Where do we go from here?

Where Do We Go From Here?
Curated by Kathy Rae Huffman, Cornerhouse
Cornerhouse, Manchester: 16 November - 22 December, 2002


Cornerhouse is delighted to present Where Do We Go From Here? a new media exhibition by internationally renowned artists, desperate optimists, Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, Eva Ursprung and Heimo Ranzenbacher, Mike Stubbs. The artists utilise digital film, internet, sound and video within four installations which analyse the social implications of movement, time and space. The media used create a participatory role for the viewer within an immersive cinematic environment where interaction is key. All of the pieces convey different aspects of psychological behaviour, both in individual and social situations, creating powerful statements about the nature of human activity as observed through the lens of a camera. Observing systems of behaviour, and reflecting upon the cycles of activity they represent, gives context to the question: Where do we go from here?

desperate optimists (Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor) observe transient behaviour in their new work Night Bus (2002), a triptych which explores eccentricity in late night transit centres - reflective spaces, places of the poor, the left over, and the exhausted partygoer. The piece explores the inter relationships with the various cities, the people in those cities and their late night experiences.

This UK Premiere of horror chase (2002) by Kevin and Jennifer McCoy portrays an endless cycle of flight and pursuit. This software-driven, digital, single-shot, film projection recreates the famous Evil Dead 2 'chase scene'. The projected nature of the piece heightens the incredible tension of terror created by the cycle of pursuit and chase, adding a physical proximity to the work.

Eva Ursprung and Heimo Ranzenbacher's collaboration was born out of their individual experiences whilst travelling and the realisation that everyone has a sense of place. R.E.M (2002) is an installation that engages the live audience with a projected image that creates a psychological test within the Rapid Eye Movement of the light source. An acoustic space is created via sound bytes recorded from people in 22 countries expressing their feelings about space. Visitors can add their own responses to notions of space via a chat terminal and live camera.

Mike Stubbs brings space and movement into personal and autobiographical reflection with Donut (2001), a visual poem on the bravado of lad culture in the UK and his personal obsession with fast cars. Donut is a multi-screen installation about the drawing of a perfect circle, but the creator is a driver not an artist, the canvas is asphalt and the medium is a car. Donut is the term used by young fast car enthusiasts to describe a circle of burnt rubber made by spinning a rear wheel drive car on the spot. It represents bravado and skill on the part of the driver who is usually part of the car cruising culture, one of Britain's biggest underground movements. The soundtrack to the video has been produced by Scanner, using CB radio and other communication technologies and the video produced by artist Gina Czarnecki.

Curator of Where Do We Go From Here? Kathy Rae Huffman is also Director Visual Arts at Cornerhouse. Formerly director of Hull Time Based Arts, Kathy's specialism lies in web based initiatives, she is a collector of new media works and a curator who pioneered support of artists' work centred in media theory and practice. Kathy's extensive experience and international track record in the fields of visual arts and new media means that she is well placed to lead Cornerhouse's exhibition programme in a new direction.

This is the first of a series of forthcoming exhibitions at Cornerhouse themed by their exploration
of the inter-relationship between content and media used:
11 January - 23 February, 2003 Victor Burgin: Listen to Britain,
7 March - 13 April, 2003 Imaginary Balkans,
9 May - 22 June, 2003 Lab3D: The Dimensionalised Internet.

EVENT: Where Do We Go From Here?
A Discussion on Art and New Media
Internationally recognised leaders in New Media discourse, the artists in Where Do We Go From Here? will discuss their work with the exhibition curator, Kathy Rae Huffman on Saturday 16 November, addressing some of the wider issues around artists using new media and the interdisciplinary nature of current artistic practice, both in the UK and internationally.

-Ends-
For further information please contact Jude Holmes
on 0161 200 1517 or email [email protected]
Images available on request

www.cornerhouse.org

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