14 – 18 March
Impossible Perspectives Lab
Tatton Park, Cheshire
A project by Abandon Normal Devices (AND), Cheshire East Council and Tatton Park
ICI London supports Impossible Perspectives lab, a unique XR (extended reality) residential talent development programme supporting new visions, exchanges and experiences of the heritage, taking place at the historic estate of Tatton Park, in Cheshire, between 14-18 March. The lab is inspired by Tatton’s Park landscape and the works of 18th Century Italian painter Canaletto, whose paintings and drawings form part of the mansion’s collection. Canaletto’s works are renowned for their immersive qualities of imaginary architectural views (referred to as capricci), creating ‘impossible perspectives’ considered to be fledgling versions of current virtual reality. Due to their expanded field of vision, Canaletto’s paintings are referred to as the ‘original VR’.
Five emerging UK-based artists were selected from an open call in January (find their bios by clicking on the names):
Baff Akoto, a London-based artist whose work embraces the fluidity of visual grammar, notions of plurality and (self) perceptions.
Thomas Buckley, an artist and storyteller based in Brighton, using new media and the lower senses to create immersive works, working in projection, emergent technologies and interactive installations.
Angela YT Chan, an independent researcher, curator and artist based in the East Midlands, whose work reconfigures power in relation to the inequity of climate change, through self-archiving, rethinking geographies and speculative fiction.
enorê, a Brazilian artist working between digital and physical media, currently based in London
Kialy Tihngang, a Glasgow-based interdisciplinary artist working in textiles, costume, photography and moving image
The weeklong residential lab will offer a supportive space for sharing, learning and expanding the selected artists’ practices in scale and technologies of production in AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and wider XR (extended reality) technology based artforms, in collaboration with experts, artists and technologists from SODA (School of Digital Arts, Manchester Metropolitan University) Labs and HTC. Established contemporary artists and leading sector experts will offer inspiring and practical guidance, workshops and professional development throughout the residency.
Within this site-specific environment of production and exhibition, artists, curators and technologists will collaborate to develop proposals for ambitious, immersive artworks under the banner of ‘Impossible Perspectives’, that will feature in a site-wide exhibition at Tatton Park in the coming years.
Impossible Perspectives Lab is a new UK artist residency programme for Tatton Park. Produced by Abandon Normal Devices, commissioned by Abandon Normal Devices and Cheshire East Council as part of SHIFT. Supported with public funds from Arts Council England, with additional support from the Italian Cultural Institute in London.