Liverpool artwork of the week 38. 'Gleaming Lights of the Souls' by Yayoi Kasuma at 'Pilkingtons' (venue 12) for Liverpool Biennial 20 September - 30 November 2008

In Gleaming Lights of the Souls visitors are invited to enter a tardis-like chamber, whose small interior unfolds into a magical encounter with infinity. The small room is mirrored on all four sides, with a shallow pool of water on the floor. A changing constellation of small LED lights hung from the ceiling produce an infinite chain of endless reflections, transforming the small white cube into a distinctly otherworldly place.

This obsessive patterning began on the canvas with the infinity net paintings of the 1960?s, but quickly evolved into large scale installations where every available surface was colonised by the same pattern. Sometimes associated with the psychedelic art movement, Kusama herself traces her obsessive patterning back to the hallucinations which she began to experience as a young child in the 1930?s, and which continue to this day. Her work often incorporates mirrors to multiply the obsessively repeated patterns to infinity. In her infinity mirror rooms, at once joyful and terrifying, we the viewer, like the artist herself, experience the universe and ourselves obliterated in the endlessly recurring forms.

Text from biennial.com

From culturepool...

What

Zho Theatre present The Quiet Little Englishman

When
Friday 17th October 2008 at 19:45

Where
The Park Palace of Dreams is in the Dingle, corner of Park and Mill Street, Liverpool, L8..

Who
The cast, writer and director will join us after the show.

How
Contact the Unity Theatre on 0151 709 4988 and quote ?culturepool? when purchasing your reduced �7 ticket. There are further discounts for L8 residents available please call 0151 236 0796 for further info.

The Quiet Little Englishman is the little known true story of how a bloke from St Helens headed off to Hollywood and developed the technology which gave us talking movies and changed cinema forever.

George?s career spanned decades, he recorded the first spoken words for the talkies in The Jazz Singer, through to the soundtrack for the film of the Woodstock Festival in ?69.

So it only seems right to celebrate the life, work and legacy of Oscar winning sound engineer George Groves at recovered cinema The Park Palace. Re-opening for this very special performance the Park Palace was built in 1893 and began its life as a music hall and variety theatre and was last used as a cinema in the 1950?s.

Zho Visual Theatre have created a living film to tell Georges story through a promenade style show filling the spaces with soundscapes, film and theatre. This will be followed by a very special discussion with the cast, writer and director with an opportunity to learn about the history of this fabulous theatre.

Directed By Paula Simms (Pinocchio). Music composed by Andy Frizell. Written by Esther Wilson (Ten Tiny Toes, Unprotected). The Park Palace of Dreams is in the Dingle, corner of Park and Mill Street, Liverpool, L8.

The performance takes place on Friday 17th October 2008 at 19.45. Transportation to the venue runs from The Suitcases on Hope St., every 15 minutes from 6.45pm and cost �1.00. We will be at the suitcases from 18:45 until 19:15 and then at the cinema. Tickets for the transport can be bought on the night.

LE CORBUSIER - THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE - 2 October 2008 ? 18 January 2009
Open: 11.00 ? 18.00 daily (last entry 17.30)
At Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt, Brownlow Hill.
An exhibition by Vitra Design Museum in collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Trust and the Netherlands Architecture Institute
Supported by the Liverpool Culture Company as part of the 2008 European Capital of Culture programme.

How lucky we are to be here in Liverpool for yet another great exhibition. Imagine if Liverpool wasn't Capital of Culture, this along with all the other big events would be in Newcastle probably, dread the thought.

I have to admit I knew little about the 'Godfather of Modern Architecture' before yesterday. Now I'm a bit of a fan, I want to see and know more. So I splashed out on the rather weighty and pricey catalogue.

I had not realised he was such a prolific painter and sculptor - many abstracts in earthy colours reminiscent of Picasso and although you expect architects to be able to draw, his are not just sketches of buildings but many figurative works are shown here. Not masterpieces by any means but pretty good

The venue too is splendid. I've been in the crypt several times, including during a previous Biennial but this will be the first visit for many so in a way its a bit of a shame that the massive exhibition and all its temporary white walls actually obstruct the view. The crypt is best seen in the raw.

The exhibition is thematic rather than chronological with three main sections - 'Context', 'Privacy and Publicity' and 'Built Art' which I think is a better way of presenting the information.

