Futuresonic

Futuresonic
Urban Festival of
Art, Music & Ideas
Manchester, UK

Creative contribution

What was the significant innovation in approach or thinking behind the project/artwork? How can this be recognisably attributed to the involvement of creative practice?

This exhibition intended to demonstrate art’s ability to educate and motivate audiences. Bringing together works across different media it challengd the viewer to reflect on issues such as floods, changing watersheds, global warming, renewable energy, carbon profiling, reforestation, species transformation, ozone layer, ocean acidification, and soil subsidence.

"The intent was to partner the scientific and art communities to create a visual dialogue surrounding climate change and empower audiences with a vision for a sustainable future. "Weather Report" presented artwork that promoted artistic excellence, scientific research, and environmental effectiveness that reached a diverse and multigenerational audience." Kirsten Stoltz (written response to this survey)

Collaboration

What were the disciplinary contributors to the project? What model of research / development was followed? What were factors leading to success / problems?

"EcoArts, and its founding director Marda Kirn, collaborated extensively with BMoCA in organizing the exhibit’s focus: The dialogue between science and art.

Disciplinary contributors included, climate change scientists, city municipalities, and area businesses focused heavily on environmental concerns. A collaborative model was chosen, the exhibition itself was the largest project for a two-week event "Eco Arts" (the exhibition continued for 3 months)."

Many of the artists worked closely and collaboratively with Boulder’s own very unique scientific community (the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of Colorado) whose research specifically focuses on issue of climate change. Artists were able to take this scientific data and merge

Successful collaborations between science and artistic communities were realized. Working with other non-profit organizations was challenging given the open-ended model of participation. Communication was difficult at times and imbalanced funding made it impossible for everyone to work at an equal level." Kirsten Stoltz (written response to this survey)

The following artists participated in the show:

The exhibition’s artists include: Kim Abeles, Lillian Ball, Subhankar Banerjee, Iain Baxter&, Bobbe Besold, Cape Farewell, Mary Ellen Carroll (Precipice Alliance), CLUI (Center for Land Use Interpretation), Brian Collier, Xavier Cortada, Gayle Crites, Agnes Denes, Steven Deo, Rebecca DiDomenico, Future Farmers (Amy Franceschini and Michael Swaine), Bill Gilbert, Isabella Gonzales, Green Fabrication (via Rick Sommerfeld, University of Colorado, College of Architecture and Planning), Newton Harrison & Helen Mayer Harrison, Judit Hersko, Lynne Hull, Pierre Huyghe, Basia Irland, Patricia Johanson, Chris Jordan, Marguerite Kahrl, Janet Koenig & Greg Sholette, Eve Andrée Laramée, Learning Site (Cecilia Wendt and Rikke Luther), Ellen Levy, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Patrick Marold, Natasha Mayers, Jane McMahan, Mary Miss, Joan Myers, Beverly Naidus, Chrissie Orr, Melanie Walker & George Peters, Andrea Polli, Marjetica Potrc, Aviva Rahmani, Rapid Response, Buster Simpson, Kristine Smock, Joel Sternfeld, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Ruth Wallen, Sherry Wiggins, The Yes Men, and Shai Zakai. Site-specific works in and around the Boulder area include: Bobbe Besold, Brian Collier, Future Farmers, Bill Gilbert, Lynne Hull, Basia Irland, Marguerite Kahrl, Janet Koenig & Greg Sholette, Eve Andreé Larameé, Jane McMahan, Mary Miss, Chrissie Or, Kristine Smock, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Melanie Walker & George Peters, Learning Site, and Sherry Wiggins. Documentation of significant projects included in the exhibit. Those artists include: Cape Farewell, Rapid Response, Natasha Mayers, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Pierre Huyghe, Mary Ellen Carroll (Precipice Alliance), Patrick Marold and Shai Zakai.

Values

What were the outcomes of the project? How were these disseminated to outside stakeholders? What models of value are implied by this project? What was the Impact of the work?

The exhibition was presented from September 14 to December 21 2007 at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art in collaboration with EcoArts.

Part of this exhibition was shown in the Deutsch Bank’s New York City Wall Street Space, May 2008. A "Studio Project" was created by BMoCA which put together a pod cast and youtube video of curator Lucy Lippard as an educational resource.Leslie Dodson’s interview of Lucy Lippard was aired nationally on the Weather Channel.