Putting Space into Action

Description

To coincide with the launch of Huw Wahl’s film about the 1970s radical art movement Action Space, this one-day symposium, hosted by the Centre for Sculptural Thinking, explores how spaces – public and civic – can be put into action.

Founded by artist-educators Ken and Mary Turner in 1968, Action Space used large inflatable sculptures to create interventions with members of the public and different communities. Bringing together artists, performers, dancers, painters and musicians, the movement sought to produce cultural democratic spaces for art, education and creative play outside of the restrictive space of the gallery system.

Wahl’s award winning film (Prix d'Argent, 2016) features archive footage of the first ten years of Action Space in operation, alongside interviews with key members of the movement, present-day writers and theorists. It also presents a new iteration of an inflatable sculpture within which contemporary performances and happenings are staged.

This symposium explores artistic projects, past and present, which have sought to put space-into-action, and presents an opportunity for a day event which brings together different approaches to the dynamics of activating space in art and culture. Two of the speakers are part of the Henry Moore Institute Visiting Research Fellowship scheme - Dr Dawna Schuld and Dr Tim Stott - and are sharing their expertise in this area with the Centre for Sculptural Thinking.

Read a review of the exhibition on 3rd Direction: https://3rd-dimensionpmsa.org.uk/reviews/2016-11-18-putting-space-into-action-symposium

Period	30 Sep 2016
Event type	Conference
Location	Huddersfield, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	International