http://www.wideyed.org en-gb wideyed.org 2010-5-25T00:00:00Z wideyed.org http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#65872 Image 169 Akshay MahajanIf weve got our sums right at around midday tomorrow GMT it will be tea time in India and Blindboys BLOWUP IN BOMBAY will be well underway. Not that were excited or anything... As we cant be there weve been following developments on the internets as best we can. Just as we were discovering that Google Streetview hasnt covered India yet so we couldnt go on a virtual walkaround of the exhibition site boo Google booooo Akshay posted some before images on Facebook which give a brilliant taste of the area where BLOWUP will be placed tomorrow plus theyre just gorgeous in and of themselves so I hope he doesnt mind us lifting one for here.The line up of participating photographers was announced the other day and it looks great.INDIA Bharat Sikka Adrian Fisk Akshay Mahajan Kaushik Ramaswamy Meena Kadri Puneet Rakheja Prarthna Singh Tunali Mukherjee Natasha Hemrajani Kapil Das Munsif Mollu Tenzin Dakpa Sheetal Malhar Ishan Tankha Manu Joseph Vidisha ... 2010-5-21T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#65862 The surprise we took to the North East Photography Network discussion group talk we did this Wednesday was a printondemand book we had made about the Blindboys Wideyed collaboration. Its very exclusive we have just two copies of it for reference only its not for sale and if you missed the talk you may never get another chance to look at it in person... But weve made this little video so we can show it in another way with apologies for the hissy sound.BLINDBOYS WIDEYED the book from Lucy Carolan on Vimeo. 2010-5-21T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#64810 North East Photography Network have invited us to give a talk about BLINDBOYS WIDEYED the exhibition and interventions we produced in Newcastle in collaboration with Blindboys. And the timing couldnt be better taking place at the LitampPhil this Wednesday 19th May from 5.30pm 7pm the talk is the perfect way for us to sign off the UK part of the collaboration just days before Blindboys take up the baton with BLOWUP IN BOMBAY on Saturday 22nd May. Blindboys BLOWUP street exhibitions have previously taken place in Bangalore Delhi and Paris and theyre planning to make the one in Bombay their biggest ever. GO BLINDBOYSOh and well be bringing a little surprise to the talk with us... 2010-5-17T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#63997 The University of Sunderland in collaboration with North East Photography Network and the Folkwang University in Essen Germany has organised a photographic exhibition on the theme of urban experience. The project creates a visual mosaic of the cities we inhabit in a wide range of formats that depict urban space architecture the people and the buzz of the city. 2010-4-27T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#63605 2010-4-22T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#62800 The end is only the beginningThis weekend we had to go to Newcastle to clear the Forth Lane billboards of Lenskaps Where are you going Mr Mahajan piece ready for the next artist. We were a bit sad especially as the posters were still intact but it was a beautiful day and even good things must come to an end sometime.So now that our part of this collaborative exchange has come to a close and weve had some time to think about it weve realised that one aspect of the whole BLINDBOYS WIDEYED experience we havent mentioned but which was really a key factor is chance.The empty shop we originally hoped to use as our gallery is steel clad which is where the idea of using magnets to hang the exhibition came from. But if we had been able to lease that space instead of 67B Westgate Road we wouldnt have also had the billboards on Forth Lane for Mr Mahajan.When we first approached Blindboys about exhibiting their work in Newcastle they asked us what we wanted them to send us. So we told them that th... 2010-4-11T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#62091 2010-4-2T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#62039 Nil magnum nisi bonumWere quite proud and justifiably too we think of our resourcefulness in funding BLINDBOYS WIDEYED but while financial considerations are a necessary part of the process money is only ever raw fuel for a project like this not the driver the journey or the destination.Our aims with this exhibition were many and despite limited means at our disposal we believe weve pretty well achieved them all and some.In the process we were able to experiment with new for us methods of presenting printed works and try out fresh ways of promoting what we were doing online all needs a lot more development but we made a start at least. Primarily though we hoped to build on our previous experience with producing the Newsha Tavakolian exhibition to continue exploring the potential of crossovers between the online and real world creating new and fruitful links between us and photographers elsewhere and sharing our discovery of their work with an audience local to us. About the audienceIn... 2010-4-2T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#61451 Lets talk dirty...So back in August 2009 when we were starting to think about what we were going to do next we also looked at the state of our bank account and the cupboard was bare. Realising that no matter what we eventually decided to do it would be difficult to achieve with zero cash we thrashed out some ideas and began to come up with a cunning plan...First we started frequenting auction houses and at the beginning of September won a few job lots of camera equipment. Next we started selling off the things bought bit by bit. Initially the plan was mainly to sell enough to recoup our investment and put much of the remainder of the equipment into the pool of stuff we sometimes use when running workshops and projects but by the beginning of December when we approached Blindboys about exhibiting their work we realised we needed money more than anything and kept selling.In this way we raised around 163500 over the 34 months between December and the present. We used this as match funding... 