The idea of a celebrity architect seems odd even now but some 70 years ago he probably was. He managed to be controversial and radical while still popular, likable and stylish. He had a very multi-disciplinary approach fusing architecture, urban planning, art, design and new media (as film was then).

LECTURES
LE CORBUSIER: THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE
2 OCTOBER - 18 JANUARY 2009, VARIOUS VENUES IN LIVERPOOL
As well as the outstanding exhibition at the Crypt in the Catholic
Cathedral, there will be a series of talks taking place in October and
November - see
http://www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/Exhibitions/lecorbusier/season.aspx
for further details.

I always like to feature the winner of the Doodle 4 Google award on the blog even though there's no NorthWesterners amongst the winners.

This year Google asked pupils to create a doodle around the idea of 'My Community' and what it means to them.

This overall winner for 2008 is Daniel Thorne, aged 15, from Howard of Effingham School:

"When trying to fit my doodle in to theme of 'My Community' I used different pictures that normally feature in a community. For example, people close together on the letters, love hearts to symbolise relationships and colour to add more of an effect. The people are all different races but still are playing together in harmony. The rainbow symbolises peace and the joining of different communities."

The other national winners were Joseph Compton (aged 5), Sheza Rani (aged 11) and Daisy Pearson (aged 13).

The competition was held in association with the Daily Mirror's 'Pride of Britain' awards.

Doodle4Google

Yawn...

LIVERPOOL OPENS TALKS ON POST '08 CULTURAL STRATEGY

Liverpool is launching a five-year masterplan to build on the success as the UK's European Capital of Culture.

The city's new Cultural Strategy, which makes recommendations such as further waterfront animation, developing the role of parks in the city and a new public art programme, has today opened for consultation.

The 45-page draft document, devised with the help of more than 70 cultural organisations and networks, is seen a key contributor to the city?s vision of creating a ?Thriving International City of World Status? by 2024.

Councillor Warren Bradley, Chair of Liverpool First Executive Board and Leader, Liverpool City Council, said: ??This strategy demonstrates our commitment to ensuring culture continues to play a central role in Liverpool and how it can contribute to our ongoing renaissance as a quality international destination.

??Collectively we can be proud of delivering an outstanding European Capital of Culture. Maximising the legacy of ?08 for the benefit of Liverpool?s citizens and cultural sector will undoubtedly prove as challenging as delivering ?08 itself. But we can only achieve this by listening to what people have to say.??

Available at http://www.liverpoolfirst.org.uk/consultations/stakeholder-sept2008 the public and stakeholders are invited to provide feedback over the next 6 weeks until Friday, October 31. A questionnaire accompanies the document.

The Cultural Strategy will then be driven by Liverpool First?s newly created Culture Task Group, chaired by Councillor Gary Millar, Liverpool?s Executive Member for Enterprise and Tourism.

The group will assess deliverability of recommendations and set out an annual cultural strategy action plan which will spell out what needs to be delivered, where, when, by whom and with what results. This will be monitored by an annual performance review.

With an initial five-year period to cover until 2013, the group will work on five key themes:

* Cultural Vibrancy
* Access and Participation
* Creative learning and skills development
* Economic growth
* Image, identity and sense of place

These themes are based upon those developed by Liverpool?s Impacts 08 research model, which is also monitoring the city?s year as European Capital of Culture.

Photo by Tony Knox of Michelle Molyneux preparing for tonight's viewing at the Williamson Gallery. Friday 3 October 19-21.00

Michelle Molyneux: Assumption and Perceptions
Williamson Art Gallery
04.10.2008 - 16.11.2008
Exhibition: An ongoing journey of trading the casting shadow of indifference in, for a creative engagement with the world around us. Michelle Molyneux : Assumptions and Perceptions is a solo show of photo-collage constructs based on the made up show and a series of portraits.

From BBC Newsnight website...
Newsnight Review is in Liverpool this week. It has been the European Capital of Culture for nine months now. We want to know whether you think honours like this have a lasting impact on a city, its people and the wider region, or do the benefits disappear when the year is over? We want to know whether people in Glasgow think their Capital of Culture year benefitted the place in the long term, and whether people in Manchester think the Commonwealth Games did the same.

