Black Box Safari provides a window onto the microscopic world of the Arboretum – a glimpse into the incredibly diverse, beautiful, and engaging organisms which are crucial for the existence of all other life on earth.
The name ‘Black Box’ relates not only to the magnifying glass-topped boxes which offer a portal into this ‘new’ world (videos of microbes found at various sites around the Arboretum), but also to the fact that so little is known about the diversity of form and function of these microbes.
Therefore they are an ecological ‘black box’: we know their activities are very important in all habitats globally, but don’t know most of the biological details or processes involved in those activities. Such questions are central to my scientific research.
We plan to develop the Black Box Safari for future installations around the country, so comments and opinions from those who experienced our first outing at Art in the Arboretum are very welcome, either on this site or to me directly at the Natural History Museum: d.bass@nhm.ac.uk
Below are selected audio pieces recorded for the Megasporangiate Strobili installation in the Lodge at the Arboretum. These are all recorded within the grounds of the Arboretum during the three week residency, and consist of soundscapes and recordings of the artists talking beside their work.
(peacocks)
(Annegret Heinl)
(dawn chorus at the Arboretum)
(guided tour of the Arboretum with Joanne Matthews)
(Djamila Hanafi)
(Emil Dobriban cutting branches)
(Isabel Oestreich)
(4am at the Arboretum)
(Helen Edwards)
(Alison Dalwood)
(Brigitte Kohl)
(crickets in the meadow)
(Emil Dobriban)
(Ann Rapstoff)
(ducklings in the wind)
Sounds from 4.50am, Sunday 5th July 2009. Birdsong, the endless peacocks, deer barking – plus some crickets added from later in the day. Traffic is never far away even at that time on a Sunday morning.
Annegret Heinl at work in the Arboretum (photograph by Mira Marincas)
Artists and friends at the Reception at the Botanic Gardens, Oxford (photograph by Mira Marincas)
Brigitte Kohl presenting work at OVADA Gallery, Oxford (photograph by Mira Marincas)
Installation of the exhibition of works at the Town Hall Gallery, Oxford (photograph by Mira Marincas)
Artists from France, Germany & Romania arrive in Oxford to take part in an inter-European creative exchange which will take the form of an Artist’s Land Art Residency at Oxford University Harcourt Arboretum, Nuneham Courtenay, just outside Oxford. The artists will be creating work on site from 1-18 July.
Come to the Arboretum and talk to the artists and see what they are doing.
Open Day Exhibition Saturday 18 July.
Come and see the finished work. There will be performance, sculpture and installations including ‘The Black Box Safari’ by David Bass and ‘Dancing in the Arboretum’ from 2.45-3.45pm. Sheepwoman will appear at 4.30pm
Bring a Picnic.
The project has been organised by Magdalen Road Studios, Oxford and Art in Situ, France, in collaboration with Ovada Gallery, Modern Art Oxford and The University of Oxford Harcourt Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.
The project in the Arboretum will involve twelve selected artists, two from France, two from Germany and two from Romania working with six from Oxford and will take place from 1st – 18th July. An important part of the residency is the encouragement of dialogue between artists from Oxford & their European contemporaries. Audiences are invited to experience artists developing work within a more European perspective. We hope that this event will be the first of many opportunities for Oxford artists to meet and work with artists from all over Europe.
On Friday 10th July 2.45-3.45pm there will be ‘Dancing in the Arboretum’
A group of dancers from Oxford will respond to the site.
Saturday 11th July there are Children’s art workshops. Drop by and join in to create something with one of the artists.
The workshops will take place from 10-12 in the morning for younger children and 2-4pm for over 11yrs
14th July 6.30-8.30pm there is a discussion hosted by Modern Art Oxford is entitled ‘Differences and Similarities for Practising Artists in Europe’
Concurrent to the residency will be an exhibition ’Branching Out’ in the Town Hall Gallery, Oxford, featuring work of the invited European Artists. The Town Hall exhibition opens on 7th July and runs until 21st July. 9am-6pm Mon to Sat
The project is sponsored by: PYE Holdings, Oxford; The Ernest Cook Trust; St. John’s College; All Souls College; Dr Brian Loughman; Magdalen College; Jesus College; Wadham College; Oxford City Council; Modern Art Oxford; Ovada Gallery and Sainsbury’s.
For further information about dancing contact Helen Edwards 01865 774774
For information about the project and to book a place on the children’s workshops contact the co-ordinator Diana Bell 01865 730110
Art-in-Situ France has been running a very successful international residency programme since 2001 and many Oxford artists have been offered important opportunities to come together in friendship with artists from other European countries, including France, Germany, Holland, Poland, Hungary and Romania. In 2002 The Exchange Gallery, now Ovada Gallery hosted an exhibition of work by French artists and in 2006 an Art-in-Situ residency was hosted by the Fine Art Department of the University of Cluj in Romania. This will be the first Art-in-Situ international residency programme in Oxford.
The six invited artists are:
Brigitte Kohl, France – photography
Djamila Hanafi, France – installation
Annegret Heinl Germany – sculpture, installation
Isabel Oestreich, Germany – installation
Emil Dobriban, Romania – sculpture & painting
Mira Marincas, Romania – photography
Ann Rapstoff, performance; Alun Ward, sound; Alison Dalwood, installation; Helen Edwards, dance; Karen Purple, installation and painting and Philippa Jeffery, performance are the artists from Oxford.
Zoologist, David Bass will also be showing his ‘Black Box Safari’ with images of protozoa on the Open Day 18th July.
The project is co-ordinated by Diana Bell, Director Magdalen Road Studios & Betsy Tyler-Bell, Art in Situ, France.
The name ‘Black Box’ relates not only to the magnifying glass-topped boxes which offer a portal into this ‘new’ world (videos of microbes found at various sites around the Arboretum), but also to the fact that so little is known about the diversity of form and function of these microbes.
