Migrating Art Academies laboratory at Allenheads
August 5 – 11, 2013

In April 2013 Alan Smith left his house on a hill and thought about his observational capabilities. He was considering the 95% of stuff apparently out there but currently out of sight. He wondered if imagination and creativity might help us make sense of the inexplicable, or create the inexplicable. Is it faith that makes us believe in the intangible and if so, how can that sit comfortably with scientific thinking?

Allenheads Contemporary Art (ACA), UK, is hosting Migrating Art Academies laboratory „95%…“ Emerging artists will explore methods and systems used to engage with our surroundings. With contributions from experts in other fields, they will try to develop a strategy for an involved and holistic response, directed through the interests of individual artists.

Contributing to the discussions will be Dr Peter J Edwards, Department of Physics, Durham University and Professor Nicholas Owens, Oceanographer and previously, Director of the (BAS) British Antarctic Survey. Pete will be presenting scientific theories on the vast invisible components of the universe; Dark Matter and Dark Energy and Nick has a particular interest in the microscopic creatures of our oceans and has more recently become Director of SAHFOS, an organisation which provides a wide range of environmental and climatic indicators from a unique marine biological dataset.

The seven day period will be led by Alan Smith, with days split into group workshops and individual research time. This will take place in the studio spaces at ACA, and the surrounding landscape.
At the end of the week, a public event will present the outcomes of participants’ thought processes and will be discussed with a diverse audience from varied fields of interest and backgrounds.

ACA is based in a Victorian Schoolhouse overlooking England’s highest village, with panoramic views over the wild North Pennines rural landscape in Northumberland, North East England.

The 95%… laboratory is organised in collaboration with the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association and Vilnius Academy of Arts. The laboratory is partly supported by Nordic Culture Point, the Lithuanian Culture Support Foundation and Culture Programme 2007-2013. Migrating Art Academies is a platform for innovation and exchange in arts teaching and research across Europe.

Further information and registration to the laboratory is open on http://www.migaa.eu/95
Allenheads Contemporary Art http://www.acart.org.uk/
Contact: Helen Ratcliffe or Mindaugas Gapsevicius @ info [@] migaa.eu