Longitudes: news, updates and reportage from Latitudes, the Barcelona-based curatorial office

SAVE THE DATE: 24 September opening final 'Amikejo' show with Fermín Jiménez Landa & Lee Welch, Laboratorio 987, MUSAC, León

Mon, Aug 29 2011

Invitation for 'Amikejo' exhibition. Photo: Fermín Jiménez Landa & Lee Welch.

Fermín Jiménez Landa (1979, Pamplona, Spain. Lives in Valencia/Pamplona, Spain) & Lee Welch (1975, Louisville, USA. Lives in Rotterdam, The Netherlands) did not know each other before the invitation to participate in Amikejo. As if engaged in international diplomacy, the artists have had to understand each other personally and artistically before issuing what might be regarded as a joint statement based on what they have agreed and negotiated, in the form of an exhibition. Jiménez Landa and Welch have chosen to establish their collaboration in relation to the notion of the micronation and devices which delineate sovereignty – borders, stamps, anthems, and so on. Their project refers to other historical episodes in addition to Amikejo itself as well as taking inspiration from methodologies which combine fixed parameters with improvisation, such as the directing technique of filmmaker John Cassavetes.

Their works in MUSAC comprise a constellation of diverse performative, discursive, interactive and displayed elements, some of which are directly apparent in the Laboratorio 987, while others document occurrances at remote locations, or exist only in the imagination.

A platform-like structure and sculptures that take the form of portals or border markers constitute spaces and tools for assembly and discussion as well as hosting further two-dimensional and video works. A marching band from León was recruited to compose and perform a national anthem for a new autonomous island state and the founding of this micronation has been documented in video and photography. Companioning this, a series of letters have been sent by the artists using stamps from Moresnet, the republic which anteceded Amijeko. Jiménez Landa’s and Welch’s joint endeavour considers how art can produce new understanding, memories and communicative possibilities together with an audience.

A catalogue by Mousse Publishing companioning the 'Amikejo' series will be launched in early 2012, following the conclusion of the exhibition cycle.
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Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León (MUSAC)
Avenida de los Reyes Leoneses, 24
24008 León, SPAIN
www.musac.es

Latitudes 'out of office' photo album 2010–11 season

Mon, Aug 1 2011

Following a tradition started in 2009 (see the 2010 post) we say goodbye to the 2010-11 season with an 'out of office' post with some unseen and 'behind the scenes' moments of the last 11 months. Happy holidays/felices vacaciones!

– Latitudes | www.lttds.org

17 September 2010: Opening of 'Antes que todo' at the Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Móstoles (Madrid). Latitudes contributed artist entries to the exhibition catalogue (+ images)

20 September 2010: BCN-NYC. Ahead are 11 intense weeks of hard work as a partner organisation of 'The Last Newspaper' exhibition, for which Latitudes produced a weekly newspaper in a live situation from the New Museum galleries for 10 consecutive weeks. Weekly blogs and videos of each newspaper (now 'The Last Newspaper' exhibition catalogue): #1 The Last Post; #2 The Last Gazette; #3 The Last Register; #4 The Last Star-Ledger; #5 The Last Monitor; #6 The Last Observer; #7 The Last Evening Sun; #8 The Last Journal; #9 The Last Times; #10 The Last Express. (+ images)

25 September 2010: Studio visit with Ester Partegàs (+ images). Partegàs was the 'advertising department' in the 10 tabloid newspaper series edited by Latitudes for 'The Last Newspaper'.

early October: Final touches to 'The Last Newspaper' exhibition curated by Richard Flood and Benjamin Godsill. Show opened 6 October 2010. (+ installation images)

21 October 2010: Presentation of 'Vic Cambrils Barcelona...' project at the Midway Contemporary Art's library, Minneapolis. A selection of 50 self- and micro-published books and paper editions by Catalan artists, designers, curators... (+ images)

22 October 2010: Yves Klein gala dinner at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.

13 November 2010: final checks of issue #7 'The Last Evening Sun' with the brilliant TLN part-time staffers Janine Armin and Greg Barton. (+ images of the exhibition)

18 November 2010: 'The Last...' graphic designers Chad Kloepfer and Joel Stillman discussing with New Museum's Daniel Thiem and Latitudes' the final bits & pieces of 'The Last Newspaper' catalogue.

24 November 2010: Issue #8 'The Last Journal' delivered! Won-der-ful cover by Fernando Bryce.

late November 2010: Checking the headlines of 'The Last Times' (#9) featuring Peter Piller, Robert Gober, Andrea Bowers, Angel Nevarez & Valerie Tevere amongst others.

Late November: The board is almost filled with the weekly mini-posters with 'The Last...' headlines. Underneath pictures of the team that made TLN possible.