2010-3-26T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#60583 So how did we get hereShortly after founding Wideyed in February 2008 the organiser of Tees Valley Photography Festival approached us and asked if we would be interested in producing an exhibition of work by Newsha Tavakolian. The festival set up the connection with Newsha arranging for her to send her work to us and Wideyed put the physical exhibition together selecting and sequencing the images to print and frame flying Newsha over for the opening etc. Newshas exhibition was the first thing Wideyed achieved as a collective and it seemed an auspicious start. The three of us were keen to develop the experience but it took a good year for us to work out how...In August 2009 via Yaohongs excellent Asian Photography Blog we discovered Blindboys online and started watching what they were doing. We particularly loved their Blow.Up guerilla exhibitions bringing photography to the streets from Bangalore to Paris. And then in November they Blew.Up Delhi and at the end of this bl... 2010-3-15T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#60226 Understanding your own sexuality is a struggle. Telling your family youre gay can be difficult so finding a ragtag bunch of people you can share your feelings with helps. The search is for broad reassuring chests shared cigarettes gossip exchanged over too much coffee because being queer is as much about this new family as it is about sexuality. Lovers may comfort desires but the queer family is also there for you drinking with you at your local bar discussing difficult decisions be it the college you want to go to or the colour of skinny jean that will suit you best. Akshay Mahajans images present an intimate view of Bangalores queer community. His observations of the interactions of lovers and friends embrace their complexity their moments of drama solicitude and calm.Wideyed is pleased to announce that Queer Family in Bangalore is being exhibited for the very first time as part of the Blindboys Wideyed show. Akshay Mahajan has traveled to some of the most ... 2010-3-10T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#60183 Toran Natak is one of four surviving traveling theater groups in Gujarat India.In a state which has lost thousands to communal violence in recent years these 25 artists coming from varied castes and religions reaffirm the idea of peaceful and positive coexistence.In the 1970s traveling troupes were at the height of their popularity. Supporting over a hundred artists and a repertoire of over 50 plays from different genres competition between rival troupes was immense and many performers were nothing short of being stars.Since the 1990s television and mainstream cinema have practically destroyed their livelihood. With the number of people attending performances dropping every season the remaining troupes find it very hard to continue. For the government these artists simply do not exist. They are provided with no support monetary or otherwise in fact putting on a show often involves paying bribes to various government institutions.Election times are particularly ... 2010-3-9T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#60109 Ishan Tankha is not a coffee drinker. But hes nonetheless drawn to caf233s.The Indian Coffee Houses are particular havens of an old world charm that is rapidly fading with the encroachment of modern sanitised globally franchised competitors. More than just a place to get a cheap drink theyve long afforded a public space for people to meet discuss politics and sport or just sit and idle time away. Theyre practically institutions.Customers and staff share an ease and familiarity that only years of patronage can bring. The rooms with their characteristically high ceilings hold rich aromas and the charm of age and gentle neglect.Tankhas fascination is with ambience and space. In his photographs he attempts to encapsulate the timeless essence of the Indian Coffee House.Ishan Tankha is a Delhibased photojournalist whose work has been featured in a number of publications including India Today Suomen Kuvalehti and Open Magazine. He has worked on a broad range of subjects from the... 2010-3-8T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#59964 21 year old Sophie Ashraf is an artiste of her times a creative force informed by the post 911 world a daring new voice like no other.Its like when you really like a band you wear Tshirts of that band... Well we really really like Islam so we wear the burkha. I rap because I cant sing. But I love music so it had to be rap. Soon the burkha and the rap formed an identity and people started recognising me as The Burkha Rapper.The Justice Rocks Concert was the first platform where I felt the setting and the timing was right to talk about Islam. The Mumbai attack had just happened and everyone was waiting for a proactive Muslim to come out and say what Islam was about. I was just blown away by the response.People tend to think that someone who tries to be different and someone who breaks the rules are the same. I work within the rules but I find those little loopholes that allow me to do my thing.There are those who are not convinced about the burkha sure. Now that we wear i... 2010-3-7T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#59592 2010-3-2T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#58725 Carlo and Nick invite you to the opening of the brand new Empty Shop HQ.Set over two floors and featuring 6 exhibitions this is the biggest Empty Shop event yet and also celebrates the opening of our first ever full time venue.The event featuresThe 2nd Annual Empty Shop OpenWork by the new Empty Shop studio group The FreebirdsThe first residency in the new Stairwell GalleryA new mixed media exhibition by photographer Toby LloydOriginal wall drawings by the Cloud CommissionExpanse Gallery Expanse The smallest gallery in the world curated by 50ft Long Horse6pm 9pm Friday 19th February 2010Empty Shop 35c Framwellgate Bridge Durham City DH1 4SJRichard and me will be there tonight we just have to see what fresh direction Tobys thing with Greggs