ARTISTS TALKING

# 15 [27 November 2007]

Jane Fordham, an artist from Brighton, had an opening at 118 Gallery in Lillie. The exhibition was print work and was very interesting the space was small but nice, almost like a corridor space that you walk through that opened to an outdoor courtyard and then another space with offices and computer room.  There were few people visiting from Fabrica Gallery from Brighton, people from L’H du Siege, some other artist and curators so the night turned into an amazing party with music, drink and food.

# 14 [21 November 2007]

Much more productive day at work, today in my studio I managed to do and finish few things and also met two interesting curators visiting from Brussels. Apparently very interesting place to visit: www.netwerk-art.be

Also tonight I met the family of a friends boyfriend who were very pleasant and nice people and had some very fine French food.

# 13 [20 November 2007]

Not much has been happening with me here in France; hence I haven’t sent you any news. The last few days I’ve been working in my studio, working very hard to try and finish some of the skins before they turn and start to smell. Winter has arrived here in the north is so cold outside that even my studio is unbearable. Lucky for the skins but not for me, I walk up this morning with a very bad cold and now trying to keep and stay warm.

Couple of days ago Elsa, postgraduate in Digital Media, and me had some fun. She arrived at my place at 7pm with, an instrument that she hired from the university, ZOOM H4 – handy recorder, and we went out to try and capture and record some sounds from the subterranean of Valenciennes. I hoped that we will be able to find an entrance in one of the tunnels, I remembered the place where we wore suppose to met the man from the water before the tour got cancelled.
We had an interesting hour, we found the place and found one tunnel which was more of an under passage not an entrance to the subterranean. Was amazingly interesting what this little machine could capture, sounds that our ears couldn’t even hear. Although outside was raining and the car noises where bit loud we managed to capture something. Then after having some food we came back to my studio and we try to record different sounds from our stomachs.

# 12 [10 November 2007]

I am having a complete nightmare out here everything is going wrong.... I went to the UK last weekend just for few days. I had an interview for a commission work with the Woodland Trust and Green Arc organised by Commissions East. I still haven’t heard about the results, so will see. I also had few other meetings and came back to France on Thursday afternoon.
I was given the good news about my metal structure that the company has agreed to help, that I only have to pay for the materials and they will do the work in kind, but have to supervise my self daily. Also had another good news that the Gallery has found a camera (Sony Z1) that we can hire and they have booked it for my visit to the subterranean on the 13th of November. So everything was perfect and everybody was happy.

On this evening there was also a party in the Gallery L’H du Siege. BMW has hired the Gallery to advertise two of they new minis and they have invited many people to the party where they gave lots of Champagne, snacks and sweets.

This evening I was advised or given a lecture about the hire camera and was asked that I have to be very careful with the camera because usually the artist has to give a5000 euro deposit as a holding check but in my case because I am English the Gallery has to pay the deposit! I was also asked to ‘promise’ that noting will happen to the camera!

I said that I couldn’t promise anything that I can be as careful as I can, but that I am going in a dark underground spaces and anything can happen, I may slip or fall but I was assuring them that everything will be OK. Also asked if there is a insurance for the camera, or if they can insure me through they gallery insurance?

Anyhow, next morning about 11am I had a knock on my door and Adelina came to tell me the bad news: First that my trip to the subterranean has been canceled and secondly that there is some problems with the metal works and have to go back to the factory to see the model again!!!

In regards to the subterranean apparently there is too much water to go under, but when I raised the question if the trip could be rebooked for another day they said “NO” and the reason for this is that is to complicate.

Regarding the metal structure apparently the factory has made one circle of the model and found out that is very difficult to do and now would like to revise the price or they may not be able to do the work as it is to time consuming?

So all in all a nightmare......... and the problem is that I am not sure how much aware they are of the problem this is going to cause with my exhibition?

# 11 [1 November 2007]

Very quite day, it is a holiday today in France and nobody is working, everything is closed in Valenciennes and hardly a person to be seen on the streets, very strange.

I spend most of my day in the studio literally sawing pieces of tripe together. As the tripe is drying is becoming to hard to saw and join, so I’ve been trying to work as fast as I can to put them together before they go to hard. One thing is happening and I am not sure if I am happy about it or not, the colour is changing and they are going from creams to ochre to light brown. I don’t know why? If anyone has any ideas please email me?