If you're from Liverpool or you've been to the Capital of Culture this year, what has been your highlight so far? The robotic spider creeping through the city streets? The first Corbusier exhibition in over 20 years in the crypt at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral? McCartney's summer concert at Anfield or the art work on display as part of the Liverpool Biennial? Or has nothing on the programme appealed to you, and if not, why not?

Tomorrow night we'll hear what Holly Johnson, Ian Hart, Terence Davies, Miranda Sawyer and our audience members think of Liverpool 08 so far so send us your thoughts.

WILLARD WIGAN MBE EXHIBITION IS EXTENDED AT HARD DAYS NIGHT HOTEL GALLERY

Liverpool, 02/10/2008: The Hard Days Night Hotel Gallery, in association with Turner Fine Arts, is proud to announce that the first public exhibition of the work from celebrated micro-sculpturist, Willard Wigan MBE has been extended until 31st October 2008. This is due to exceptional demand from visitors keen to see the work during Wigan?s first public exhibition for five years.

The exhibition at the Hard Days Night Hotel features 23 pieces from the collection. The exhibition includes various works including the unique Yellow Submarine sculpture which has significant interest to Beatles fans. Willard Wigan MBE has kindly donated this piece through the Hard Days Night Hotel to The Marina Dalglish Appeal and it will be auctioned off to raise valuable finds for the charity.

The Willard Wigan tour has been met with unprecedented reviews around the country, with each venue having to extend the time this unbelievable collection of art has been at each venue. The artwork is so minute that it is barely visible to the naked eye. The work is housed in easy to view cases with microscope lenses trained on the work. Images are available at and www.willard-wigan.com but a full understanding of the intricacies of this work can only be achieved through a viewing ?in the flesh?.

Hotel and Gallery proprietor, Jonathan Davies commented: ?The exhibition has been very popular and we are delighted that we can extend it until the end of October. It is a privilege that we have been able to showcase the work of a man who has been described as a genius and incredible artist.?

POWER PLANT. Liverpool, Calderstones Park. 8 ? 12 October 2008
19.30 - 22.00 Tickets �3

Deep in the park, as dusk falls, old gramophones spin glittering sounds whilst clicking insects cast vast moving shadows. Haunting whistles rise and fall and luminous balloons breathe gentle sighs. A Victorian glasshouse shudders, and sparkling flowerbeds dance to their own tune?.

For five nights, the Victorian leisure gardens of Calderstones Park, Liverpool will be transformed into a bewitching nocturnal world with one of the largest audio visual installations ever to come to Liverpool.
Presented by the Liverpool Culture Company as part of the 2008 European Capital of Culture programme, Power Plant takes over the Park for some magical botanical activities in which sound and light are used to create glitchy insects, dramatic weather, mechanical plants and the sound of the earth?s energy. The gardens and greenhouses will be transformed by 20 different installations, and audiences are invited to wander around this mysterious world.

Light Insects clustered 20 feet up in trees utter cicada like sounds, their beautiful moving shadows cast on the ground below. Weather balloons implanted with single note harmonicas, breathe out and re-inflate to conjure a natural organ. Bang, a loud pyrotechnic crack of thunder coincides with a brilliant blaze of lightning that cuts through the trees and bushes. A Kinetic Flowerbed of 150 dainty mechanical flowers spin their rainbow of colours in the English Garden.

At the centre of this special botanical world, the glasshouse becomes a slowly pulsating beacon of light, casting monstrous shadows of foliage and vegetation coupled by deep rumblings from light synthesisers that conjure the subterranean movements of the earth?s crust.

Power Plant was originally commissioned by Oxford Contemporary Music together with University of Oxford Botanic Gardens. It has been created by Mark Anderson, Anne Bean, Jony
Easterby, Kirsten Reynolds, Roguewave and Philip Jeck ? artists working at the forefront of
creativity The installations heighten the audience?s awareness of sound and light, our primal
receptors on high alert in this night time setting.

The project finds inventive ways to use technology, both old and new. Gas jets triggered via
electronic sequencing manipulate sound and flame, other more tranquil installations send images of rippling water reflecting onto garden walls.