sausage rolls is takingcheers Lucy 2010-2-19T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#57976 MAstars is an annual online selection of the most promising artists from the UKs leading MA courses. Selected by influential artists curators academics and arts professionals MAstars keeps you up to date with the artists to watch and gives you an insight into the future of the UK art scene.For more about Richard and other MAstars follow this link. 2010-2-8T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#57063 North East Photography Network yesterday released the details of its first major event Photography where a two day symposium and portfolio review.Explore some of the pressing issues facing contemporary photographers and share some of your ideas with our panel of leading curators editors and practitioners. What new opportunities exist for photographers What are the pitfalls and how can we sustain our professional practices in the current economic climate How are new photographic practices being supported and disseminatedSymposium Saturday 12th March Photographer Sarah Pickering will be the keynote speaker. The roundtable discussion will be chaired by Alessandro Vincentelli Curator Baltic. Portfolio Reviews Saturday 13th March An exciting opportunity for onetoone conversations with reviewers of your choice. Each review will last approximately 20 minutes and booking is essential.Reviewers Camilla Brown Senior Curator The Photographers Gallery LondonMalcolm Dickson Director Street ... 2010-1-26T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#56144 News just in that the Tattoos of the Tees Valley exhibition will definitely be touring to two more venues this year. It will first open on Saturday 30th January Saturday 20th February at the Maritime Museum in Hartlepool and run there until sometime in April 11th then afterwards ship to The Head of Steam Railway Museum in Darlington for the 2010 summer season.Well post more precise info as it comes in updated 22012010.Cheers Lucy 2010-1-14T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#53578 It took Richard and me longer than we thought to get to Cowshill for Louises opening but though we were late there were still quite a few people there and plenty of wine and nibbles. These pix were all taken by Louise before we arrived though the place was heaving all afternoon she said so the event was obviously a success In the photo above you can see people holding or leafing through their copies of the centenary book.Louises photo exhibition is part of a multifaceted heritage project undertaken over a period of a year. With other members of the Heatherycleugh community Louise has been involved with many aspects of it a massive amount of work and a fantastic achievement And as if that werent enough she also cooked us dinner before taking us down the local pub for the evening. We got another chance to see the exhibition this morning before heading home and it was packed out again. It runs until 5th December and for anyone passing next Saturday morning the bacon butties are also hig... 2009-11-28T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#53445 So Louise is opening Centenary tomorrow afternoon.Information above and also on the Centenary page of the What Weve Done section of this website. 2009-11-26T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#53088 Directed by Franny Armstrong The Age of Stupid casts Pete Postlethwaite as a mournful archivist in 2055 looking at footage from 2008 of flash floods and rampant air travel and wondering where it all went wrong. Guardian6pm on 1st December theres a screening of the film at the Friends Meeting House Skinnergate Darlington... AND ITS FREE. 2009-11-22T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#52726 Arts collective BLIMEY are hosting an event on the theme of social 28pm on Saturday 21st November at the Darlington Railway Institute. Curated by James Lowther BLIMEY members and selected guest artists including Wideyeds own Louise Taylor who will be giving a sneak preview of some images from her upcoming exhibition Centenary will show and create work and the event will end with an auction.For more info about the programme and participation email blimeydarlingtonyahoo.com or look for BLIMEY on Facebook. 2009-11-17T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#52527 We were all too busy chatting and scoffing jelly babies last night so by the time any of us remembered to take any shots of the preview the gallery was closing...But this installation shot of Richards work couldnt have been taken before the end too many people in the way.The man himself in situ.Zhou Lucuns installation.And Zhou Lucun. His piece about employment prospects for the nearly 2.5 million students who graduate in China every year is really interesting.Class of 2009 from the left Zhou Lucun Siwan Liu his work is amazing but best seen in print Yu Zhu whose piece on homosexuality in China is interesting too Patritsia Panayi and of course Richard Glynn. Congratulations everyone 2009-11-13T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#51644 First outing for Wideyed this month Details of Richard Glynns MA show opening at NGCA below.And for more info about Richards part of this exhibition see Lost Waltz in the What weve done section. 2009-11-9T00:00:00Z http://www.wideyed.org/page8.htm#51692 Fifty Crows is running a series of posts on its blog showcasing international collective of women photojournalists EVE Photographers.The six women that make up the EVE Photographers Marizilda Cruppe Agnes Dherbeys Benedicte Kurzen Justyna Mielnikiewicz Lourdes Segade and Newsha Tavakolian are inspiring sources of new work from around the world. While each individual focuses her camera on the vital stories in her region together the collaboration of their work provides eloquent observations and commentary on profound global topics such as disease access to water and motherhood. By highlighting the different perspectives of each woman in her specific global location the viewer is able to interpret the world from many angles and glean understanding and compassion.Image 9400 Jerome Delay 2009-10-29T00:00:00Z