Press Release Oct 26th 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, 26 October 2010

Subject: PRESS RELEASE ‘Remnant/Emergency’ ArtLab #2
Attention: Brief Overview: For General Release
Contact: Keith Armstrong or Ilka Nelson  info@remnantartlab.com 

THE BAT/HUMAN ‘ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CLINIC’ COMING TO SYDNEY

The Federal Government has recently approved ‘relocation’ of the substantial Grey Headed Flying Fox colony, which currently roosts in the Sydney Botanical Gardens. The intention to move these bats, who are already under severe stress from loss of habitat, has raised vital questions around the clash of environmental and cultural values.

We live in an era of widespread environmental ill-health that requires urgent remedying. The old polarised adage of ‘one or the other’ no longer suffices: we now need multiple solutions. Natalie Jeremijenko’s New York based ‘X-Clinic’ project has rolled out projects that do just this – provide win-win situations for both society and the urban environment. The REMNANT/EMERGENCY ArtLab project (http://remnantartlab.com) draws upon established ‘X-Clinic’ methods (www.http://environmentalhealthclinic.net) whereby ‘impatients’ (those too impatient to wait for others to make environmental change) join a design process to work towards improved environmental outcomes.

Supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, QUT Creative Industries and numerous other partners, ArtLab is a two-year exploration by a multidisciplinary team, working with environmental research and “radical creative processes” through a series of place specific labs – with the next lab being presented in Sydney in November 2010.

The Sydney Lab will incorporate a ten-day creative development period including stakeholder meetings and presentations where locals are invited to explore ecosystem services that could be lost along with the bats, including broad scale native tree pollination and the efficient re-seeding of native forests. Outcomes will be shown at UTS Gallery in Ultimo (Nov 30^h-11^th Dec), at the PDC 2010 conference at UTS (Nov 30^th) and in selected public events (t.b.c.).

If you’d like more information about this event, or to schedule an interview with the ArtLab team, please call director Dr. Keith Armstrong 0412 749 729 or e-mail: info@remnantartlab.com.

The REMNANT/EMERGENCY Artlab has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body in collaboration with QUT Creative Industries, the UTS Research Centres for Contemporary Design Practices and Human-Centred Technology Design, the UTS Gallery, the Participatory Design Conference (PDC 2010), the Australian Research Council, Artspace Sydney and many others.  See www.remnantartlab.com for further details.

LIST OF ARTLAB PARTICIPANTS

 A/Prof Natalie Jeremijenko, New York University, Dr. Keith Armstrong, Senior Research Fellow, QUT Creative Industries, Brisbane, Professor Tony Fry, Design Futures, Griffith University, Brisbane, James Muller, Leah Barclay, Tega Brain, Kirsty Boyle and Ilka Nelson, collaborating in Sydney with UTS academics Dr. Lian Loke, and Dr. Lizzie Muller of UTS.

SYDNEY PARTICIPANTS

Stakeholders will be invited to join the process from both the creative communities of art, design and architecture, cultural studies, habitat conservation, the Sydney Botanical Gardens and bat conservation organisations.

WORKSHOP/EVENT DATES & DETAILS FOR ARTLAB (LAB 2 SYDNEY)

17^th- 29th Nov: Team Development Process, Artspace

18th – 20th Nov: Stakeholder Workshop & Prescription Design, Artspace

28^th Nov: Public Engagement/Mobile Clinic, details tbc.

30^th Nov: Participatory Design Conference 2010, UTS, ‘Take Part’ workshop, 1pm

30^th Nov: Artist Floor talk 5pm, Launch 6-8, UTS Gallery, Level 4 702 Harris St Ultimo

1^st-11^th December: Exhibition Continues, UTS Gallery,