Art Stalking: 48 Sheet – Ana Milgram’s poetic response to 48 Sheet art installation on four Digbeth billboards (rather nice informative film about the project from Mathew Beckett above):
The dream state can be accessed to show us the potential of images in the media, that they can have moments of ecstasy, strange violent joy, if we only take the time to read them actively instead of passively
…whoever’s been in charge of the renovations deserves a huge pat on the back. I’ve yet to see a gig in The Library or The Temple (last night we were in The Institute itself) which are also part of the venue, but if the sound, lighting and general ambiance is as good as The Institute we could well have a contender for the best venue in the Midlands.
Bartholomew Row Townhouses – Birmingham: It’s Not Shit – Jon Bounds spots this story in the Birmingham Mail – proposal for demolition of 7-12 Bartholomew Row has submitted by owners Christopher Wray, who say the building is ‘beyond economic repair’. Luckily:
the council’s Conservation and Heritage Panel says that as the buildings, the earliest of which date back to 1779, have a preservation order the demolition cannot be allowed.
Three Tons Inn, Digbeth – A ‘Newbie Brummie’ on the Birmingham History Forum looking for information about one of the many pubs that once lined Digbeth High Street:
Am looking for information about Three Tons Inn, Digbeth. Relatives ran the pub in 1901 as found on the census but cannot find anything on the 1911 census. The address was between 29 and 31 Digbeth. What was the background to the pub – when was it built and when did it cease to be – is the building still there ? Can anyone throw any light on this pub – haven’t found anything on the internet. Cheers !
There’s tonnes of the stuff – in the galleries, on the streets, in the garden, at the bus stop… Here’s a quick run-down of what’s going on (be sure to schedule in a Saturday morning lie-in – Friday is going to be a long night!):
At The Rea Garden, Graham Dunning’s ‘Visitor Centre: an excavation of sound’ is now open daily from 11 – 4pm until 3rd October. ‘As well as the evidence of site excavations and sound works in the main shed, there is also some of the objects of interest found whilst digging on display in the small green ‘shed gallery’.’
The Last Tape opens at VIVID tomorrow (Wednesday 22nd Sept) with a launch event from 6pm. The work is British artist Harzoon Mirza’s ‘film and sculptural assemblage’ which ‘sews together Krapp’s Last Tape a one-act play written by Samuel Beckett and Mirza’s exploration of post-punk pioneers Joy Division’. It’s at VIVID until 16th October.
Local Myths at Eastside Projects
On Friday 24th Sept it looks like your best bet is to start the art crawl at Eastside Projects, which is opening its doors at 6pm for the launch of ‘Local Myths’ by Jennifer Tee in the main gallery and Elizabeth McAlpine’s ‘Square Describing a Circle’ in the second gallery.
In Local Myths ‘Tee’s sculptural forms lie, stand and hang…’ – two suspended mobile works counterbalance a grounded 3.5 metre tall marble column which has the text LOCAL MYTHS carved out of the surface. The column is set to be a long-term work at the gallery that will later ‘be located in a permanent site in the Eastside area’ – would be interesting to know where’s in mind for this.
‘Square Describing a Circle’ is a sculpture that will hold two projectors facing each other which use ‘the two essential elements of film: light and time’ to maintain a square projection of captured sunlight that moves ‘a degree at a time during the course of the day’.
Hiker Meat at Grand Union
VIVID will be open again on Friday evening for you to pop into on your way to Ikon Eastside, which is open from 6pm for the launch of Danish artist AVPD’s new exhibition ‘Hitchcock Hallway’, which like the film Director uses ‘spatial effects to create psychological intensity’. When you try to get in, you’ll find the gallery entrance is replaced by a door. ‘What lies beyond is for the visitor to discover.’
If you manage to re-emerge it’s just a quick skip across the road to Grand Union for the grindhouse film fever of Jamie Shovlin’s ‘Hiker Meat’ – ‘One Trip You’ll Never Forget’ with the fans and musicians of fictional German noise band Lustfaust, who will be performing a live film score. The exhibition contains graphic material that is not suitable for children, which sounds promising.
Friction Arts' Inside Out Festival
Last but not least it’s time to venture across Digbeth High Street to Friction Arts’ The Edge on Cheapside for the launch party of Inside Out. Brought to you FOR ABSOLUTELY FREE in association with Sonic Asylum, there will be ‘Drawdhino type cleverness from Antonio Roberts and his Fizzpop cohorts, Live acoustic loveliness from Youssouf Karembe (from the Dogon tribe in Mali) and the Wilderness of Manitoba (from the harmony tribe in Canadia) as well as installations and artworks from our A45 project (connecting Coventry artists with Brum)’.
This big bash will kick-off a jam-packed weekend that includes:
Art trails around Digbeth that take in transformed bus stops, ‘hidden’ artworks and contributions by the Rea Garden and Lombard Method.
A Saturday night ‘Happy Artist’ disco and social club with Dr David Ethics, Brendan Higgins and DJ Miserable Bastard.
A Sunday morning Artists’ Brunch with Stoke Newington Airport, Quarantine and Brian Duffy.
An exhibition of works from the festival at The Edge from Monday 27th Sept.
So there we have it – a pretty exciting weekend in store for Digbeth (please let me know if I’ve missed anything, it’s hard to keep track with so much going on). Be sure to keep your cameras, mobiles and gadgets charged and handy, there will be much to record!
As if you needed any reminding, tomorrow is the annual local anarchy that is the Digbeth O’Lympics. Madcap events include the Anchor Eggathon, Drag of War (Pope on a Rope) and Custard Welly Dash. The fun kicks off with an Opening Ceremony at The Spotted Dog around lunchtime-ish time.
Tomorrow’s also a big day in that Birmingham is getting a visit from someone a bit special….
Thanks to Cardinal Newman’s Digbeth beginnings, I’ve received a press pass for the Papal visit tomorrow, so that’s where I’ll be tomorrow afternoon. I’m hoping to talk to some of the visitors who’ve travelled from far and wide especially for this visit and hear their stories of how and why they’ve come. I’ll undoubtedly be busy on the Twitter whilst I’m there.
Photo by Pete Ashton
After that I’ll be heading back for some Digbeth O’Lympics fun and frolics. I hope I’ll make it in time for the Seven Deadly Sins and Mannequin Skittles events!
Surprised face - air vents on the side of a Cheapside building
I’ve been noticing a few faces on inanimate objects around Digbeth, such as buildings and trucks recently. So I’m starting a Faces of Digbeth category. It may grow as I notice more, or fade into nothing as I fail to. We shall see. By far the best face I’ve seen so far is the one papped by Pete Ashton on his TTV machine of the G Make Peace building on Digbeth High Street:
.jpg "The Last Tape at VIVID")
