Summer/Autumn 2006

Image: Marjectica Potrč, Urgent Architecture, PBICA, Lakje Worth, 2004

On 5th & 6th October CBAT will be holding its second Urban Legacies conference in Cardiff in collaboration with Landor Conferences. Urban Legacies: Another New Babylon, 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. As part of the conference CBAT has commissioned 4 new temporary public works by artist Marjetica Potrč (Slovenia); Veronika Valk, Architect and Artist, (Estonia); Anthony Shapland, Artist, (Wales) and Morgan Hayes, Composer, England (in partnership with Music Theatre Wales). For further info see http://www.urbanlegacies.co.uk/ and http://www.anothernewbabylon.co.uk/

Swiss born artist Felice Varini is currently working on designs for a new work at Cardiff Bay Barrage, which is part of an ongoing series of works produced with Cardiff 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 the world including new commissions in Seoul, France, Switzerland and Tampa Florida. The project will be the artists’ first UK commission, for further information see http://www.varini.org/

Artist Howard Bowcott’s artwork for the Water Quarter in Cardiff Bay was installed in late July. The work which comprises a 3 metre tall slate sculpture was formed from thousands of individual slates, stacked within a giant mold. July also saw the completion of a new integrated public artwork at Gerddi Courtmead Gardens in Grangetown, Cardiff, created by artist’s Parnell, Mackie and Rowe. The work comprises of 500 bronzes set into the grounds of the gardens, based upon local stories, anecdotes and references to the life cycles of sea life in the near by river and sea.

CBAT is currently working with Land Securities on the development of a series of new temporary and permanent commissions in the £535M St David’s II retail, shopping, and residential development, for further info visit: http://www.stdavids2.com/. Further West in Cardigan, CBAT is working with Channel 4 on the ‘Big Art Project’, a new televised series covering the commissioning of 6 new public works across the UK. CBAT is producing the Welsh commission in the form of an artist/architect collaboration situated in Cardigan. For further info see: http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/B/bigart/index.html.

Westmark Developments and CBAT have commissioned writer Peter Finch and artist Bruce Williams to produce a series of texts and integrated sculptural works for Watermark, a new residential development on the site of the old Red House, Cardiff. Further afield in Northern Ireland, master planners and landscape architects EDAW have commissioned CBAT to develop a framework for the integration of public art in the redevelopment of public spaces within the First Phase of the Belfast City Centre Public Realm Masterplan. This scheme will involve the creation of a series of new public artworks for the City Centre. Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and CBAT have commissioned artist Marianne Forrest to produce designs for a new work in Ebbw Vale town centre as part of the Northern Gateway development.
CBAT has recently been engaged by Solihull MBC to work alongside urban design Consultants Lovejoy to develop a strategy for the integration of public art along the A34, Stratford Road. This report is due for completion November 2006.

Finally, in September CBAT Gallery will hold a new exhibition of work by Danish photographer Betina Skovbro. The exhibition ‘Here Comes the Son!’ is a photographic documentary of the life of a father of 20 children. Taken over a one year period (2004-2005) the work captures the day to day life of a unique South Wales family, as the father seeks to trace children he has lost contact with over the years. Skovbro’s images have featured in National Geographic and she is the founder of Photomarathon (Cardiff).

For further information on all CBAT projects or commissions call Aldo Rinaldi 029 2048 8772 / info@cbat.co.uk. / http://www.cbat.co.uk/

Can artists and architects ever live under the same roof?

URBAN LEGACIES: ANOTHER NEW BABYLON

5 – 6 OCTOBER 2006
ST. DAVIDS HOTEL & SPA, CARDIFF


Cardiff plays host to the second Urban Legacies conference from 5-6 October 2006. This high profile two-day event brings the cream of the world’s artists and architectural talent together to Wales’ capital city to debate the way forward in urban design and carry forward topics raised at the inaugural conference in 2004. A dedicated web portal for Urban Legacies II: Another New Bablyon is launched today (www.urbanlegacies.co.uk).

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. Providing a wider European context, Urban Legacies II will highlight experiences from the emerging and new European states, 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 Kinshasa in the Congo and Beirut in Lebanon, will also feature in the conference programme.

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.

The convergence of artistic and architectural practice in the urban arena is at the forefront of the conference agenda and whilst some excellent examples of collaboration are available, the arts world and the world of architecture are missing opportunities to work in partnership to deliver truly inspirational temporary and permanent structures and urban building projects and a vibrant public realm, according to Wiard Sterk, director of CBAT The Arts and Regeneration Agency and conference organiser.

The conference will attract some of the world’s leading urban regeneration professionals, planners, artists and architects. The keynote address will be given by Reinier de Graaf, Director of AMO, the research arm of Rem Koolhaas’ practice OMA and responsible for the White City project in London. Confirmed speakers include, Bernard Khoury, Architect, DW5, Beirut, Professor John Punter, Head of Cardiff School of City and Regional Planning and Filip de Boeck, Professor in Anthropology at the University of Leuven, Belgium.

One important facet of the conference will be the commissioning of temporary interventions by leading artists, supporting the principles of the conference programme and providing tangible examples of contemporary, international practice. Artists’ projects, curated by Gordon Dalton, will range from larger architectural constructions in Cardiff’s city centre and Cardiff Bay to a number of low key interventions in everyday work and leisure settings and spaces. Combined, these approaches will echo Constant’s New Babylon through nomadic play and polemical provocation and their subtle critique of conventional social structure. Confirmed artists are Veronika Valk from Estonia, Marjetica Potrc from Slovenia and Anthony Shapland from Wales. In addition CBAT is collaborating with Music Theatre Wales and composer Morgan Hayes in the creation and performance of a new piece of music, composed in response to the public realm around the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.

Wiard Sterk, CBAT’s Director said, “You only need look at the amazing Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London by Rem Koolhaas to see what can be achieved when artists and architects think laterally and look at spaces creatively to create masterpieces concerned more about form and context than a preoccupation with end use.

“We hope to make this kind of collaboration more widespread and the Urban Legacies II conference aims to provoke and challenge both artistic and architectural professionals to look again at how they perceive each other and their projects and how to deliver better work for their clients and the public.

“It is apt that this conference is being held in Wales as there is undoubtedly a new appreciation of the arts dawning amongst Wales’ decision makers, affecting a significant impact across our landscapes. Art and the skills artists can bring to the built environment are also no longer valued just for their aesthetics and this conference will hopefully help seal Wales’ place at the forefront of global public art and urban design expertise.”

For further information please contact Wiard Sterk at CBAT, on 029 2048 8772
or Rhodri Ellis Owen at Cambrensis PR on 029 2025 7075