Opening Exhibition Saturday 27. April 2024 13.00-18.00 & 1. Mai 2024 13.00-18.00
Where; Maison Vénus, Barclay street, (fond la digue), Port Mathurin, Rodrigues, (near to Cinema Metro)
Time of Residency; 1-30. April 2024
Introduction : THE TRANSIT OF VENUS ACROSS THE SUN
The Roman goddess of Venus represents love and beauty together with the Greek god Helios – „the above and shining one,“ also the personification of the Sun, typically depicted as a horse-drawn chariot through the sky with a radiant crown. Together Venus and Helios celebrate a grand union of radiant beauty, light and sight. The transit of Venus through the face of the Sun is both an artistic and scientific metaphor of our distance to the shining Sun.
Now is the appropriate opportunity to celebrate this adventure with a second international adventure, similar to the unique one in 1761, when astronomically inclined scientists hurried to the remote island of Rodrigues in the attempt to measure the accurate distance from the earth to the sun.
In the year 1761 the scientific community launched many expeditions to different places so as to observe the transit of the planet Venus across the Sun. Venus‘ movement across the face of the Sun lines up with the Earth at irregular times, the most recent one‘s being in 2004 and 2012. Durning the transit the planet Venus is can be observed as a small dot moving across the face of the Sun. This was first scientifically observed in 1761 and again in 1769, but not again until over 100 years later. Astronomers like Edmund Halley had suggested that they might use these observations to triangulate the actual distance from the Earth to the Sun by simultaneously measuring the exact time Venus appears as a dot on the Sun from two vantage points on Earth. Scientific programs in many countries jumped on the bandwagon to be the first to make this accurate scientific observation.
Astronomers calculated that it would be best to make the two different observations far apart. One mission was sent to the northern hemisphere, but where would be the best southern observation point?
First it was thought that the right spot might be the island of Madagascar in the Indian ocean, but then it was figured out that the best possible location would be the small island of Rodrigues, east of Madagascar.
An expedition was sent to Rodrigues, headed by the French astronomer Alexandre-Gui Pingué. Various expeditions from France, Spain, England and other countries, usually financially supported by the royalty – all tried to get accurate measurements.
This joint international venture, both in 1761 and 8 years laters have been called the Apollo program og the 18th century, equating it with the space race of the superpowers 200 years later.
An international artistic adventure in the summer of 2024 will celebrate Rodrigues brief fame in 1761 and put the island again on the map. The visiting artists will undoubtably create art in the spirit of Venus and Helios and it will greatly benefit the small island to reinvent itself, as the artists will leave many new artworks on permanent display on the island.
The idea for the project “ESCALE- The Transit of Venus across the sun ” centres on making Rodrigues a place of confluence for ESCALE artists from around the world and local artists, during the 4 week period of the workshop.
The culmination of the workshop will be marked by an event highlighting the works created during the 4 week period of the workshop. All the workshops need their end.
The final decision regarding the format of the workshop will depend on the site. the possibilities and the data present on the site will be considered and a project plan will be determined in collaboration with the Rodrigues associates.
The basic approach of the ESCALE organisation is for participating artists to work “in situ,” in response to opportunities, explorations, observations, experiences, and interactions occurring on the site, during the time of the workshop, rather than to bring previously realised works of art to the exhibition site as is common in traditional, “white cube” art spaces. Living everyday life of the workshop is an important part of the common artwork.
The goal of the project is not to focus on producing objects for the final “exhibition” but to allow work to evolve from the experiencing of the site and the interactions and exchange occurring between the artists and the community in which the workshop is taking place. the work itself, the oeuvre, comes then as a result of this process.
On the formal level the evidence of the artistic process is predominantly an “organic” orientation of art objects and interventions, directly resulting from the challenge of creating, sometimes non-transportable, works of art on site. Some of the results of the intervention may remain on site, vulnerable to circumstance. Some works of art may be given away or destroyed depending on the dynamics and opportunities of the chosen place. In this way, the whole island of Rodrigues is potentially the frame of the workshop and the place of the exhibition.
Nothing is excluded from the palate of artistic expression. All participants are encouraged to express themselves according to the genre or genres which inspire them: drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, happenings, performance, etc...
Escale in Mauritius
In 1993, the idea of ESCALE was born in Düsseldorf, Germany during preparations for an artistic journey, organised by Günter Uecker, then a professor at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. this gave birth to the ESCALE workshops, each gathering about 20 international artists, around one project, in different countries of the world. the exhibition space “Gallery ESCALE” was created, in Düsseldorf, as well.
In 1994, took place the first residency in Mauritius with 24 artistes : "MADE iN MAURITIUS", Exhibition at the NPF Building, Euréka, Île Maurice. Followed by an exhibition in Düsseldorf (RFA),
In 1997, twenty-five international artists went to Mauritius island, for a residence project, workshop and exhibition, called " ESCALE in Mauritius".
this first meeting brought on many interesting events, interesting encounters, new perspectives and gave way to the creation of ESCALE, a group of artists travelling and working in situ around the world, wherever and whenever an occasion, an inspiration, a possibility occurred. Forming an open, elastic structure, ESCALE artists went to Mauritius, India, Chile, France, Iceland, Lithuania, Japan, Korea, and Russia to work and to prosper.