Wed 8 - Sun 12 October LIVERPOOL Calderstones Park
Menlove Avenue, Mossley Hill, L18 3JD
7.30-10pm
8 Oct: Tickets �3. Family ticket �9
9-12 Oct: Tickets �3 in advance / �5 on the door / �3 concs.
Family ticket �12 / �9 concs & in advance
Tickets on sale from 1 September 2008 from:
Website: www.liverpool08.com
In person: Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX,
Telephone: 0151 702 5324
Notes
Family ticket: 2 adults + 2 children OR 1 adult + 3 children
No concessionary advance discount.
Audiences are advised to bring warm waterproof clothes.

www.powerplant.org.uk

Ai Weiwei's spider looks even better at night time as its lit up with slowly changing coloured lights.

'Web of Light' to give it its proper name spans Exchange Flags behind the Town Hall and these pictures were taken around 7pm before it got really dark.

We saw a lot of people coming especially to look at it and take pictures with their families.

via the NML Blog...

Since the 'Best of Merseyside' exhibition opened visitors have been voting for their favourite artwork. Today Paul Cousins was announced as the winner of the Visitors' choice award for his painting 'Night Flight'. He was presented with a bottle of champagne and some Rennies vouchers in the exhibition. The exhibition ends this week (5 Oct 2008)

If Paul looks familiar that may be because he was the man responsible for 'Cloudorama', the Superlambanana that was displayed at the Lady Lever Art Gallery over the summer.

Paul is not the only artist whose fate lies in the hands of our visitors, as you can now vote for your favourite painting in the John Moores 25 exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery, which opened at the weekend.

Liverpool artwork of the week 37. Still from Workers (leaving the factory) by Nancy Davenport at Open Eye for Liverpool Biennial 20 September - 30 November 2008

Open Eye Gallery presents a newly commissioned video installation by Canadian artist Nancy Davenport, shown alongside earlier parts of her evolving project Workers (leaving the factory), which was conceived in 2004.

Shot at the Jaguar car plant in Halewood, Merseyside, Davenport's new piece focuses on the assembly line and the workers' daily drive to the plant. Against the background of Ford's recent sale of Jaguar to Indian Conglomerate Tata, the piece reflects on changing conditions and representations of industrial production. Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, it proposes that to search for reality we must look not beyond but within fantasy and illusion.

Despite her fascination with moving images, Davenport describes herself as a photographer. Her new piece features an animated sequence of the Jaguar assembly line constructed from digital stills - a hybrid of video and photography. Davenport was inspired by two cult car films of the 1970s: British Sounds (Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Henri Roger), famous for its ten-minute tracking shot of an MG assembly line, and C'etait un rendezvous (Claude Lelouch), a frantic eight-minute Ferrari drive through the streets of Paris.

http://www.artinliverpool.com/index.php/maingalleries/open-eye

All on www.artinliverpool.com/biennial

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Tracey Emin visited Liverpool again on Thursday to unveil her work which was commissioned by Liverpool Cathedral and her Roman Standard bird was back on its perch just in the nick of time.

The work entitled 'For You' is a pink neon piece in the well of the Cathedral just below the huge stained-glass window (so, unlike the bird, should be safe from thieves).

Its a simple but nice and effective piece with the words 'I felt you and I knew you loved me'

It is one of several works in the Cathedral showing as part of the Independents Biennial and should be there until 30 November 2008.

This is quite spectacular, but also a bit scary when you are close up to it as we were yesterday evening to see the final testing and launch of Jump Ship Rat's U51 40 metre mobile waterfall.
I felt really nervous and excited as it sailed briefly around the Albert Dock.

This is a Capital of Culture commission created by Ben Parry and Jacques Chauchat and you can see it at Albert and Salthouse Docks on Saturdays and Sundays 14-16.00 and Thursdays 17-19.00 until 30th October 2008

Artists BEN PARRY & JACQUES CHAUCHAT of Jump Ship Rat unite once again to create a giant mobile water fountain.

An endless waterfall 40 meters wide pours from above as if from nowhere, circumventing a narrow boat and hiding it behind a wall of water.

Theatrical and playful the gliding water fountain comes to grace the Albert Dock. Erupting from the dock, this is an aesthetic and sensory delight that hypnotises the viewer into quite contemplation, then passing through tunnels and canals it disappears leaving only the still pool.

A Liverpool Commissions project; JSR-U51 celebrates the City's maritime history through the element water. Water is the source of all life on earth, as such it has appeared in culture across the ages as a metaphor for the cycle of life, genesis and power; a spiritual symbol and an evocation of the natural world.

www.jumpshiprat.org