[spectre] exh. Where do we go from here?, Manchester/UK

[Kathy Rae Huffman]

Where Do We Go From Here?
Curated by Kathy Rae Huffman, Cornerhouse
Cornerhouse, Manchester: 16 November - 22 December, 2002

Opening:  6-9 pm, Friday, 15 November

Cornerhouse is delighted to present Where Do We Go From Here? a new media
exhibition by internationally renowned artists, desperate optimists,
Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, Eva Ursprung and Heimo Ranzenbacher, Mike Stubbs.
The artists utilise digital film, internet, sound and video within four
installations which analyse the social implications of movement, time and
space. The media used create a participatory role for the viewer within an
immersive cinematic environment where interaction is key. All of the pieces
convey different aspects of psychological behaviour, both in individual and
social situations, creating powerful statements about the nature of human
activity as observed through the lens of a camera. Observing systems of
behaviour, and reflecting upon the cycles of activity they represent, gives
context to the question: Where do we go from here?

desperate optimists (Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor) observe transient
behaviour in their new work Night Bus (2002), a triptych which explores
eccentricity in late night transit centres - reflective spaces, places of
the poor, the left over, and the exhausted partygoer. The piece explores the
inter relationships with the various cities, the people in those cities and
their late night experiences.

This UK Premiere of horror chase (2002) by Kevin and Jennifer McCoy portrays
an endless cycle of flight and pursuit. This software-driven, digital,
single-shot, film projection recreates the famous Evil Dead 2 'chase scene'.
The projected nature of the piece heightens the incredible tension of terror
created by the cycle of pursuit and chase, adding a physical proximity to
the work.

Eva Ursprung and Heimo Ranzenbacher's collaboration was born out of their
individual experiences whilst travelling and the realisation that everyone
has a sense of place. R.E.M (2002) is an installation that engages the live
audience with a projected image that creates a psychological test within the
Rapid Eye Movement of the light source. An acoustic space is created via
sound bytes recorded from people in 22 countries expressing their feelings
about space.  Visitors can add their own responses to notions of space via a
chat terminal and live camera.

Mike Stubbs brings space and movement into personal and autobiographical
reflection with Donut (2001), a visual poem on the bravado of lad culture in
the UK and his personal obsession with fast cars. Donut is a multi-screen
installation about the drawing of a perfect circle, but the creator is a
driver not an artist, the canvas is asphalt and the medium is a car. Donut
is the term used by young fast car enthusiasts to describe a circle of burnt
rubber made by spinning a rear wheel drive car on the spot. It represents
bravado and skill on the part of the driver who is usually part of the car
cruising culture, one of Britain's biggest underground movements.  The
soundtrack to the video has been produced by Scanner, using CB radio and
other communication technologies and the video produced by artist Gina
Czarnecki.

Curator of Where Do We Go From Here? Kathy Rae Huffman is also Director
Visual Arts at Cornerhouse. Formerly director of Hull Time Based Arts,
Kathy's specialism lies in web based initiatives, she is a collector of new
media works and a curator who pioneered support of artists' work centred in
media theory and practice. Kathy's extensive experience and international
track record in the fields of visual arts and new media means that she is
well placed to lead Cornerhouse's exhibition programme in a new direction.
This is the first of a series of forthcoming exhibitions at Cornerhouse
themed by their exploration
of the inter-relationship between content and media used:
11 January - 23 February, 2003 Victor Burgin: Listen to Britain,
7 March - 13 April, 2003 Imaginary Balkans,
9 May - 22 June, 2003 Lab3D: The Dimensionalised Internet.

EVENT: Where Do We Go From Here? A Discussion on Art and New Media
Internationally recognised leaders in New Media discourse, the artists in
Where Do We Go From Here? will discuss their work with the exhibition
curator, Kathy Rae Huffman on Saturday 16 November, addressing some of the
wider issues around artists using new media and the interdisciplinary nature
of current artistic practice, both in the UK and internationally.


For further information please contact Jude Holmes on 0161 200 1517
or email jude.holmes@cornerhouse.org
Images available on request

www.cornerhouse.org


Kathy Rae Huffman
Director of Visual Arts
Cornerhouse
70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH
http://www.cornerhouse.org