Frontiers in Retreat
Frontiers in Retreat (FiR) is a five-year collaboration project that fosters multidisciplinary dialogue on ecological questions within a European network involving artist residencies, art and education organisations, artists, experts in various disciplines as well as diverse audiences. The aim of the project is to broaden the understanding of global ecological changes and their local impacts on European natural environments by means of contemporary artistic practices and through a multidisciplinary approach.
During the course of FiR, SSW has hosted residencies for six artists in the network and worked closely with each of them throughout to support and develop their individual projects. These artists are Brett Bloom, Sylvia Grace Borda, Fernando Garcia-Dory, Carl Giffney, Mari Keski-Korsu and Simon Yuill.
As the Frontiers in Retreat project draws to an end, we will present and reflect on each of these artist’s practices developed at SSW and bring these together with a wider group of practices through Edge Effects; a programme of workshops, walks, sound work, film and performance that explore the complex co-dependencies between ecological, social, economic, and political phenomena.
The SSW Edge Effects programme will take place in Glasgow between the 27 – 30 July, at the CCA and venues across the city. For the full programme please visit: Edge Effects
In the month leading up to the Edge Effects programme, each week we will feature a Frontiers in Retreat artist who has undertaken a residency at SSW. This is an great opportunity to share their projects which have been formulated and realised at SSW in rural Aberdeenshire, and will be presented during Edge Effects in Glasgow.
WEEK 1 – Frontiers In Retreat feature artist:
Brett Bloom
Brett Bloom is an artist, environmentalist, publisher and organises camps to build collective post-oil culture and sense of self. The camps are called: Camp Breakdown Break Down.
CAMP BREAKDOWN BREAK DOWN at SSW
In 2015, Brett organised CAMP BREAKDOWN BREAK DOWN an eleven-day gathering at Scottish Sculpture Workshop. The programme was framed by Brett’s publication ‘Petro-Subjectivity: De-Industrializing Our Sense of Self’, and focused on issues surrounding climate breakdown. During the eleven-days a closed group of participants, artists and SSW staff took part in intensive schedule of workshops, embodied exercises, discussion, rewilding activities and sauna whisking.
A central part of the CAMP and Brett’s work is Deep Listening, a practice developed by pioneering composer Pauline Oliveros, who created this unique approach to music, literature, art, meditation, technology and healing. It fosters creative innovation across boundaries and across abilities, among artists and audience, musicians and non-musicians, healers and the physically or cognitively challenged, and children of all ages.
During CAMP BREAKDOWN BREAK DOWN, Brett collaborated with artist and certified Deep Listener Ximena Alarcon to facilitate a range of group exercises for considering issues related to climate breakdown.
Edge Effects: Two day workshop in Deep Listening
For the Edge Effects programme in July, Brett Bloom and Ximena Alarcon have developed a Two day workshop in Deep Listening. Devised by Brett and guided by Ximena, this intensive Deep Listening workshop invites participants to imagine and immerse themselves into a post fossil fuel Scotland.
This two day workshop takes place on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 July, starting at the Pearce Institute in Glasgow and visiting sites across the city. To sign up for this unique Deep Listening Intensive click here
For Edge Effects, Brett has installed a series of Sonic Mediation Invitations at bus shelters across Glasgow city, asking the question ‘What does post Fossil Fuel Scotland Sound like?’. These can be seen on Sauchiehall street Glasgow between the 17 – 30 July.
Further Reading and useful links:
Brett Bloom / Breakdown breakdown: https://www.breakdownbreakdown.net/
Brett Bloom / Half letter Press: http://www.halfletterpress.com/breakdown-break-down-press-brett-bloom/
Camp Breakdown Breakdown at SSW: https://www.ssw.org.uk/?p=5657
Ximena Alarcon: http://ximenaalarcon.net/
SSW Edge Effects programme: https://www.ssw.org.uk/?p=6658
Frontiers in Retreat: http://www.frontiersinretreat.org/
Deep Listening:
https://deeplisteningaphiliateuk.wordpress.com
http://www.deeplistening.rpi.edu/
