“Public Workspace Playscape Sculpture Loughborough†is a prototype for an outdoor public play/workstation, composting unit, a roof planter, wifi-hotdesking area and rocket oven.
The design embodies 5 core concepts – play, organisation of the work place, DIY-eco design, defensive street furniture, and the public sphere. Creating an absurd prototype for a new kind of creative industry workstation, public sculpture and piece of street furniture. Expanding the work place into public space, conflating the modern factory space with the urban space of the public park.
As innovations in creative industry workspaces ape those of traditional public spaces: The Agora, the Market Place, the Street and Boulevard so too the privatised and enclosed spaces of the city and its various civic spaces: the Museum, the University, the Park, etc begin to reproduce the conditions and design of the factory. With gates, surveillance, controlled usage, prescriptive recreational areas and productive activity zones.
In order to capture and maximise those moments between work, those lost minutes having lunch,time-out, between class, walking home, weekends, cigarette breaks, family time… a new space and design is required to potentialise those seconds that are the elements of profit. Enclosing creativity and leisure, its activities and spaces, in order to harvest value.
Nils Norman has developed his own mix of art and activism, examining histories of utopian thinking and ideas on alternative economic systems that can work within urban living conditions.
Recent solo shows include;
Surrounded by Squares, Raven Row, London, 2009
Degenerate Cologne, Galerie Christian Nagel – Köln 2006
The Homerton Playscape Multiple Struggle Niche, City Projects – London 2005
Hey Rudy!: A Phantom on the Streets of Schizz, Galerie Christian Nagel – Berlin 2003
The Geocruiser, the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden and The Institute of Visual Culture, Cambridge – England 2001
Recent group exhibitions include;
It Starts From Here, De La Warr Pavilion – Bexhill on Sea 2007
Revolution is not a Garden Party, Galerija Miroslav Kraljevi – Croatia 2007
British Art Show 6, Newcastle (touring) 2005/6
50th International Art Exhibition Venice Biennale – Italy 2005
via Artist Commission: Nils Norman – Loughborough University Arts.
