URBAN LEGACIES II

October 5th – 6th, 2006

Following its successful introduction two years ago, the second Urban Legacies Conference will carry on exploring artistic and creative ways to regenerate ignored and hidden urban spaces. In this year's Conference a number of professionals with a variety of approaches to this challenge meet again to debate the role of art, architecture and cultural expression in shaping the public realm and effecting positive change, focusing on the revival of contemporary post-industrial cities from an international perspective.

Urban Legacies II will further investigate themes, which emerged from the first Conference in May 2004 that, together with commissioned artist's projects under the title "Ain’t no Love in the Heart of the City", explored the developing role of artists in the regeneration of neglected city areas and the increased application of cross disciplinary architectural, artistic and urban planning practices.

At the centre of this year's conference will be the analysis of the contemporary relevance of Constant Nieuwenhuys' Situationist theory, as a pretext for exploring transitional, temporary, informal and unplanned urban development, as well as artistic and creative practice in the regeneration of contemporary, post industrial cities.

Providing a wider European context, Urban Legacies II will highlight international examples of interdisciplinary and inspirational practices. The inclusion of experiences from the emerging and new European states will again be an important aspect of the conference, including presentations from professionals from Estonia, one of the states that joined the EU in May 2004. Environments blighted by more extreme destructive impacts, namely Beirut in Lebanon and Kinshasa in the Congo, will also feature in the conference programme.

The artist's projects, curated by artist and curator, Gordon Dalton will range from larger architectural constructions in City Centre and Cardiff Bay locations, to a number of low key interventions into everyday work and leisure spaces. Combined, these approaches will echo Constant's New Babylon through nomadic play and polemical provocation and their subtle critique of conventional social structure.

Speakers:

Reiner de Graaf, OMA,AMO/ Filip de Boeck, Anthropologist, Belgium / Professor John Punter, Head of School of Planning, Cardiff / Greg Esser, form Director Phoenix Public Art Programme,Arizone, USA / Erik Terk, Director Institute for Future Studies, Tallinn, Estonia / Hanno Soans, Curator National Art Museum and Venice Biennale, Tallinn, Estonia / Andres Kurg Author of "A User's Guide for Tallinn", Tallinn, Estonia / Juan Insua, Curator Centre for Contemporary Culture Barcelona, Catalonia (to be confirmed) / Bernard Khoury, Architect, Beirut / Wiard Sterk, Director CBAT, Cardiff /


Organised by:

CBAT The Arts & Regeneration Agency in association with Landor Conferences.

Notes to Editor:

CBAT The Arts & Regeneration Agency is a Cardiff-based, independent, non-profit-making commissions agency and consultancy with over 15 years experience. Its mission is to enliven the built environment, supporting sustainability, education and civic ownership, by procuring a primary role for artists in regeneration schemes throughout Wales, the UK and internationally.

Landor Conferences has been established for ten years and currently runs between 25-35 one and two-day events a year, including seminars, conferences, exhibitions and award ceremonies, which attract anywhere between 80 and 500 attendees.


For further information, please contact:
Wiard Sterk (Director)
CBAT The Arts & Regeneration Agency
+44 (0)29 2048 8772
wiard.sterk@cbat.co.uk

Shopping for Art

Cardiff's St David's 2 development will have public art firmly at its heart following the appointment of CBAT:The Arts and Regeneration Agency as consultants and project managers as part of a £1.5 million public art investment.

Developer The St David’s Partnership - a joint venture between Land Securities and Capital Shopping Centres - has announced its commitment to commissioning a number of exciting and innovative permanent and temporary art projects as part of its development programme over the next three years. Over the coming months, CBAT will formulate a detailed strategy for the integration of public art works into the development and commence the artwork commissioning process in 2007.

This news follows the recent appointment of CBAT in another major regeneration programme as Art and Culture Led Regeneration Consultants for Kent Thameside, a consortium of Kent County Council and various private companies, including Land Securities. This consortium will oversee the development of a substantial part of the Thames Gateway Region, one of the largest regeneration programmes of its kind in Europe.

Lester Hampson, Development Director for The St David's Partnership said, "We are pleased to have CBAT on board with us for this landmark project. As a forward thinking, experienced and innovative organisation, we are confident that they will help us to deliver a space for the people of Cardiff to be proud of.

