In the workshop hosted by Sidsel Christensen, we looked back at ourselves from a different perspective. We embodied matters of rhythm, pattern and group dynamics, through performance and video. Together with the group in the workshop, we explored the relationship between being a single subject on one hand, and being a smaller part of a bigger group or body on the other. We found inspiration from a mix of scientific findings on subjects from bird flocking and cell-intelligence to evolutionary collaboratory structures in crowds. This lead us to an experimental space, where the group created patterns, images and movements together, as if coming from one big, collective mind.
Themes covered in this workshop included:
Quorum sensing: Function as a decision-making process in any decentralised system, made up of many individual entities. (Bacteria, insects) For example how a swarm of bees collectively decides where to establish a new colony.
Flocking:
In the workshop hosted by Sidsel Christensen, we looked back at ourselves from a different perspective. We embodied matters of rhythm, pattern and group dynamics, through performance and video. Together with the group in the workshop, we explored the relationship between being a single subject on one hand, and being a smaller part of a bigger group or body on the other. We found inspiration from a mix of scientific findings on subjects from bird flocking and cell-intelligence to evolutionary collaboratory structures in crowds. This lead us to an experimental space, where the group created patterns, images and movements together, as if coming from one big, collective mind.
Themes covered in this workshop included:
Quorum sensing: Function as a decision-making process in any decentralised system, made up of many individual entities. (Bacteria, insects) For example how a swarm of bees collectively decides where to establish a new colony.
Flocking: Collective motion of a large number of self-propelled entities. A collective animal behavior exhibited by many living beings such as birds, fish, bacteria and insects. It is considered an emergent behavior arising from simple rules that are followed by individuals and does not involve any central coordination.
Cell intelligence: New research that looks at how single cells can show the ability for individual intelligent behaviour. When isolated, they initiate self-governed assessment of their environment. If cells can measure space and time, they must be able to derive abstract data from physical signals.
Evolutionary collaboration: Darwin argues that the inclination towards collaboration must have developed as an evolutionary advantage.
The wisdom of Crowds: 1906 Francis Galton, cattle marked. Organised competition to guess the weight of a slaughtered cow on display. The exact average of the group (made up of specialists and normal visitors alike) guessed the correct answer.
Curator: Kristina Ketola Bore
Project Manager: Marisa Molin
Youth Worker: Trine Ottosen
Mobilizing Citizenship has received generous funding from Arts Council Norway and Nordic Culture Point.
Sidsel Christensen engages with moving image, live-events and performance-based lectures. Based in Copenhagen, while remaining a working relationship throughout Scandinavia and the UK, Sidsel holds a BA from Goldsmiths and MA from the Royal College of Art respectively. She is currently engaged as a lecturer in New Media at the Institute of Art, University of Bergen.
Selected shows between 2013/18 include two commissioned solo works at Stavanger Art Museum, Norway and a comprehensive performative installation at Kunsthall Stavanger, Norway, as well as UK exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary art (ICA), Open Gallery, Hjellegjerde Gallery, Photo London and The Tetley. In the same period, Sidsel has showed work at New Shelterplan (DK), X and Beyond (DK), Kunstnerenes Hus (NO), Perfomence Art Bergen (NO), Ancharpark (DE) and Insitu (DE). Last May, Sidsel performed “Swallow the Journey” at The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and this fall she will create a new immersive performance installation at VEGA ARTS in Copenhagen.
Mobilizing Citizenship (MC) is an educational project where Norwegian and international artists and designers are invited to work with a small group of young people aged 12-16 at Kunsthall Stavanger during one semester. The overall focus of MC is to investigate how young people can use tools and methods from contemporary art to express themselves and be heard in today's society. MC is not a talent development programme, but rather an investigation into how contemporary art can be a relevant contribution in young people’s lives.
Since its inception in 2018, MC has developed into a practice-based research project. During the period 2022–2024, the project will focus on building more knowledge about how we can create good meetings between contemporary art and young people. As part of this, we are collaborating with institutions and cultural workers from around the world who have expertise in this area. The result of the project will take the form of reflections and documentations, made accessible to artists, curators, cultural workers and institutions who want to create relevant offerings for young people.
Previous Themes and Participants:
Spring 2022
DRAMA
With: Lee Heinemann (curator), Delali Ayivor, Lex Brown, Ingela Ihrman
Autumn 2019
Unpacking the Visual Norms
With: Benedetta Crippa, Toxic Waste Face, Jennie Bringaker, Lee Heinemann
Spring 2019
Movement and Body Representation
With: WALK OF SHAME, Sidsel Christensen, Zinzi Minott, Trojan Horse (Kaisa Karvinen, Tommi Vasko)
Autumn 2018
Public Space in the Context of the Digital
With: Clara Balaguer, Eglé Kulbokaité and Dorota Gawęda, Laurel Schwulst, Andreas Knag Danielsen and David Lamignan Larsen
Spring 2018
Activism as Artistic Tool
With: Hardworking Goodlooking (Clara Balaguer, Kristian Henson), Synnøve Sizou G. Wetten, Hans Edward Hammonds, Nicole Killian and Benjamin Hickethier
