Deirdre M. Donoghue

The project What Belongs To The Sky?, has been made possible by a research and development subsidy from the Centrum Beeldende Kunsten, Rotterdam. 

http://www.rotterdamsekunstenaars.nl/nl/home/oo-keuze-uit-afgeronde-projecten

What Belongs To The Sky? investigates the social aspects between language and communication in a situation where the ability to speak is broken down. In order to carry out the project, I set out to focus on the very particular condition of aphasia, which is an inability to understand and/or to use language symbols as a result of a neurological impairment. As language is essential to the construction of a Self, I was curious to examine how it would be possible for a person living with aphasia to participate in the social construction of his or hers autobiographical narrative in the face of such an impairment. What I set out to do was to insert myself, together with my video and audio recording equipment, in the everyday life of an elderly couple living on an isolated, bi-lingual island of Utö (Finland), in the middle of the Baltic sea. The man of the couple, Fjalar Johansson, has Bingswangers disease, a type of dementia, and as a result suffers of aphasia. Previously a bi-lingual, charismatic and an eloquent public speaker, Fjalar’s speech has in the last few years been reduced to a very basic level, consisting of simple sentences, isolated words, and supporting bodily gestures. Now, more often than not, he is unable to finish his sentences and give form to his thoughts through words. He is unable to fluently express himself to others and in this way to participate in the social. His inability to partake in the social through language and speaking is also heightened by his poor sight and hearing. However, it is specifically his loss of language and its creative power to construct, order and mediate that has placed him in a social abyss with diminished means to navigate in the social and so to have proper agency as a human being.

The project  will result in two parallel parts; a film with a narrative structure and an audio-visual installation consisting of shorter video works.

Lecture:   Notes on Performativity: Memory Production as a Performative Utterance, a lecture by Deirdre M. Donoghue on the 4th of December at 20:00h taking place in the framework of The Object Lag Intangible, a Play Donoghue considers the performative as; reality producing relation between memory, its documentation and its representation. She will look at art works that deal with memory production and the production of subjectivities. The 2010 programme of Nieuwe Vide draws to a close on the 17th and 18th of December with The Object Lag Intangible, a Play. Guest curator and artist, Emily Williams enters a working period in collaboration with performance artist, DavidWeber–Krebs, artist and theoretician, Warren Neidich and artist,Deirdre M. Donoghue. Reflecting on the past year and departing from the question; How can The Object lag be documented without fixing it? Williams devises a choreography that opposes bringing The Object Lag to a prescribed end, but rather, sets it in motion as a possible beginning. Including presentations byMichael Beck, Rana Hamadeh, Scott Joseph Jean–BaptisteMaitre, Julie Peeters and guests. http://www.nieuwevide.nl/

Symposium – Kunsthuis SYB

OUR HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET

On October 23rd, 2010, Kunsthuis SYB celebrates its 10th anniversary with a symposium and a party.
The symposium ‘Our House in the Middle of the Street’ concentrates on subjects that were brought up by the diverse projects that took place in SYB since the start of the residency, formulated along the lines of the various uses of the house. Six guest speakers will reflect on the themes ofNesting, Hospitality, Open House, Social Politics,Playground Structures and Private / Public, aiming to open up discussion and focus on the issues raised within them, to establish a relation with a broader contemporary art theory scene with special attention for project art.
Kunsthuis SYB will function as a performative playground, hosting cross-disciplinary speakers and guests conversing on various locations in Beetsterzwaag and the house itself.

The symposium will be available to all online through Live Streaming.

At the evening party various performances will be given by artists who recently worked in SYB.

A tour bus between Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Beetsterzwaag will service guests from afar. Register viainfo@kunsthuissyb.nl.

‘Our House in the Middle of the Street’ is developed by Maja Bekan and Irene Kromhout, artists and member of SYB’s programming committee, with the generous support of the Artclub and Maartje Peters, coordinator. Sarah Bogers is responsable for the graphic design.

PROGRAMME
14:00 START SYMPOSIUM

HOSPITALITY
Daniëlle van Zuijlen, visual artist and curator, founder of the artist-run initiative Hotel Mariakapel.
NESTING
Deirdre M. Donoghue, performance ‘Kitchen lecture’.
PRIVATE/PUBLIC
Ana Nikitovic, curator Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade, participant ‘de Appel Curatorial Programme’ 08/09, member Prelom Kolektiv.
PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE
Aymeric Mansoux: Core tutor Piet Zwart Institute Media Design and PhD researcher on online art and design communities Goldsmiths U.K.
SOCIAL POLITICS
Frans-Willem Korsten, cultural theorist, professor Erasmus University Rotterdam and Leiden University.
OPEN HOUSE
Emily Williams, artist and curator, former member of Kunsthuis SYB programming committee, guest curator Nieuwe Vide.

18:30 DINNER

20:00 EVENING PARTY
with Basje Boer, Manel Esparbé i Gasca, Gerwin Luijendijk& Kathrin Maria Wolkowicz