Doug Aitken, one of the world’s leading contemporary artists, has revealed that the first Sky Arts Ignition Series commission at Tate Liverpool will be “a fast moving portrait of modern creativity.” It was announced today that the work will be housed on Liverpool’s historic Albert Dock in a structure designed by world renowned British architect David Adjaye OBE. The commission will form part of the seventh Liverpool Biennial.
The Sky Arts Ignition Series launched in 2011, and will enable Sky Arts to back the creation of major new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent. Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken will be the first project in the series, which will see Sky Arts collaborate with six arts organisations over the next three years in the creation of brand new works. For each of the chosen projects, Sky Arts will provide a cash investment of up to £200,000 and work with the arts partners to bring their projects to a wider audience, using Sky’s platform.
Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken will be Aitken’s first public realm installation in the UK, showcasing his pioneering and ambitious approach to public art. The immersive installation will be comprised of a series of filmed conversations between Aitken and some of the world’s most established creative individuals. The project participants, who will be revealed later this summer, are creative visionaries of all ages and backgrounds, working across different art forms. Grounding their filmed thoughts and sound bites are two questions: where does the creative idea start and how is it realised?
Aitken will collaborate with acclaimed British architect David Adjaye on a temporary structure to house the work, which will be located on Liverpool’s Albert Dock. This deliberate separation from the traditional gallery space will create a new creative territory and cultural destination. Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken will be the antithesis of long-winded lectures on the arts and will open the artistic process up to the viewer: looking to the future, while engaging individuals whose legacies have shaped contemporary culture. It will be free admission and will open to the public on 15 September 2012, continuing to 13 January 2013.
Aitken said:
“This project is about the roots of creativity. Many of the people in this project are working in very diverse mediums and it’s that common thread that I’m interested in. The project is very much about the empowerment of the viewer. I want the installation at Tate Liverpool to be a destination: a place that one can go to and walk into this field of ideas. It will be a celebration of the power of the individual and the forging of a borderless new creative territory – I’m incredibly excited.”
James Hunt, director of Sky Arts commented:
“At Sky Arts, it’s clear to us just how fascinated people are by the creative process that goes into making works of art. Doug’s plan for the first Sky Arts Ignition project really captures that; opening up the creative process and making it more relatable and accessible. That’s another thing that we try to do at Sky Arts, and Doug’s project fits with that ethos perfectly.”
Sky Arts has also announced the final three winners of the Sky Arts Ignition Futures Fund. Animator Drew Roper, artist Laurence Payot and theatre director Felix Mortimer will each receive a bursary of £30,000, joining Opera director Daisy Evans and animator Phoebe Boswell, who were announced as the first two winners in November 2011. The Futures Fund is designed to help young talent to bridge the development gap from school or college to becoming a working artist and offers mentoring alongside the bursary.
For more information on the Sky Arts Ignition Series, please visit the website at sky.com/skyartsignition