In 2007, ten years later, the idea of Manou Soobhany and Krishna Luchuman, the organisers of the first ESCALE-event, was to go back once more to Mauritius island: the same place, the same people, the same time of the year, the same exhibition space, everything the same, just ten years later ... to find out what had changed. this, of course, was not possible. Everything had changed. Not even one single grain of sand was still in the same spot. ESCALE means some new people now, and the old artists are even older. "the times they are a- changing'." Everything is different, even the everlasting roll of the waves on the strands of Mauritius, because the glances are different. the points of view have shifted. time did its job. So Manou and Krishna decided to take it easy. the new project is just “ten years later”, and all the artists met along the road are welcome to celebrate. the working-title is “tiME”. Meeting again on Mauritius island to find out what time means, and create work about it, is challenge enough for a jubilee.
In 2022 , and for the fifth time another artist encounter took place in 2022/2023 in Mahéboeurg, Mauritius. An independent initiative by Manou Soobhany to gather artists from all disciplines and from all the world for four weeks of reflection, exchange and creation around the theme “Islands – Myth and Reality”. Present were 50 artists from 15 countries.
What is Escale
1993, Düsseldorf Germany.
The idea of ESCALE was born in Düsseldorf, Germany during preparations for an artistic journey, organised by Günter Uecker, then a professor at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. This gave birth to the ESCALE workshops, each gathering about 20 international artists, around one project, in different countries of the world. The exhibition space “Gallery ESCALE” was created, in Düsseldorf, as well.
Although, Gallery ESCALE no longer exists, ES- CALE’s artistic journeys still take place regularly.
1994 to present …
ESCALE is a group of international artists, who come together, in different parts of the world, to create works of art for projects based on one idea or issue appropriate to the venue where the project is taking place.
ESCALE is not a classical group of artists in which members share the same canon of defined ideas. Instead, ESCALE is an artistic project permanently in progress...
Through meetings with local artists the ESCALE circle grows, changes form, size and configuration. It is this elasticity which defines the originality of ESCALE’s projects. This mobility of the spirit and body permanently engenders new possibilities of artistic intervention.
Artists from all over the world come, with their own histories and perspectives, to meet and work together in a new environment. Each workshop takes place at the invitation of one or several artists, who invite the group to his or her home country. The countries, the places, the conditions of everyday life and work, the timing of the workshops, financial possibilities and exhibition opportunities differ each time.
One can describe the intervention of ESCALE as an outbreak of a propitious fever which changes conditions and circumstances for a short time, briefly contaminating people and places and then disappearing, leaving behind a trace memory of the interactions and the work, accomplished together.
Previous ESCALE projects
1994/95 "MADE iN MAURITIUS",
Exhibition at the NPF Building, Euréka, Île Maurice Followed by an exhibition in Düsseldorf (RFA), Galerie Escale 24 artists / catalog
1996 "120 FiGURES",
Exhibition at the Galerie of Kay Won School of Art, Seoul, South Korea
Exhibition at the Galerie of Seoul
12 artists / catalog
1997 "ESCALE iN MAURITIUS",
Exhibition at the Galerie Dodo, Euréka, Île Maurice
19 artists / catalog
1999 "9/7",
Shillong - Meghalaya, North-est of india Exhibition at the MAN, museum of national art, Shillong,india 22 artists
2000/01 "MYTHS OF MODERN TIMES", MAC, Santiago de Chile, Chile Residency at Valparaiso, Chile Exhibition in the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Santiago de Chile, Chile 14 artists
2000/01 "EL DIA",
Ex-Carcel, Valparaiso, Chile Exhibition - one day presentation in the ancient prison of Valparaiso 40 artists with the participation of the art school of Valparaiso / mini-catalog with individuel cartes
2000 TNM, TELENOMADE,
internet site: “en direct du Chili” individual project by for 4 artists participating at the workshop d’ESCALE in Chile http://telenomade.free.fr
2002/03 "CONFLUENCIAS ",
MAM, Museo de Arte Moderno, Castro, Île of Chiloë, Chile 10 artists / ESCALE in collaboration with the Chilean artist group PAN / catalog MAM
2004 “13001 FRIOUL”,
Hôpital Caroline, Îles de Frioul, Marseille, France ESPACE CULtURE, Marseille, France 30 artists of ESCALE, 10 french artists,
N°30 of the french art revue TROU, published one edition concerning the project
16 students from the Department of Design University of Applied Sciences - MKI, Düsseldorf, RFA
the project was documented by the Department of Design University of Applied Sciences, MKI, Düsseldorf, RFA - www.13001frioul.net - site web realised by the MKI - scale model of a catalog : “Bilderbuch”, 200 pages, color photos
2007 "WRONG MISTAKES", Mychkin, Russia
12 artists of ESCALE, 20 Russian artists,
N°33 of the french art revue TROU, published one edition concerning the project This project will be followed by a retrospective exhibition in Moscow in mars 2008
2008 "TiME - TEN YEARS LATER", Île Maurice
proposition of Manou Soobhany 20 ESCALE’s artists / 10 Mauritian artists Old Prison, Port Louis, behind the NBF Building, Maillard Street, Port Louis.
2008 "CASADIAMANTINA", Pachamama - l'art de la terre, Bresil ESCALE project in collaboration with the french association PACHAMAMA, Marseille Construction project of an “art-house” in the very countryside, Bahia, Brésil.
2022/23 “Island Myths and Reality” Mahébourg, Mauritius. 45 artists foreign and local. Exhibition History Museum Mauritius Mahébourg. Concert Caudan Center Pt.Louis www.islandmythsandreality.com
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2023 “Maurice Reviens” Group Exhibition Marseille. Island Myths and Reality artists follow up in France.
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Collaborating workshop programs; since 2022 “OCEANUS HAFSJÓR”, Iceland. www.oceanushafsjor.com, since 2010 "FRESH WiNDS", Iceland, since 1998 "ABiKO SHi - OPEN AiR FEStiVAL", Japan, since 1993 "RESiDENY", Lithuania.