Go-Between Projects: September 2007

Tuesday 25 September 2007

research

The Go-Between was a project based on an ongoing dialogue, emerging out of the twinning of Oxford and Bonn. On hearing we would be showing work at The Frauenmuseum in Bonn; October 2007, we decided to use this starting point to examine the notion of exchange. We have collaborated on a number of projects in the past and favour working in non art spaces, often interfacing with the public. The journey to Bonn from Oxfordshire became the stage from which to develop the work. After reading the novel The Go-Between by L.P Hartley, we became involved in an exploration of the notion of the messenger. In the novel, a young boy called Leo becomes a secret "go-between" for Marian Maudsley and a nearby tenant farmer, Ted Burgess. This action of delivering and and exchange became the focus for the work.

The Go-Betweens have begun their journey

Hilary Kneale and Ann Rapstoff are artists who have collaborated on a number of projects since 2001. There current work entitled The Go-Between charts their journey between the cities of Oxford and Bonn, in which they explore journeys, walking, ritual and the exchange of water between The Thames and The Rhein/Rhine. The Go-Between was a developing project and part of ‘Umfeld-Inwelt’ (En-vironment, In-vironment) at The Frauenmuseum Bonn

Witnesses/participants were invited to join silent walks for the Oxford part of the Go-Between from Magdalen Bridge, Oxford at 14.00 on Friday, 19th October, 2007 <> To witness an action and ritual of collecting water. This continued with an overland journey to Germany and the dispersal of this water into the Rhein/Rhine in silence from the Frauenmuseum in Bonn; 14.30 on Friday October 26, 2007, Frauenmuseum, on Thursday November 1st, the The Go-Betweens returned overland to The Thames in Oxford to deposit the water from the Rhine and complete their journey.

Walk in silence with The Go-Betweens at any part of their journey, contact them here at the blog at anytime.

The Go-Between (Der Vermittler)

Hilary Kneale und Ann Rapstoff

Begleiten Sie die Künstlerinnen bei einem Gang vom Frauenmuseum, Aufbruch um 14.30 Uhr am Freitag, dem 26. Oktober (etwa 1 Std.)

Als Teil der aktuellen Ausstellung Umfeld < - > Inwelt im Frauenmuseum werden Hilary Kneale und Ann Rapstoff in Oxford beginnen. Sie werden Wasser von der Themse abfüllen, und dieses Wasser als flüssigen Boten über Land nach Bonn transportieren. Nach der Ankunft in Bonn werden sie das Wasser der Themse in zeremonieller Stille gegen Wasser des Rheins austauschen. Dadurch werden die Städte und ihre Einwohner Teil eines gegenseitigen Austausches von leblebensspendendem Wasser, unterstützt durch die Vermittler.

Die Einwohner von Oxford und Bonn sind eingeladen dem Ritual beizuwohnen, aufgefordert zu einladender Kommunikation durch Aktion und Intention und machen damit das Erfordernis nach mündlicher Kommunikation überflüssig. Die Arbeit endet, wenn sie nach Oxford zurückkehren und das Wasser des Rheins in die Themse einfüllen.

Interesting links

The Politics of water, on the world service; the US/Mexico border, Israel, Sweden/Russia/Baltic sea and Namibia

Enterchange performance and the environment

CONFLUENCE AN ONGOING EXPLORATION OF WATER

Hilary Kneale and Ann Rapstoff have worked as a collaborative partnership since 2000. When they are not working together, they pursue their individual practices, whilst continuing to support each others development. Their collaborations have included establishing a series of live art events VAIN liveart, developing projects, curatorial practice and devising working strategies.

Their collaborations are grounded in responses to site and context and work is often process based, They have an interest in including the public and those from other backgrounds in their work.

The artists developed a new body of work entitled The Go-between for The Frauen Museum in Bonn (07). This work was situated in the museum gallery and physical sites of The Thames and Rhine. Both rivers were at one time linked, with the Thames being a tributary of The Rhine. The work involved linking between Bonn and Oxford, through the action of collecting, transfer and mutual exchange of water from the two rivers. A cross pollination of river water took place through actions and was punctuated by silent walks with participants, transcending differences in language and leaving traces that formed another dialogue.

The artists are currently researching further work, continuing their interest in water. They are currently exploring individual and collaborative concerns, concentrating on the elemental nature of water and cycles, including an interest in The Thames, including the source and tidal areas.

Ann and Hilary are currently locating water through the practice of dowsing

Hilary is asking for your participation in collecting water and the stories concerning the collecting process. She now has hundreds of stories and bottles of water from all over the world

Hilary is interested in ritual concerning water and responses through movement and the body. See more about her current residency at Coventry university

Ann is interested in hydrological cycles = the movement and flow of water and its qualities as substance, air, vapor ice...

Ann in trying to learn how to mud lark - the discovery and detection of objects along the river foreshore

Ann is interested in the history drowning, this came about after having met someone working for the Glasgow Humane society who works on the Clyde. She is researching memorial and the bodies immersion of/in water

(research locations so far, the source of the Thames, Henley rowing museum, Greenwich foot tunnel, Thames sacred River Peter Ackroyd, The Sea Around Us Rachel Carson, Take me to the source Rupert Wright, Defra, Museum of London, water as a element. Water as memorial to those drowned, Lock keepers, Waters edge and foreshore and tidal forces

Go-Between Projects

Tuesday 25 September 2007

research

The Go-Betweens have begun their journey

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CONFLUENCE AN ONGOING EXPLORATION OF WATER