[spectre] cork caucus: art, possibility, democracy, 20June-11July, Cork/IR

[Annie Fletcher]

Dear Friends,

Cork Caucus is a major 3-week international cultural caucus to investigate
art, possibility and democracy.

Cork Caucus is a significant trans-disciplinary meeting of artists, writers
and philosophers taking place from June 20th - July 11th 2005 in Cork City,
Ireland. The purpose of Cork Caucus is to use the city as a base to
investigate the relationship between art and the possibility of change in a
specific place. Through a range of activities, Cork Caucus will provide ways
in which the ambition of art to intervene in social life and political
thinking can be debated at this moment of apparent political stasis.

Participants include: Vito Acconci, Can Altay, Ibon Aranberri, art/not art,
Bik Van der Pol David Blamey, Martin Boyle, John Buckley, Phil Collins,
David Crawforth, Shane Cullen, D.A.E, Catherine David, Jeremiah Day, Maria
Eichhorn, James Elkins, Helen Eriksen, Charles Esche, Bri Farren, finger,
Annie Fletcher, Tim Furey, Jacqui Galvin, International Necronautical
Society,  Sheila Fleming, Vivienne Griffin, Sarah Iremonger, Keri Jones,
Edwin Kelly, Trevor Joyce, Kunci, Agung Kurniawan, Helle Kvamme, Smaïn
Laacher, Nevan Lahart, Niamh Lawlor, Collette Lewis, Breda Lynch, Helena
Lyons, Kathryn Maguire, Surasi Kusolwong, Sarat Maharaj, Sheila Mannix, Cian
McConn, Ian McInerney,  John-Paul McMahon, Eoghan McTigue, Sybil Montague,
Chantal Mouffe, Rory Mullins, Alan Murphy, Irene Murphy, Seamus Nolan,
Joanne O'Brien, Leah O'Brien, Sarah O'Brien, Gareth O'Callaghan, Noreen O'
Connor, Antonia O'Keefe, Paul O'Neill, Matt O'Sullivan, Sarah Pierce, Una
Quigley, Gerald Raunig, Craig Richards, Elinor Rivers, Sam Russell, Simon
Sheikh,Juergen Simpson, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Static, Shep Steiner,
Jan Verwoert, Brian Walsh, WHW, Mick Wilson, Haegue Yang, Rene Zechlin.

All are welcome to come to Cork to participate during the Caucus. Most
activities are free. As we have limited space, please inform us of your
attendance via our website www.corkcaucus.org

The National Sculpture Factory
Charles Esche
Annie Fletcher
Art/ not art

Background
Cork Caucus draws on two Community and Art workshops held in Korea in early
2002 and Indonesia in late 2003. Another key precedent is Joseph Beuys' bid
to establish the Free International University in Ireland. A failed
application to the EEC in 1975 asked for support to investigate 'the
contribution cultural and intellectual life can make to society'. Caucus
picks up that question again in Ireland.

Caucus is an ambitious project including new public commissions, lectures,
picnics, workshops, BBQs, reading groups, exhibitions and informal
gatherings. The grounds for Caucus have been prepared through an extended
Grassroots programme.

Democracy
The word Caucus links the project directly to the process of making a
democratic decision in a collective gathering. A major issue will be how can
we can decide the value of the relationship between what we are engaged in -
the territory of visual culture - and political or cultural change.

Can artistic discussions and material projects contribute to the development
of the democratic model itself? Can the structure and potential of the
democratic forum be revisited and enacted in other ways today? How can an
art activity leave a legacy of creative possibility that enlivens a local
situation?

Given that democracy has to function at the most local level to be
meaningful, Cork Caucus has invested much of its time in developing
situations in the city through the Grassroots phase. It will be through the
tensions and opportunities that arise between local initiatives and the
international art participants that some of its possibilities will be
revealed.

Organisation
Cork Caucus is organised by the National Sculpture Factory (NSF), with
invited curators Art/not art, Charles Esche and Annie Fletcher.

Cork Caucus is an official 'Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture' project
and is also supported by the Arts Council's Projects award, The British
Council, The European Cultural Foundation, The Mondriaan Foundation, the
Prins Claus Fund, the I.F.A.(Institut fuer Auslandsbeziehungen e.V.) and
the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Cork Caucus is grateful to South Presentation Convent, Cork, the Evening
Echo newspaper, Failte Ireland, Cork City Council, Bessborough House, The
Granary Theatre, ICD at the Firkin Crane Centre, Bernadette Sweeney, Michael
Roche and all NSF interns.

For information about Cork Caucus contact the National Sculpture Factory at:
info at nationalsculpturefactory.com or visit the websites: www.corkcaucus.org
and www.nationalsculpturefactory or call +353 (0) 21 431 4353

Apologies for any cross-posting