"The proof of CBAT's creative endeavours is all around us in Wales' public spaces and we look forward to working with them to breathe new life into this area of the city centre."

Wiard Sterk, Director for CBAT, added, "The St David's 2 development will alter Cardiff's vista for the better and we applaud the developer's approach to public art. Not only is it refreshing but it is also exciting to think that public art will be at the heart of shaping this re-vitalised area of Cardiff.

"Public art is crucial to improving quality of life and it's not all about Cardiff as our pioneering work in the south Wales valleys to date has shown. The completion of the recent canopy project in Bethcar Street, Ebbw Vale is one such case in point. Part of the ongoing Ebbw Vale Town Centre Urban Design Framework, the project aims to transform the quality of the town’s environment and attract more people into the centre.

"The Kent Thameside project of works is another major boost for the arts sector in Wales. We have some of the most talented artists in the world working within our relatively small borders and this major appointment is not only testament to the skills of the CBAT team but also to the legions of talented artists we work with."

ENDS

For further information please contact Wiard Sterk, CBAT, on 029 2048 8772 or Rhodri Ellis Owen at Cambrensis PR on 029 20 257075

CBAT Project News Spring - Summer 2006

Image: Felice Varini

CBAT The Arts & Regeneration Agency is launching a number of projects this spring and summer kicking off with the production of a new public art work at Cardiff Bay Barrage. CBAT has commissioned the Swiss born artists Felice Varini to create a new work at the barrage, which is part of an ongoing series of works produced with Cardiff's Harbor Authority. Varini works with space to create 'optical paintings'. Made as a response to specific locations, the artist designates a vantage point for viewing from which his interventions takes shape. Varini who is currently based in Paris has created interventions across Europe and this is his first UK commission. Varini takes painting beyond the parameters of the 2D surface into the public realm using space to create his complex works. As the artists has stated "I start from an actual situation to construct my painting. Reality is never altered, erased or modified, it interests and seduces me in all its complexity. I work "here and now"." For further information see www.varini.org

Artist Howard Bowcott is currently completing a new work for Wimpey Homes Water Quarter development in Cardiff Bay. This new work using the artist's signature slate will be installed in late June and comprises a 2 metre sculpture integrated within a large water feature. A new integrated artwork by artists Parnell, Mackie and Rowe also features in the newly created Court Mead Gardens / Gerddi Courtmead which shall be launched on Sunday 11th June as part of a community lead lottery funded regeneration project in North Grangetown. A new work commissioned by Carmarthenshire County Council will also be installed in late August. The work Tree was designed by Andrew Rowe to act as a gateway feature, accenting the history of the ancient market town.

Caerphilly County Borough Council and CBAT has commissioned artist Laura Johnston and Hiscott & Pearl to create 2 new glass works for Penalta House with architects Kennedy James Griffiths, and in Cardiff CBAT has been selected to produce the public art strategy and commissioned works within the new £535M St David's II shopping development (www.stdavids2.com), as well as a series of works within Bellway's Prospect Place housing development in the Bay.

Working with Watermark Development, CBAT has commissioned writer Peter Finch and artists Bruce Williams to develop a series of sculptural works and text within Watermark, a new residential apartment building to be built on the site of the old Red House as well as a forthcoming public artwork in Jacks Pill, the Old Town Dock, Newport. Further a field in Ireland, CBAT have recently been appointed to work with master planners and landscape architects EDAW to develop a framework for the integration of public art within the redevelopment of public spaces within Belfast City Centre.

From the Edge is a new exhibition of work at CBAT gallery from 2nd May - 26th May produced by the Print Market Workshop. The show features the work of four artists from Kansas City, Missouri whose work is included in the forthcoming book 'Printmaking at the Edge' (A&C Black, April 2006) including Cecilia Bakker, Laura Berman, Hammerpress and Hugh Merill.

Finally, on 5th & 6th October CBAT will be holding its second Urban Legacies conference in Cardiff in collaboration with Landor Conferences. Urban Legacies II, will take as a starting point Constant Nieuwenhuys' Situationist theory, which will be used as a pretext for exploring transitional, temporary, informal and unplanned urban development as well as artistic and creative practice in the regeneration of contemporary, post industrial cities.

For further information on all CBAT projects call 029 2048 8772 / info@cbat.co.uk. / www.cbat.co.uk