant), evolves for more irregular and hopefully interesting environments.

The landscape should be a challenge yet rewarding but not frustrating unless the point is clear. So I set attempting on creating a corkscrew river rapid! Below is a concept of this and it’s fabrication. For the boat to be able to achieve this sliding motion over water falls and rocks both it’s under the hull and surrounding environmental elements needed to both shared low friction physical materials, plus a buoyancy water system.

With the landscapes’ liner design we find our selves ending down a fjord like channel passage concluded by the ‘Tree of life’. The idea is that they hold the Lifeboat pods (Rockets), acting as launch pads. Ideally I wanted to design a more progressive style for the vegetation, growing and engulfing in size as we approach. Below are landscapes and life pods I managed to flesh out for this residence 🙂 .

Inside Your Body – exhibition opens 7 Dec 20

The image represents four artists' work in the exhibition. In the top left, Jaene F Castrillon's work has a white Chinese statue raising a palm in prayer, surrounded by pink flowers, a white case with a long-tailed bird on, and a short lit candle. In the top right corner is Damein Robinson's work, text says: 'the man who chases 2 hairs catches Mom', there are proofreading marks on the image in orange. In the bottom right corner, an image from Angels Su's work taken from Minecraft, showing a pixelated panda bear eating a green leaf. In the bottom left corner is Clifford Sage's work, a potlight illuminates the centre of the image, a cage encloses a glowing purple egg-shaped object, a green hexagonal is lit up to the left, in the centre a yellow tentacle trails into the distance wrapped in a purple plant. — Artworks representing artists – from top left, clockwise: Jaene F. Castrillon, Damien Robinson, Angela Su and Clifford Sage

Inside Your Body is an exhibition of work created by Jaene F. Castrillon, Damien Robinson, Clifford Sage and Angela Su during a month-long online residency on Vital Capacities in November 2020.

The exhibition can be seen on the exhibition page from 7 December 2020.

Working with Tangled Art + Disability

I was nominated for Vital Capacities via Tangled Art + Disability. My journey with them started with the exhibition Thaumaturgy. I believe it was our 2^nd or 3^rd meeting that accessibility training was conducted, in depth instruction was provided so that our exhibition was developed on a foundation of accessibility grounding our direction from day one to be accessible to people of different abilities.

Jaene F Castrillon talks about their residency and work

Jaene F Castrillon introduces their practice and what they’re going to be doing during the residency, to find out more visit Jaene’s studio: https://vitalcapacities.com/artists/jaene-castrillon/studio/

Charge

The symbol that represents the physical concept of ‘Charge’ from the Dutil-Dumas message.

The symbol of ‘Charge’ outside the virtual space of Cattle Depot. A peaceful herd of cows gather near the symbol.

CHARGE: an official claim made by the police that somebody has committed a crime (Cambridge Dictionary)

Example sentence:
• Peaceful protesters were charged with rioting.

Damien Robinson talks about her work

Damien Robinson talks briefly about her work and residency with Vital Capacities and what she’s working on.

Find out more about Damien Robinson and her work in her studio: https://vitalcapacities.com/artists/damien-robinson/studio/

INTERACTIONS [BOAT + INTERFACES]

The boat in Tuner has a couple functions in addition to its moveability it currently contains 6 other operations such as Its fish Basket (safe), four feeders (to temp fish), a Missile and Laser system (to access uncharted areas) and telescopic neck adjuster (to see into crevasses) plus a radio!

Clifford Sage talks about his work and residency

Clifford Sage talks about his work and what he’s exploring while on his residency with Vital Capacities – see more about his work in his studio: https://vitalcapacities.com/artists/clifford-sage/studio/

Angela Su talks about her work and residency

Angela Su talks briefly about her work and residency with Vital Capacities and Videotage (Hong Kong), where she’s exploring Minecraft as a creative space.

Find out more about Angela Su and her work in her studio: https://vitalcapacities.com/artists/angela-su/studio/

So, what’s this risograph thing?

As the work I’m developing moves towards the print stage, it’s time to explain a little more about the risograph process.

