INTERЯOGATION:WEST BROMWICH specialist artist - ANIA BAS

Each week's INTERЯOGATION:WEST BROMWICH missions are overseen by lead artist Anna Francis, but are led by specialist agents, hand picked for their expertise in the particular field.

Today's PARTICIPATION expert agent and specialist artist is ANIA BAS. 

Specialist Artist - Ania Bas

As part of her duties today, Agent Bas will be delivering a masterclass presentation on the subject of participation in the public realm to the assembled artists, using her myriad experiences as a base.

Agent Bas has been active in the field of collaborative and participatory art in the public realm for many years. Her Blogsite tells us -


my work is about:
people and places (and people within places)
communication
instability and repetitiveness of everyday life
process
exchange and collaboration
understanding one's singularity and individuality
providing spaces for meaningful connections
temporariness
experimenting with various media in various context
revealing the value of simple things like: sharing tea and biscuit

i am interested in: 
people
process based practise
collaborations with non-artists and artists
site-specific work
creating experimental art spaces and art sites
temporary state of art (lasting from few seconds to days, months, years)
using various media
subtle connections and small changes
myths: existing ones and those who are emerging

i use in my work various media:
photography
site specific performance
mobile phones
body
video
mixed media
sitting and talking

i work in various contexts:
in open and enclosed spaces
with businesses
on the streets

MISSION TWO - INTERЯOGATION:WEST BROMWICH - PARTICIPATION

Today is week two of the INTERЯOGATION:WEST BROMWICH event. Following on from the success of last week's ACTION RESEARCH interventions, we have today's mission - PARTICIPATION.

As Agent Francis explains to the agents - participation is the  act of taking part or sharing in something. Agent Francis tells the assembled agents that in terms of public art the idea of participation is a broad one ranging from almost complete control lying with the artist with the public being an almost incidental part - for example, simply a viewer - right the way through to a set-up whereby the artist gives the public complete control. it promises to be interesting to see where today's agents place themselves on this PARTICIPATION CONTINUUM.

on the subject of today's agents, let me introduce you to them.

Agent Brereton

Agent Goldsworthy

Agent Branthwaite

Agent Flanagan

Agent Lima

MISSION ONE : INTERROGATION ACTION RESEARCH

week one mission - action research


interrogation:action reasearch from glen stoker on Vimeo.

interrogation:west bromwich from glen stoker on Vimeo.

thoughts from the agents

the four action research agents wax lyrical about their day of interrogation.

agent haye -
a statue of art
movement reflects small changes
stillness is the key

agent thomas - jump in feet first. Question, immerse, embrace, encourage. Develop and adapt, communicate clearly...be persistent and hold your nerve.

agent mills -
observing, exploring and navigating the space trodden by feet and overheard for hundreds of years and presenting it in a new way for a new beginning

agent jacobs -
observing and labelling happenings
a label on a bench
reads
"wiping tired
eyes"
another reads
3 men
watching
the world
go by.

the final debrief

with activities finished, the agents have returned to the interrogation room for a debrief over tea and cake.

the juneau projects guys dropped in to see what was in store for them in the last interrogation week

agents activities continued...

agent mills decided to bring psychogeography to West Bromwich.  By taking a walk and photographing the overlooked an unnoticed she hopes to encourage the town to celebrate as well as regenerate.

agent haye flagged the motto of west bromwich - " Labor omnia vincit " or "work conquers all" and applied it to a plinth he stood on - encouraging the public to act as a statue. he wanted to stop time, by being a statue,  and attempting to encourage the locals to be statues. he would then ask some questions about their environment hoping that the "stopping of time" would give them the chance and space to consider their thoughts.

agents activities - early special report

the agents are approximately halfway through their afternoon's endeavours with varying degrees of success and differing experiences of working in west bromwich's public realm.

agent jacobs mapped peoples' movements and actions, spending time first observing and then diarising and finally flagging those movements and actions.

agent thomas negotiated west brom through conversations with the public. one conversation would lead onto the next journey as agent thomas would be directed to a different place directed by the first participant. so for example, if one person told her that they used a particular bench as a meeting place, then she would make her way to that meeting place and seek a conversation with another member of the public who might direct her to another place.