10 December 2010: This is how 10 weeks of full-time work look like when you pile them up.

10 December 2010: Packaging the 10 newspapers + cover/index with New Museum's Daniel Thiem and the ever helpful Irina Chernyakova.

early January 2011: Delivery of our copies of 'The Last Newspaper' to our home, what-a-moment! (+ images)

19 January 2011: Installing with Christina Hemauer and Roman Keller their solo show at the Aarhus Art Building, Centre for Contemporary Art, Århus, Denmark. (+ images)

Roman & Christina installing 'End of Life - Contribution to the inefficiency of poetry' (2010). They know what they are doing!

21 January 2011: Leaving our cozy temporary homes before the opening of the exhibition.

26 January 2011: The crates are here! First installation of 'Amikejo: Pennacchio/Argentato' at the Laboratorio 987, MUSAC. (+ images)

Placing one of Pennacchio Argentato's slabs with the installation crew.

Amikejo wonderful helpers Pilar and Maria from the Escuela de Arte Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales, León. Gracias for being there!

Final touches...

Filming a short interview with Pennacchio/Argentato at the Laboratorio 987, MUSAC. You can watch it her e.

21 February 2011: Delivery of Martí Anson's works in Meessen de Clercq, Brussels, for the exhibition 'Expositition International des Arts...' (+ images)

Unpacking Martí Anson's furniture, trying to make sense of their parts.

Unpacking bits and pieces of Sarah Ortmeyer's VITRINE MAURICE (2011).

Lunch break with Maria Loboda, Martí Anson and Max of Latitudes. Eating delicious baguettes from next door's deli.

Placing Maria Loboda's new pieces in the Wunderkammer.

Charlotte Moth's nine photographic prints before being installed.

23 February: Placing Martí Anson's furniture on the (finally dry) platform.

2 March 2011: Studio visit with Iratxe Jaio and Klaas van Gorkum in Rotterdam deciding the display of their forthcoming exhibition at the Laboratorio 987, MUSAC. Above: home-made maquette of the Laboratorio. (+ images)

2 March 2011: Klaas van Gorkum grandfather's lathe in action in the artists' studio (+ info)

2 March 2011: Trying out different displays and selecting the objects made by Klaas van Gorkum's grandfather for the exhibition, would they all fit in the platform?

3 March 2011: Laying out each page of the forthcoming publication 'Lara Almarcegui. Projects 1995-2010' in the artist studio in Rotterdam.

5 April 2011: Installation day 1 of Iratxe Jaio & Klaas van Gorkum show at the Laboratorio 987.

Tricky part: placing the platform on the wooden legs manufactured by the artists using Jos van Gorkum's lathe.

Klaas discussing with über-fabulous 'Amikejo' coordinator Carlos Ordás, 'Amikejo' helpers Pilar and Maria and the technicians from Artefacto how to install the photographs on the wall.

8 April 2011: Press conference at the Laboratorio 987 (+ info)

9–13 May 2011: Week-long seminar with A-Study participants discussing curatorial practices. Photo: Gerda Kochanska.

20 May 2011: Studio visit with Lee Welch at Piet Zwart in Rotterdam, to discuss his ideas for the final Amikejo show (opening 24 September) at the Laboratorio 987 in collaboration with Fermín Jiménez Landa.

early June 2011: Navigating Venice by vaporetto... (photo tour Giardini, Arsenale and Eventi Collaterali)

early June: and navigating Venice by foot...

21 June 2011: Unwrapping Irene Kopelman's sculptures to be exhibited as part of Uqbar's exhibition, the third chapter of Amikejo at Laboratorio 987, MUSAC.

22 June 2011: Irene Kopelman and Mariana Castillo Deball unwrapping Mariana's sculptures.

23 June 2011: Installing Uqbar, stairs going up and down...

24 June 2011: Final piece to install. Mariana and Irene Kopelman giving 'left, right, up...' instructions to Artefacto crew member. (+ images)

25 June 2011: Uqbar presents their show to the press and museum staff.

29 June 2011: Third day of 'Campus'. Participants chat outside and look at the project vinyls placed on the façade. (+ images)

4–8 July 2011, week #1 with Libia Castro and Ólafur Ólafsson. Mapping participants to ideas, mapping ideas to participants.

4–8 July 2011, week #1 with Libia Castro and Ólafur Ólafsson. Ólafur and Antoine see the world in 3D.

11–15 July 2011, week #2 with Renata Lucas.

18–21 July 2011, week #3 with Peter Piller.

18–22 July 2011: Mariana invited by the Mondriaan visitors programme to tour Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht's galleries, museums, art centers and artist studios. Above poster campaign signed by 'Disgruntled Dutch Artists' posted in several institutions in relation to the HUGE change Dutch arts will suffer due to unprecedented cuts. (+ images)

25–29 July 2011, week #4 with Adrià Julià.

29 July 2011, 19.30h: Display of the projects and ideas-in-the-making developed during 'Campus'. After 5 weeks of group talks, video screenings, tutorials and production, a one-month exhibition opens at Espai Cultural Caja Madrid, the same space occupied by 'Campus' during the last five weeks.

All photos: Latitudes | www.lttds.org (except when noted in the photo caption).