Space Programme 2011

February 3d 2011. It was the middle of the night when I received the message. I was invited onto the SPACE Programme 2011. While jumping a hole in the air I wondered where I'd left my space suit.

The Space Programme offers artists of all disciplines an opportunity to collaborate, experiment and innovate in an inspiring environment. The project takes place over a two-week period at Castletown House Co. Kildare, it is an open ended process hosted by The Performance Corporation. The programme facilitates artists from diverse backgrounds to collaborate and explore their artistic process while removing the pressure to come up with an end product.

This weblog gives an insight in my thoughts and working process during the Space Programme and tells about some projects that came out of this wonderful opportunity.

zondag 27 februari 2011

About space



Writing in a different language is like moving around in unknown space. It makes you aware of yourself. You have to take care, be cautious, keep an eye on your fingers writing, you can never turn the autopilot on. You never know for sure if there isn’t a better way to put it. You lack the subtleness you are used to when writing in your own language.

For me, writing in English is about describing. It is about telling a story. I can try to make it about language, about words, but it will never work unless I am in charge of the words. Or maybe it is the other way around. Maybe I am in charge. I pick the words. While writing, I translate my Dutch thoughts into English words. In Dutch, the words pick me. They steer me in a certain direction. They confuse me, deceive me, attract me. They’re in charge. And I think I’m a better writer when I’m not in charge. When the words rule. Not my thoughts.

But anyway.

I was talking about space. Writing about space. Filling a blank space with black letters. Emptying my head. Creating a new space with words.

Earlier I wrote about Space with a capital S. Outer space. Stars and planets and infinity. I wrote about how space can be used as a mean to help memorizing things. I didn’t write about the importance of space in my work yet and I won’t today (although I did realize today that these days “space” is far more important in my work and life than “time” is, which I used to phocus on when I studied art). Today I want to think and write about space as in “Space Programme 2011”. The Space I will be part of from next Sunday on. A Space filled with or formed by 9 participants, 2 facilitators and a number of additional guest facilitators.

There is the space of the Castletown House and the grounds surrounding it. This is a very interesting space and will be part of our thoughts and actions but it isn’t the main space. There’s the space to experiment and collaborate without the pressure to create a fabulous work of art. Mental space. I love it. There’s never enough of it in the perfectiont’s mind that inhabits my head. And then there’s this other space. The space inbetween the people who will be part of this project. An empty space that will be filled with thoughts and gestures and ideas and collisions. Conversation, misconception, creation. It is the same space that is inbetween you and me right know. Me writing this and you reading this. That space. As infinite as Space with a Capital S. As exciting and confusing.