Last week was the start of the third semester of the MFA programme here at ECA. We had inductions which outlined our lecture and seminar programmes, met with out tutors and started settling into our studios. Our studios have been switched around this year and I have moved from C19 to C09 on the other side of the building, nearly catty-corner to where I was before.
C08 is a much smaller area, but the studio spaces seem larger. I will be sharing the room with Tam, Jess, Morgan, and two first years, Steph and Stephen. Perhaps by plan, we all seem to work with 3D materials.
My crit group remains much the same, myself, Jess, and Morgan, with the addition of two first years, Steph and Joanna.
Our studio emphasis this year is called “Sites” and part of the focus will be on
emerging sites of distibution and consumption, … different articulations of space and place in the field of contemporary art, … tactics and strategies for artistic dissemination … [and] to work with both your peers and external participants in the professional presentation and validation of your practice
Our lectures this year will be on Visual Cultures in general, and from that we had three choices from which I chose Material Cultures, an examination of the anthropological and social aspects of objects which proposes “that objects, like people, lead ‘social lives’.”
In addition, we have an assortment of readings, papers, presentations, artwork and such to produce.
Again, we have to curate the Project Space, C02, a roughly 12′ x 12′ two-storey tall white room, in pairs. I will be working with Emma this year and our Project Space will be in November. We meet to discuss it next week, so hopefully we will get our ducks in a row early on.
We also have a trip to the Venice Biennale set for the end of October, and a trip to London for the opening of the Fleming Collection exhibition on October 15.
Tomorrow we meet one on one with our tutors, mine being Kenny Hunter to discuss our plans and get things off on the right foot.
I think I’m going to be busy…