[spectre] Ruth Catlow talk at Coventry School of Art and Design - Podcast

[marc garrett]

At Coventry School of Art and Design - Podcast
http://coventryuniversity.podbean.com/2013/03/06/we-are-open-openness-in-a-new-public-art-gallery-and-social-space-ruth-catlow/

Ruth Catlow talks about how concepts and practices of openness have 
shaped the values, programmes and infrastructures of Furtherfield 
(http://www.furtherfield.org/) as an independent community for arts, 
technology and social change. In Spring 2012 Furtherfield opened a new 
public gallery and social space in the heart of Finsbury Park in North 
London (http://www.furtherfield.org/gallery). "We want to connect the 
local audience (many of whom are new to art) with the work of a 
long-standing community of artists, technologists and activists who have 
a longstanding engagement with a range of open practices." Catlow draws 
on artworks and curatorial projects from the Furtherfield Programme that 
are informing their work and some of the strategies that we are developing.

“Such participatory production and “media democratisation” counters 
elitist propaganda that art is a special activity for special people… 
and returns the outcomes of inventiveness to the common for mutual 
enjoyment and open-ended reiteration. (Da Rimini, 2010)

Artist, curator and co-founder with Marc Garrett of Furtherfield, an 
online community for art, technology and social change since 1997; now 
also a public gallery in the heart of Finsbury Park, London. Her 
collaborative, intermedia artworks and projects are exhibited and hosted 
in international venues and include Rethinking Wargames (Lowfi netart 
commission 2003) VisitorsStudio (awarded the Grand Netart Prize in 
2009), WeWontFlyForArt (2009) and Zero Dollar Laptop (2010-ongoing). 
Co-editor of Artists Re:Thinking Games (2010) and Collaboration and 
Freedom– The World of Free and Open Source Art (2011) a collection for 
Arts Council England and P2P Foundation. Currently collaborating on a 
public game art project with Mary Flanagan called Local Play. Ruth is 
also Head of Writtle School of Design, for arts and design in the 
environment. http://www.furtherfield.org http://www.writtle.ac.uk/design