# 10 [31 October 2007]

At last I went to visit the metal factory, Delos in St Amand near Valenciennes, which is on the way to Lille. The meeting didn’t go very well, wasn’t what was I expecting to be. I thought today I would have an answer if they can make the structure, a price and a better idea of what and how to pursue with my work. But instead there were many an answered questions and the usual we will let you know next week???
At the beginning of the meeting they showed me my model, which was fully smashed and everyone found it amusing and apparently someone had sat on it and everybody laughed.

The price they suggested was very high and completely out of my budget, so after a long discussion and negotiation they said will think about it and get back to me next week and they assured me that they will do everything they can to help me.

Today I really had enough with this tomorrow and next week attitude, which has been happening quite a lot.

Today, also with the help of Pascal, had a fun trying to find a place to hire a pro-video camera. On the 13th of November I have a visit to the Valenciennes sewage, which also took few weeks to organise. I would like use this opportunity to make a work about my experience bellow Valenciennes, and hopefully I will have enought time to edit and finish the work and show it at the exhibition in January.

The rest of the day I was in my studio working which was much more relaxing and fun. I had a such a mad day and just had to shat the door and put my head to work.

# 9 [29 October 2007]

I went to visit a Museum in Belgium, not far from Valenciennes about 30 min by car. It was called Musee des Arts Contemporains in Site du Grand-Hornu. I was taken by the architecture of the place, an amazing space, if ever in the area you have to check it out: www.mac-s.be
At the moment they are hosting an exhibition from the collection of the Museum in Lille, which is apparently closed at the present for renovation. The exhibition was very good as well but the space was incredible. It is a historical site, erected in 1810, and used for many purposes such as mining industry, a residence for the factory workers and administrators and train – carriages repairs....

# 8 [26 October 2007]

I am having a much more productive day today. I’ve cleaned the last tripe skin and they are all in the alum mix now soaking and preserving, (fingers cross) I had a meeting ad last with a manufacturer about a metal structure for my work so, he’s taken my model and will get back to me beginning of next week with a price and will see.

Apart from that here is very cold, damp and quiet today and not much happening.

# 7 [22 October 2007]

Don’t know where time is going but days seem to be flying by. I’ve been here now for over a month and still struggling with my French, I guess you can’t learn that fast.... I have started to make some improvement with getting materials though and started to make some good contacts in the Slaughter House.
I got my chemicals ad last today, at the end I had to make a second order to be delivered from the UK – France. They where collected from customs office with not much of a problem. Which is very interesting, as here in France I couldn’t even buy some, actually they said I can only buy maximum of 15gr and I need kilograms not a grams. Apparently aluminum Sulphate Powder is what I am using to preserve the organs is used in bomb making, so they are very careful and don’t sell it in large quantities. But I hope is not going to be to late for my organs as some of the tripe has started to turn, smells of a rotten meat, but I am still giving a try and hoping that the chemicals will reverse the process.

The studio open went well, was not as busy as I thought might be. I felt little bit as a circus girl everyone came to see the tripe and the caul fat, looks like the word has been spreading around and they came to meet the wired English artist.
This made me also over of how actually small the town is.

I went to visit the Dentelle de Valenciennes, the lace school and had a very pleasant experience. The main teacher was very friendly and chatty and told me all about the history of Dentelle and offered many designs to look at and some photocopies to take away so I can develop my drawings. The ladies even gave me some of they little tools as a souvenir to keep. Making of lace is such a delicate and intricate work.

# 6 [18 October 2007]

I have an open studio so if anyone is in the area please pop in.

A l'occasion de la 10ème édition des Journées Portes Ouvertes des Ateliers d'Artistes

L'association Acte de Naissance vous convie à la Galerie-Ateliers L'H du Siège.


Les Vendredi 19 octobre de 14h30 à 18h30
et les Samedi 20 et Dimanche 21 octobre 2007 de 10h à 12h et de 14h30 à 18h30.


_ Les artistes
Sylvie HOURIEZ
Frédéric MESSAGER
& Pascal PESEZ
vous invitent à venir découvrir leurs ateliers.



_ Invité par l'association Acte de Naissance
l'artiste Elpida HADZI-VASILEVA
actuellement en résidence à L'H du Siège,
( www.elpihv.co.uk)