/28 /29 Pod Three/ Pod Three/ Exhibition Almost Place/ One/ Tour/ Workshop/ Pod Three Opening Night Almost Place Wednesday 9 December New Work by Andre Stitt 7:30—9:00pm Exhibition runs from MCAC is thrilled to present newly 10 December—23 January 2010 commissioned work by internationally Artist’s Talk known performance artist Andre Stitt. Wednesday 9 December 6:00—7:00pm Originally from Belfast and now living Location Gallery 1 & 2 in Wales, Stitt presents a site-specific exploration of the ‘new city’ of Craigavon. Tour He investigates memory through the Looking at the work produced for this exhibition, interrogation of space as a primary vehicle participants will examine how art, and in for tracing its repression and recovery and particular painting, can be used as a means to how through memory and recall this may interrogate space and its history. Worksheets be translated or mediated through painting. will accompany the talk. Duration 45 minutes. FREE Stitt has returned to painting to recall formative experiences which are evoked Workshop and applied to Craigavon. The artists Referencing the exhibition the workshops psychogeographic experience of Craigavon will enable participants to gain a greater is examined through a series of site visits understanding of the themes of memory, and explorations via the new city’s cycle The show will tour Ireland and the UK in history and how these are entangled with our and pedestrian network. This process is 2010, and an exhibition catalogue with an interpretation of specific places. then in turn extended to the wider context essay by Justin McKeown will be published of trauma, and conflict transformation in for the show. Choosing from a number of workshops Northern Ireland. The project is both an participants will be invited to create expressive investigation of the failure of institutional “Through painting I consider myself in the mixed media paintings and maps or shadow planning, exemplified by dead-ends, role of unofficial ‘conflict-zone artist’ and boxes, which allow for a visual representation planned but uncompleted city sectors and extend this to that of a responder to, and of the layering of history. vacant land, and a celebration of utopian documenter of civil conflict”. Duration 1 hr 20 min. FEE £2 aspirations through the integration of —Andre Stitt 2009 housing, civic amenities, dedicated paths, For more information contact MCAC Education. the separation of traffic and green space. Tours and workshops available by appointment. All images copyright Andre Stitt. /30 /31 Pod Three/ Pod Three/ Pod Three/ People/ Film/ Andre Stitt/ Andre Stitt/ In-reach/ Outreach/ Masterclass/ Pod Class/ Born in Belfast, Stitt is considered one As part of the artistic programming for Pod of Europe’s foremost performance and Two, MCAC presents a film series inspired interdisciplinary artists. He has worked as by the current exhibition. an experimental artist since 1976 creating hundreds of unique works at major galleries, The Lost City of Craigavon (2007) festivals, alternative venues and sites specific Screenings – second Saturday throughout the world including the Venice 2.00pm 12 December 2009 Biennale 2005, The Drawing Centre, New FREE York, 2006 and Artspace, Sydney 2007. In this documentary for BBC Northern Masterclass In-reach/Outreach Using digital photography a group will explore His artistic output includes performance art, Ireland, local man Newton Emerson (born Akshun Performance Art the unique architecture and urban landscape painting, drawing, installation, digital print, in Lurgan, brought-up in Portadown) Saturday 16 January 2010 (to be determined) of Craigavon. Typography, collage and video, photography, and relational activity. takes us back to the stomping grounds of painting will be employed to express both the He also produces music and tours with his his childhood and youth. In doing so he 10:00—4:00pm Stitt is identified with a strain of rich and interesting history of this area and its band The Panacea Society. After living in provides viewers with a celebratory, yet performance relating more to visual art potential for change in the future. London for nearly 20 years he relocated irreverent look at the ‘lost city’ of Craigavon and art action [referred to in Stitt’s work as to Cardiff in 1999 to become programme as he unearths the original plans, meets “akshun”]. His work focuses on difficult and director of the Time Based Art course at the visionary architects, encounters the Pod Class traumatic themes; issues of oppression, Cardiff School of Art. In 2004 he became evicted farmers and visits the residents of Creative Writing freedom, coercion, subversion, experiences a professor of the University of Wales and the experimental city. In the course of his Wednesdays commencing of alienation, appropriation of cultures, is at present director of the Centre for Fine journey of rediscovery Newton explores the 6 January (3 weeks) globalisation, and communal conflict. His Art Research at CSAD, University of Wales original vision for Craigavon, creating a state- 7:00—9:00pm work physically and emotionally embodies Taking Stitt’s subject matter of Craigavon Institute, Cardiff. of-the-art city that would utilise every 1960s the divisive forces of capitalism and into consideration, participants will be asked pseudo-scientific town planning concept materialist addiction; processes of building to take part in a creative writing class that Stitt is identified with a strain of performance such as recreation zones, mixed housing, and disintegration and the resulting journey explores Craigavon as the ‘Lost City’. relating more to visual art and art action cycle paths and of course roundabouts. toward redemption. [identified in Stitt’s work as “akshun”]. His It tells the stories of the people whose £15 work focuses on difficult and traumatic lives were transformed by the Craigavon Identifying concepts found within the themes; issues of oppression, freedom, experiment, from the farmers whose land exhibition and implementing Andre Stitt’s coercion, subversion, experiences of was vested, to the people who came to approach to performance art, this master alienation, appropriation of cultures, live in this planners’ vision of a modern city. class provides a valuable opportunity globalisation, and communal conflict. His The Lost City of Craigavon is a DoubleBand to work with professional artists in the work physically and emotionally embodies Films production for BBC Northern Ireland. creation of an individual interpretation of the divisive forces of capitalism and performance art. materialist addiction; processes of building and disintegration and the resulting journey £20 toward redemption. All images copyright Andre Stitt..