|
The starting point of the project was to look at urban transformation focusing on social housing and the demolition of tower blocks. In the UK, the typology of architecture is often blamed for social problems, in lieu of understanding that a lack of maintenance and infrastructure causes a (social) decline. As a consequence, tower blocks were demolished in Birmingham, to be replaced by two-story buildings, again with no urban design concept of public space and infrastructure. By anchoring this transformation in the new exhibition venue Eastside Projects—a changeover from a factory building in the former industrial area of Digbeth in Birmingham into a contemporary art space—INITIATIVE ISLAND explored the phases/faces of urban developments.
The large-scale curtain installed in the exhibition space took the cartographic surface in a social direction. Dated 2008, the map pointed out the segregation among the demolished buildings, buildings destined to be demolished, and buildings that remain. Holub conceived a map showing the current state of social housing projects in Birmingham, conveyed like a “galactic map.” It manifested itself as an outcome of Holub’s extensive research on the tower blocks/social housing of Birmingham. Through this map, the project made visible the tension between advocating a progressive urban renewal and its destructive side effects. Moreover, the map was embroidered on black stage molleton by asylum seekers located temporally at the House of Integration in Vienna. Since this fabric is mostly used for theater backdrops, the story behind the production of this installation embraced the audience with further symbolic connotations. The curtain addresses the ambivalence of being a backdrop for other exhibitions (also shown by the “cheap”/non-representative material of molleton) and its role as a representation (entering the exhibition space through the back of the curtain); the cartography already becoming historic evidence of the change of the city throughout the years. In addition, this inaugural exhibition of Eastside Projects, “This is the Gallery, and the Gallery is Many Things,” presented two billboards with the headline “Choose your second life in real life—bid on your future” both exhibited inside and on the façade of the building. The curtain was permanently installed as a backdrop for shows from 2008–2017 at Eastside Projects. (Basak Senova) „This is the Gallery and the Gallery is Many Things“, installation views, 2008
|
This is the Gallery and the Gallery is Many Things
Eastside Projects, Birmingham, 2008 inaugural exhibition of Eastside Projects Curated by: Gavin Wade Artists: Barbara Holub, Ben Kinmont, Bill Drummond, Chen Shaoxiong, Heather & Ivan Morison, Iain Forsyth ] Jane Pollard, ISAN, James Langdon, Jimmy Fantastik, Joseph Hallam, Kelly Large, Laureana Toledo, Lawrence Weiner, Liam Gillick, Magnus Quaife, Marc Bijl, Mark Titchner, Marte Eknaes, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, Matthew Harrison, Mithu Sen, Peter Fend, Rain Li, SCUPA, Support Structure .................................................... Permanent installation of Initiative Island: 2008-2017 .................................................... Curtain Show 2010 Curated by: Céline Condorelli and Gavin Wade Artists: Albrecht Schafer, Barbara Holub, Céline Condorelli, Douglas Gordon, Erik Satie, Grace Ndiritu, Hannah James, Ines Schaber, Lilly Reich, Tacita Dean ...................................................... Catalog: Barbara Holub Initiative Island EP 1.1 Texts by Gavin Wade and Marjolein Schaaps includes a 664 x 482 mm fold-out map. photography by Gavin Wade / Stuart Whipps / Barbara Holub. Designed by Cornelia Silli Published by Eastside Projects, printed by Remaprint, Vienna 166 x 241 mm, 32 pp., full-color, softcover 2009 ISBN 978-1-906753-13-9 
| ||
"Initiative Island", map, 2008
"Initiative Island", permanent installation at Eastside Projects, 2008-2018 (backdrop/ context for all exhibitions)