Canary Wharf- Floating Islands

 

Dreaming of Islands was a two day workshop. Its name is taken from Deleuze’s text ‘Desert Islands’. The aim of the workshop was to create a new collection of context-based public artworks for The Isle of Dogs and to push the possibilities of site-engaged practice.

I worked with Susan Walker to create a proposal for a series of  site- orientated public sculptures to be located in and around Canary Wharf.  We explored and researched the history and politics of the area,   looking at the existing public sculptures, architecture and landscape.   We considered  possible viewers/audiences and discussed different responses before agreeing on our final proposal.  Other ideas mooted included an oversized playground and  light and sound projections.  We chose the proposal below as we felt it had much greater potential for individual audience engagement.

Creating the Archipelago

Inspired by Gilles Deleuze’s text  'Desert Islands'; Aleksandra Mir’s 'Postcards' at the Venice Biennale 2009, and the View of the Tunnel Model seen at the Museum of Docklands, this proposal for an artwork in Canary Wharf explores the mental space we have around islands as real and imaginary spaces.

Proposal: The artwork  will consist of a series of portals – doorways – indicated by neon tubes, and made of two-way mirrors, producing  an infinite tunnel-like Mise en Abime.

 

Each portal is name after a different island around the world, e.g. Fiji; Skye; Manhattan; Honolulu; Venice…

The portal transports the viewer into another mental space. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: The portals will be situated on walls and pavements in various locations around Canary Wharf and also in the Isle of Dogs. In this way the locations are linked as separate but networked and connected, to each other and to other islands in the world.

 

The portals are within the flow of experience of worlds and inhabitants, and open the door to dreaming and memories.

 

Considerations:  The number and siting of portals will be limited by permissions obtained, and Health and Safety assessments.

 

Outcomes: This project gave me an opportunity to work collaboratively with another artist with a very different kind of practice.  It involved consideration of the site-specific requirements, and thinking about creating an experience more than just the artifact.  For me, this has led to me thinking differently about my art practice. It has inspired me to work on further collaborative projects, something I had not done before this.