16 December 2014 - Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meets Phoenix Bursary at the Reid Building

Visit to Pilotenkueche Studios in Leipzig

After the visit to HGB Sam and Alex took me to the Spinnerei complex that is home of there studios. The Pilotenkueche is a fairly new artist ran space that houses 10 artists and actively seeks external collaborations and influences to inform the making that happens there. 30 Minutes walk from the institution and part of the huge create Spinnerei hub, the studios were spacious enough to allow for the creation of pretty bold works across all disciplines, and openly experimental enough to encourage real play without inhibition. To find out more visit the website for information.

Visit to Academy of the Visual Arts Leipzig - Winged Victory

This image was taken in the entrance way to the Leipzig Academy. It's a plaster cast of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, also know as the Nike of Samothrace. The original, dating from 200 - 190BC sits in the Louve and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world. But it struck a chord with me for a different reason. At the Glasgow School of Art the same statue stands in the Mackintosh Gallery and was in the first image I saw of the interior after the fire. The middle image was taken the morning after and came as a huge relief to everyone that saw it. We knew that the West wing was badly damaged but to see the mack gallery looking good was quite a moment after a night with no sleep.

Staue in the entrance of the Academy of the Visual Arts Leipzig

Image taken in the Mackintosh Gallery morning of the 24/05

Exhibition view of the mackintosh gallery

Leipzig - 09/12/2014

Took the early train over to Leipzig to visit The Academy of Visual Arts. As with Berlin below are a few images of the city to provide a small setting for the Academy. You'll see that Leipzig has a thing for impressive balconies, curious bus stops and Graffiti......... A really beautiful, vibrant city.

HGB Leipzig

I was taken around the Academy by the Erasmus Coordinator Frances Kind, Professor of Photography, Torsten Hattenkerl and the Vice Rector for Academic and artistic practice, Prof. Oliver Kossack. As with ever institution i've visited the generosity of the staff and institution means a lot to me and the project, and i need to thank Frances, Oliver and Torsten for the welcome and hospitality they provided. 

During the tour I was taken into the studios and technical facilities and as you'll see from the images below all aspects were impressive, in particular the printing rooms for which the academy is famed.

While walking around I met with the two bursary holders, Alex Jensen and Sam Hailey-Watts. They were in the middle of one of Oliver's classes and by the sounds of it were preparing to make a studio tent………you never quite know what to expect on a day to day basis at an Art Academy. 

Another great visit and again it's simply amazing to see the range of facilities and environments that the bursary holders have access to. 

Large canvas in a painting studio

Student working on a mould in one of the large communal studios

Selection of printing presses 

Inks and screen printing table 

Selection of letters in the Academy case room

Overview of the extensive case room

Corridor with lone printer. Not showing off the Academy facilities but an example of the internal architecture and detailing

The two bursary holder Alex and Sam on the balcony above the main entrance.

Alex and Sam on the steps to the Academy

Visit to The Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK (Berlin University of the Arts)

After a two hour wander through the city, past the Brandenburg gate and through the Tiergarten, I was greeted at UdK by Angelika Theuss and Sheila Zips from the International Relations Office. After lunch with the busary holders I was taken on a tour of the Fine Art building by Jürgen Verhoeven and Kilian Seyfried, two Coordinators for international students at UdK. I must thank UdK for ther generosity shown to me during the visit. This is an extremely busy time for institutions and to afford me time over lunch followed by a two hour tour was more than i could of hoped for. 

A fantastic institution within an exciting city and it was a pleasure to visit.

Although not at all doing the spaces justice, the images below are of some of the studios and workshop facilities. 

An example of one of the group studio spaces, this one is home to Lewis Miller.

Image from the Book binding workshop within the faculty of Fine Art.

Weight used to keep freshly bound books compact.

An example of the heigh and light that are available throughout the building. Strangely reminiscent of the basement studios in the Macintosh

UdK student working in her studio

Very productive painting studio and home to Laura Christy

Storage for the stone blocks used for lithograph printing

Ceramic Casting Workshop at The Whisky Bond Studios Glasgow

Phoenix Bursary Holders at The Whisky Bond attended full-day ceramics and full-day casting workshops with artist Luke Twiggers.  Photographs by Milly Maloco.

Caitlin Merret-King making a mold

Luke Twigger, Tess Vaughan and Richard Krantz

chicken

Luke and Caitlin