Dundee Arts Cafe takes place every month from September to June in the McManus Cafe at 6pm, they are relaxed and informal and are open to anyone. The next two sessions include long time friend of Creative Dundee, Kate Pickering of Vanilla Ink on Making Jewellery Work; and recent and welcome addition to Dundee, Dr Sarah Cook of the University of Dundee on Rethinking what art is (and can be) in a digital age.
Making Jewellery Work – Tuesday 21st April 2015, 6pm
Founded in Dundee in 2009, Vanilla Ink celebrates and Vanilla Ink supports emerging jewellers in an open and honest environment; breeding creativity, skill sharing and strengthening the sector across Scotland and beyond. Vanilla Ink builds a community that engages with its surroundings in a transparent way, empowering and enriching the maker and their experiences.
Founder and director, Kate Pickering will discuss the ethos of Vanilla Ink and the importance of networks, creative communities and facilitation. Kate will be joined by some of her Vanilla Ink Alumni to discuss their own experiences of the programme. Vanilla Ink will be taking a year out to reflect on its successes and the not so successful, develop strong partnerships and review the landscape for opening both a new Vanilla Ink in Glasgow and plan Vanilla Ink Dundee 2.0.
Join them in the relaxed atmosphere of the McManus Café for a short talk followed by your chance to ask questions and discuss the topic.
Everyone is welcome. Free. Non-bookable. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment. This event is likely to last one hour.
Rethinking what art is (and can be) in a digital age – Tuesday 5th May 2015, 6pm
Mobile technologies, computer networks and new ways of accessing information and people across space and time, has led to a revolution in art – one which museums have been reluctant to acknowledge. Artists have long experimented with new tools, but ‘new media art’ has, over the last 30 years, embraced technologies such as the web as not just as a new tool but a medium – a place to make and share art, often outside of the museum. Although museums are catching up with our new digital lives (remotely-controlled robots have been roaming the Tate Galleries at night!) artists are still forging ahead.
‘New Media Art’ has distinctive characteristics including its seeming immateriality, its critique of science and technology, and its questioning of the role of the viewer, and as such is related to other contemporary art forms including video art, conceptual art, socially engaged art, and performance art.
Curator Dr Sarah Cook from the University of Dundee, is co-author of Rethinking Curating: Art After New Media and has given invited presentations around the World on emerging art forms and curatorship. Sarah will lead this talk and discussion to explore some characteristics of recent art projects which might get you to rethink what art is now.
Join them in the relaxed atmosphere of the McManus Café for a short talk followed by your chance to ask questions and discuss the topic.
Everyone is welcome. Free. Non-bookable. Doors open at 5pm. Places are limited, please arrive early to avoid disappointment. This event is likely to last one hour.