My print and printmaking experience started with etching (particularly photo-etching), letterpress, and developed to include screenprinting, and various relief processes, before the transition to digital. Last year, I got the opportunity to develop some work with my friend and collaborator Ruth Jones, who suggested we learn to use the risograph process. This post uses images from developing that work.

TUNER

Tuner an audiovisual piece originally designed as an experimental live AV project showing initially at Somerset House Londons AGM 2018 festival (since performed at Club Adriatico, L.E.V. Festival, Genot Centre, MK Gall, Xolo,Bleep) and has endured various reincarnations. Now as part of Vital Capacities residency I am developing it to be playable piece as a download and also a recorded showcase! The project has primarily been designed from a solo performance point of view. Programming all the input events and actions via audio instrument protocols with MIDI and OSC. This was to allow a unique haptic setup where I could control multiple elements live and be more at home, as it is part of my music practice also, recsund!

Interview with Jaene Castrillon

Jaene F. Castrillon, Perpetual, 2015 (installation) – image courtesy of the artist

Jamie Wyld (Vital Capacities director): Thanks for being part of the Vital Capacities residency programme! Can you say a little about yourself and your work, perhaps in relation to what you’re thinking about doing during the residency?

Jaene Castrillon: I am a 2Spirit interdisciplinary artist, activist, author & award winning filmmaker who explores my relationship to the world through Indigenous teachings, ceremony and the wisdom of the land. I describe myself as a settler to Turtle Island of mixed heritages (indigenous Colombian & Hong Kong Chinese) who was raised on the teachings of Elder Isaac Day of Serpent River First Nations.

Interview with Damien Robinson

Damien Robinson, Chimerascope, 2010 – courtesy of the artist

Jamie Wyld (Vital Capacities’ director): Really great to have you as part of the Vital Capacities residency programme! Can you say a little about yourself and your work, perhaps in relation to what you’re thinking about doing during the residency?

Damien Robinson: Hi Jamie! Thank you for asking me to take part!

I’m Damien, I’m a visual artist working with mixes of digital and non-digital approaches. My practice was originally print-based and I used to make three-dimensional work; over time I began incorporating digital processes, particularly around using discarded technologies and open-source software. I was lucky enough to get the chance to work with Mediashed, which was really forward thinking in terms of artist collaboration and teaching us about free media concepts. As a deaf artist I’d had little access to formal learning; even during my degree I wasn’t allowed to learn about or use huge amounts of equipment because I apparently constituted a health and safety risk, so I went about a lot of things the “wrong way”. The Mediashed experience involved thinking differently about hardware and software, so I began enjoying mis-using processes and technologies, something I still do now.

Interview with Clifford Sage

Clifford Sage, Tuner, 2019 (image still) – courtesy of the artist

Jamie Wyld (Vital Capacities’ director): Thanks for being part of the Vital Capacities residency programme! Can you say a little about yourself and your work, perhaps in relation to what you’re thinking about doing during the residency?

Clifford Sage: I’m Clifford, a CGI artist, currently working with moving image through animation and interactive worlds. My work is often sound-based and audio generative. I am interested in using game dynamics in my practice and the potential of virtual world building and non- linear narrative through story-telling. My hope is to use game mechanics to generate an immersive audio experience, utilizing and experimenting with alternate timelines.

Seecum Cheung – studio relaunch

Studio designed by Oli Pyle based on an idea by Seecum Cheung (2020)

Seecum Cheung has launched a new studio, designed by Oli Pyle based on ideas from Seecum. The building represents a residential block in Shenzhen, and each window can be entered to find out more about each subject. Go to Seecum’s studio to find out more: https://vitalcapacities.com/artists/seecum-cheung/studio/

Intro to latest artists in residence

Artists work from top left, clockwise: Damien Robinson, Angela Su, Jaene F. Castrillon and Clifford Sage

Our second residency programme on Vital Capacities brings together artists from the UK, Canada and Hong Kong, taking place between 2 Nov and 10 Dec 2020. Artists will be exploring ideas across the period, sharing work with audiences. Find out more about the artists in this programme…