The Source. Sky Arts Ignition. Filmed conversations with some of the world's most established creative individuals, exploring the roots and realisation of the creative process. Part of Liverpool Biennial 2012. Participants sharing their thoughts with Aitken will include Tilda Swinton, David Adjaye, Devendra Banhart, Thomas Demand, James Murphy, Liz Diller...
Leading contemporary artist Doug Aitken’s commission for the Sky Arts Ignition Series, presented by Tate Liverpool as part of Liverpool Biennial, will feature filmed conversations with some of the world’s most established creative individuals, exploring the roots and realisation of the creative process. It has been revealed that the work will include British actress Tilda Swinton, musician Jack White, the late artist Mike Kelley and architect Jacques Herzog.
Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken – The Source will be Aitken’s first public realm installation in the UK, showcasing his pioneering and ambitious approach to public art. Creative visionaries of all ages and backgrounds, working across different art forms, will consider two questions: where does the creative idea start and how is it realised? Participants sharing their thoughts with Aitken will include David Adjaye, Devendra Banhart, Thomas Demand, Liz Diller, William Eggleston, Jacques Herzog, Mike Kelley, Lucky Dragons, James Murphy, Philippe Parreno, Richard Phillips, Jack Pierson,StephenShore, Paolo Soleri, Tilda Swinton, Ryan Trecartin and Jack White.
The Sky Arts Ignition Series launched in 2011, and will enable Sky Arts to back the creation of major new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent. Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken - The Source will be the first project in the series, which will see Sky Arts collaborate with six arts organisations in the creation of brand new works. For each of the chosen projects, Sky Arts will provide a cash investment of up to £200,000 and work with the arts partners to bring their projects to a wider audience, using Sky’s platform.
The work will be housed on Liverpool’s historic Albert Dock in a temporary pavilion designed in collaboration with British architect David Adjaye OBE. This deliberate separation from the traditional gallery space will create a new creative territory and cultural destination. The pavilion will have a night-time presence, with the work projecting outwards from the structure. Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken – The Source will be the antithesis of long-winded lectures on the arts and will open the artistic process up to the viewer: looking to the future, while engaging individuals whose legacies have shaped contemporary culture. It will be free admission and will open to the public on 15 September 2012, continuing to 13 January 2013.
Aitken said:
This project is about the roots of creativity. Many of the people in this project are working in very diverse mediums and it’s that common thread that I’m interested in. The project is very much about the empowerment of the viewer. I want the installation at Tate Liverpool to be a destination: a place that one can go to and walk into this field of ideas. It will be a celebration of the power of the individual and the forging of a borderless new creative territory – I’m incredibly excited.
James Hunt, director of Sky Arts, commented:
At Sky Arts, it’s clear to us just how fascinated people are by the creative process that goes into making works of art,” comments . “Doug’s plan for the first Sky Arts Ignition project really captures that; opening up the creative process and making it more relatable and accessible. That’s another thing that we try to do at Sky Arts, and Doug’s project fits with that ethos perfectly.
For more information on the Sky Arts Ignition Series, please visit the website at sky.com/skyartsignition
Doug Aitken (b. California, 1968) is an established contemporary artist at the forefront of 21st century communication, widely known for his innovative fine art installations. Aitken’s body of work ranges from photography, sculpture and architectural interventions to films, sound, moving image pieces and installations. Utilising a wide array of media and artistic approaches, his eye leads us into a world where time, space, and memory are fluid concepts. His high profile commissions have included Sleepwalkers at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2006; Frontier at the Museum of Contemporary Art/Enel Contemporanea, Rome in 2009; a 2010 Artist’s Happening at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and 2011’s Black Mirror at the DESTE Foundation project space, a performance co-produced with the Hellenic Festival, Hydra Island, Greece. His most recent, highly acclaimed commission Song 1 is a 360 degree projection on the exterior of the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington D.C. Aitken was recently awarded the Nam June Paik Arts Centre International Art Award 2012.
David Adjaye is founder and Principal Architect of Adjaye Associates. Established in 2000, the firm has received international attention with work which has included exhibitions, temporary pavilions and major arts centres. The practice is currently engaged on the commission to design the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American Culture and History in Washington D.C. Adjaye was awarded the OBE for services to architecture in 2007.
As part of Liverpool Biennial (15 Sept - 25 Nov 2012), Tate Liverpool will also present Thresholds, an exhibition which engages with timely and powerful themes including British identity, migration and the global effects of regional conflicts.
Supported by Tate Liverpool Members and LUMA Foundation.
Courtesy of 303 Gallery, New York; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zürich; Victoria Miro Gallery, London; Regen Projects, Los Angeles.
Image: Doug Aitken Workshop and 303 Gallery, NY. Courtesy 303 Gallery, New York; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zürich; Victoria Miro Gallery, London; and Regen Projects, Los Angeles
Doug Aitken's The Source A 24 Hour Happening is broadcast on Sky Arts 2 from 12h on 15 September for 24 hours to mark the opening of The Source.
Press Office:
Rachel Gutteridge Call 0151 702 7444 Email: rachel.gutteridge@tate.org.uk
Ami Guest Call 0151 702 7445 Email: ami.guest@tate.org.uk
For more information on the Sky Arts Ignition Series, please contact: Rachel Furst Call 07957 457668 Email: rachel.furst@virgin.net
Tate Liverpool
Albert Dock Liverpool
Free admission
Hours: daily 10–18h (10–17h from 29 October)
External projections operate from close to 22h every evening
admission free