Ordinary Citizens

I-LAND X-ISLE â€“ Latai Taumoepeau

May 25, 2012AnnouncementsArtistic Practice, Atu, Circular Quay Sydney, Climate Change Conference, Faka, Forecourt, Indigenous Communities, Island Communities, Melting Ice, Museum Of Contemporary Art, Neighbours, Ordinary Citizens, Performance Artist, Performance Installation, Public Art, Rising Sea Levels, Scale Performance, Time 10am, Water Torture, X Isle

Sydneysiders and visitors to the Harbour City can explore the impact of climate change on island communities through this large-scale performance installation by Tongan Islander, Latai Taumoepeau. Large blocks of ice, suspended using traditional Tongan architectural lashing techniques for binding, will draw connections between melting ice glaciers and rising sea levels. Lanai says that she attended the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali in 2007, and thereafter decided to “extend the voice of our invisible pacific people through my artistic practice.”

Â In her own words… “My name is Latai Taumoepeau, I am a performance artist with a new performance installation campaign called i-Land X-isle. It is about the impact of climate change on vulnerable indigenous communities from the arctic to coastal low lying islands. My body will be bound by rope to a 2 tonne block of ice to parallel the experience of already impacted people of human induced climate change to a form of water torture, that is imposed by developing countries. It will be live and a durational performance over 2 days.

I humbly invite you… to use my public art spectacle as a platform to raise wider awareness of communities already impacted by human induced climate change and instructions of how ordinary citizens can change to minimise and cease harm to Australia’s nearest coastal neighbours all the way to the Arctic.”

Faka’apa’apa Atu (with respect), Latai Taumoepeau

When: 26 & 27th May 2012

Time: 10am – 12noon & 2pm – 4pm

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art – Circular Quay Sydney.Â

(outdoors on the forecourt).

http://www.mca.com.au/events/i-land-x-isle-latai-taumoepeau/

John Kay – A good economist knows the true value of the arts

September 1, 2010newsAncillary Activities, Benefit, Desk, Economic Contribution, Economist, Hospitals, Incomes, Jobs, John Kay, Many People, Medium Size Enterprises, Ordinary Citizens, Pride, Sport Tourism, Surgeries, True Value, Uk Economy, Uk Government, Welfare

Activities that are good in themselves are good for the economy, and activities that are bad in themselves are bad for the economy. The only intelligible meaning of â€œbenefit to the economyâ€ is the contribution â€“ direct or indirect â€“ the activity makes to the welfare of ordinary citizens.

Many people underestimate the contribution disease makes to the economy. In Britain, more than a million people are employed to diagnose and treat disease and care for the ill. Thousands of people build hospitals and surgeries, and many small and medium-size enterprises manufacture hospital supplies. Illness contributes about 10 per cent of the UKâ€™s economy: the government does not do enough to promote disease.

Such reasoning is identical to that of studies sitting on my desk that purport to measure the economic contribution of sport, tourism and the arts. These studies point to the number of jobs created, and the ancillary activities needed to make the activities possible. They add up the incomes that result. Reporting the total with pride, the sponsors hope to persuade us not just that sport, tourism and the arts make life better, but that they contribute to something called â€œthe economyâ€.

READ ON //> Â John Kay – A good economist knows the true value of the arts.

APInews: Art in Agriculture at Auburn University, Ala.

March 20, 2010newsAgriculture College, Agriculture Food, Ala, Art Department, Auburn University, College Of Agriculture, College Of Liberal Arts, Community Art, Designers, Environment, Exhibition, Exhibitions, Landscape Architecture Program, Natural Resources, Ordinary Citizens, S College, Scientists

This spring, Auburn University continues its annual interdisciplinary series, Art in Agriculture, which brings together artists, designers and scientists to examine a topic related to agriculture, food, the environment or natural resources. This semesterâ€™s series is titled, â€œReclaiming Ground,â€ and includes two exhibitions, several workshops for kids and seven lectures. One exhibition combines agriculture and architecture, called â€œAgritecture,â€ and another features sustainable designs by students in the Landscape Architecture Program, Design Program and Art Department. The lectures investigate questions such as: What is the role of the artist and designer in society at large? Can ordinary citizens make a difference in their local ecologies? How can a university encourage its students to become involved in their community? Art in Agriculture is jointly hosted by AUâ€™s College of Agriculture, College of Liberal Arts and Department of Art.

via APInews: Art in Agriculture at Auburn University, Ala..