projects
The Performance Dinners
This project aims to host a series of performance dinners themed around a classic text (script/image) from feminist history. The events are curated by Mo Throp & Maria Walsh with the proposer of the text. To date we have hosted two in the series. Another is planned for Autumn 2009.
20 Feb 2009 - We curated The S.C.U.M. Manifesto Dinner with Monika Oechsler. 25 participating artists/guests, including students at Chelsea College of Art & Design, performed a 5 min response in relation to the aspects of Valerie Solanas' text that they consider relevant to their contemporary practice. The event took place in The Green Room, Chelsea College of Art & Design.
20 Jun 2008 - Co-curated The Second Sex Dinner - a performative event with 25 participating artists, including students, Chelsea College of Art & Design Banqueting Hall.
The Animal Project
This project stems from the shared research interests of Mo Throp and Maria Walsh in how the concept of the 'animal' has transmogrified from being a symbolic or mythological trope into becoming a force for restaging the dynamics of subjectivity in relation to animal, human, plant, machine, and technological others. In 21 Nov 2008 we organised a conference with Rosi Braidotti at Tate Britatin - Close Encounters of the Animal Kind. Speakers included Rosi Braidotti, Jackie Stacey, Patricia MacCormack, Jaki Irvine, Mo Throp, Monika Oechsler, Linda Williams and Claire Colebrook. Chaired by Maria Walsh. The conference was related to an earlier exhibition Machinic Alliances that we co-curated with Danielle Arnaud at Danielle Arnaud Contemporary Art, London, 2 Jul - 10 Aug 2008. The catalogue includes essays by Rosi Braidotti and Maria Walsh.
The Dvd Project
In 2007 members of the group produced a dvd of 3-5 min films one by each member. The dvd was curated and designed by Verina Gfader and was screened on 12 Dec 2007 at Chelsea Lecture Theatre. Subsequent screenings include: ViDea '08, University of Sienna & University of Ferrara, Italy, Mar 2008; and University of Salerno, Apr 2008. Unpack '08, Chinese Experimental Art Education and Practice Exhibition, Nanshan Art Museum and Xiangshan Aart Museum of China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, Mar 26 - Apr 4 2008.
Conversing
This was the first group project undertaken by S&f and it set out the model for subsequent projects, i.e. publication, exhibition, symposium. We took the theme of conversing to facilitate group dialogue. In Oct 2005, we published Conversing - a broadsheet publication comprising artists pages (Mo Throp, Sutapa Biswas, Sissu Tarka, Susan Trangmar, Hayley Newman and Brian Dawn Chalkley, Sarah Smith, Jenny Lu, Abigail Reynolds, Jo Bruton and Lucy Gunning) and 2 essays, (one by Maria Walsh, the other by Paula Smithard). In Jan 2006, this was followed by an exhibition of group members at Triangle Gallery, Chelsea College of Art & Design and a symposium at Chelsea with speakers Gavin Butt, Marsha Meskimmon, Claire Pajackowska & chaired by Heidi Reitmaier. Group members were also involved in the artists panels that featured throughout the event.
