Mural
For over 27 years, we have produced work by extraordinary artists from across the world. The artwork is often temporary and presented in the neighbourhoods where the work is made. On these journeys we look for ways to extend the life and reach of artists' work, allowing a wider audience to view and enjoy the projects we produce. With innovative emerging technologies we are exploring how artistic practice can be presented in fresh, accessible and above all, artist led ways.
Mural is a visually rich online platform that simplifies the process of combining audio-visual material in a full screen storytelling narrative.
We first used Mural when it was in an early test state. Something about the way it could bring a screen to life captured the imagination of the artists we were working with during CORNERS of Europe. It was immediately obvious that this was a new way to present artwork online where the work took precedence over the distracting mechanics of the web browser.
Since the first web browsers came into existence there have been attempts to create and share artwork online. In most cases platforms have arrived as finished applications that artists have to then navigate, for better or worse. Mural has been developed hand in hand with artists and as a result it is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for visually and critically literate storytelling.
To demonstrate this and test the current release we commissioned artists Lulu MacDonald, Andy Gracie, Willie Robb, Dominic Smith, Jorn Ebner and Matt Pickering to spend time using the platform, experimenting with it and making work. We hoped that they would push it to its limits, use it in unexpected ways and point out potential opportunities that we had missed. They did all of that and more.
So, please click on the links to the artwork below and spend some time with the vivid and insightful artworks on this new platform.
Thank-you to the artists: Lulu MacDonald, Andy Gracie, Willie Robb, Dominic Smith, Jorn Ebner and Matt Pickering
Thank-you to the Mural team: Douglas Arellanes, Pete Haughie, Naomi Aro and Mark Lewis
Project Curator: Dr Dominic Smith
Mural is a visually rich online platform that simplifies the process of combining audio-visual material in a full screen storytelling narrative.
We first used Mural when it was in an early test state. Something about the way it could bring a screen to life captured the imagination of the artists we were working with during CORNERS of Europe. It was immediately obvious that this was a new way to present artwork online where the work took precedence over the distracting mechanics of the web browser.
Since the first web browsers came into existence there have been attempts to create and share artwork online. In most cases platforms have arrived as finished applications that artists have to then navigate, for better or worse. Mural has been developed hand in hand with artists and as a result it is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for visually and critically literate storytelling.
To demonstrate this and test the current release we commissioned artists Lulu MacDonald, Andy Gracie, Willie Robb, Dominic Smith, Jorn Ebner and Matt Pickering to spend time using the platform, experimenting with it and making work. We hoped that they would push it to its limits, use it in unexpected ways and point out potential opportunities that we had missed. They did all of that and more.
So, please click on the links to the artwork below and spend some time with the vivid and insightful artworks on this new platform.
Thank-you to the artists: Lulu MacDonald, Andy Gracie, Willie Robb, Dominic Smith, Jorn Ebner and Matt Pickering
Thank-you to the Mural team: Douglas Arellanes, Pete Haughie, Naomi Aro and Mark Lewis
Project Curator: Dr Dominic Smith
Lulu Macdonald - Blossoming Trees Bearing Incense, Unearthing His RootsLulu MacDonald studied at The Slade School of Fine Art. She now lives and works in Hamburg where she recently completed a Masters degree in sculpture. For this commission Lulu made work about interpreting our creative past and asks ‘when is my memory our collective memory?’ >>
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Jorn Ebner - bukuria dhe - Jorn has been producing work for exhibition, festivals and commissions for over twenty years. His work includes the use of digital technologies, public and social environments, sound and drawing. For this Mural project Jorn revived a essay piece he had been working on that he began in Tirana, Albania. It explores emigration of Albanians in a way that is emblematic of the wider refugee situation and how it is presented. >>
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Dominic Smith - The VolunteersDominic is an artist based in the North East of England. His practice includes moving image, critical digital media and narrative investigative formats. The volunteers is an interview with the Quartermaster of Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade. It is also an autobiographical moment where he shares recent investigations into the richness and heritage of the North East Coast. >>
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Andy Gracie - MICROPALYPSEAndy Gracie is a British artist working closely on the cusp of art and science. He has used Mural as part of an ongoing body of work that draws on popular cultures vision of the end of the world. Andy has used Mural to experiment with non linear narratives, testing possible strategies for live cinema. >>
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Willie Robb - European FerriesWillie Robb is a Scottish Photographer, video producer and artist blending autobiographical and documentary practices. He is currently based in the South East of England. This piece by Willie is an introduction to his larger investigative project looking at historical links to Europe and pondering the impact of the recent referendum of 2016. >>
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Matt Pickering - LAPSEMatt Pickering is a video installation artist based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His work examines the complex intersections of autobiographical memory, account, fact and fiction. This piece explores the impact of Alzheimer's disease on the way we see and understand the world around us through the eyes of a fictional character living with Alzheimer's. >>
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