#boldtendencies

Peter Adjaye is a contemporary conceptual sound artist, specialising in cross-disciplinary collaborations. He is a musicologist, composer, DJ-producer, musician with an academic background in mathematics and engineering. He publishes his music through a limited amount of vinyls. This physical and conventional form of music reproduction seems old-school to those of other modern formats such as digital formats uploaded on Spotify and Apple Music.

Tessa, one of our trainees, was particularly concerned about the accessibility of art as she grew up in an area without much exposure to art. When Peter was asked about if he would publish his music in a digital format, he answered with a definite “No”. It seemed that this response triggered some dissatisfaction from other trainees who cared about social causes and especially art education. 

My question is, should artists be respected for their preferred medium or be critiqued on the art medium? The pandemic and recent social issues has raised awareness of 1) accessibility, 2) opportunity of artists who are POC (people of colour), and 3) sustainability. In this blog post I will address the first issue that was raised multiple times from this year’s trainees. 

As the situation of the pandemic still changes day by day, is our concern safety or accessibility? If we simply define accessibility as something like - so more people can see the art - how would we be able to achieve it. Would it be the form of decreasing ticket prices, introducing free admissions, or producing a virtual reality gallery? 

Some mediums are meant to be for real life observation. These mediums may include anything that is three-dimensional, which requires the audience to interact with it. Most common ones are sculptures and architectures. Of course you will be able to take a photograph or scan it into a virtual reality model, but it will always lack a certain depth. Humans are sensory creatures: we see, feel, and hear;  the immersiveness of a physical experience is completely different from a two-dimensional presentation. Sometimes art cannot be made accessible and is not meant to be accessible. If we were critiquing Peter’s work for not being accessible enough, have we considered how his music worked?

During our visit at the Barbican Centre, we were able to listen to his work in the Curve Gallery that was exhibiting Toyin Ojih Odutola’s work. Peter had to compose the music according to the structure of the Curve Gallery as it did impact audio in real life. However, would it be appropriate to ask an artist to change its medium so it is more accessible when accessibility was not its priorities? Or must every artist be pressurised in doing so because he brings a greater social impact?

I’d like to bring in my background in Economics, which I think might bring in another point of view. The purpose of art nowadays is mostly related to some form of impact, but the real question is does accessibility bring more impact? I would like to bring in the concept of the Law Of Diminishing Marginal Utility. It states that all else equal as consumption (in this case, accessibility of art) increases the marginal utility derived from each additional unit declines. Marginal utility is derived as the change in utility as an additional unit is consumed. Utility is an economic term used to represent satisfaction or happiness. Marginal utility is the incremental increase in utility that results from consumption of one additional unit. For example, based on this law it means that if all forms of art were more accessible, the audience will be less satisfied per observation/exhibition as they become too available. I do believe this law works in real life to a certain degree if we consider the audience’s price elasticity (how sensitive they are to admission prices). This law is particularly relevant because one way of measuring impact is through audience satisfaction.

There were several free concerts and virtual events done during lockdown. However, how many people willingly attended? Will the same group of audience still attend these online events if there wasn’t a lockdown or a pandemic? Will the audience feel more satisfied to attend during a pandemic because they were made safe (another form of accessibility)? There are so many other elements involved when we want to measure if accessibility actually increases the amount of audience and impact. 

The artists have chosen a medium that they think is suitable for the piece. Some art is created for the public and some are not. Must we force all artists to consider accessibility before creating art, or would that be restricting creativity? Will making art accessible actually bring more impact to the society? Will people appreciate art more if it were made free and public, or will it be the opposite? If the former were true why do we still purchase limited edition items, celebrity concert tickets, and luxury brands when there are similar substitute products at a lower cost? Does it mean if something is less accessible/available, it will bring more satisfaction when it is purchased? So does this mean if an exhibition was in a major city with an acceptable admission fee, will the experience be more memorable than if it was next door to your flat with a free entry? Do you have a stronger impression of something when it was less accessible? Chances are you have never tried your local restaurant just around the corner, because it is simply too accessible. 

I remember huffing and puffing up the last few stairs and being greeted with an expansive yet strangely intimate view, with all its nooks and crannies. The ensuing weeks that I spent there slowly drew out a latent childlike spirit within me as I was catapulted into the memories of long hazy summers past. It’s strange how my time there is at once tucked in the palm of my hand and a feeling preserved long ago, blurred around the edges but honey-sweet.

We’re interrupting this internet browse for a quick vibe check.

Hi, I’m Ioana and I’m here to share with you my experiences as a former trainee and guide you through some of the things I learnt and discovered after taking part in  Bold Tendencies’s 2020 ATP.

First things first, yes, it does get pretty windy and also quite hot up there. Before you embark on your journey, I recommend you to visit a local garm shop and start to curate your very own collection of hats and waterproof clothing.

Time flies. Just a quick reminder to make sure you’re being proactive from the very beginning. You don’t want to feel regret, trust me! Talk to everyone, embrace every challenge and interact with the site and commissions as much as you can. Document every plant from the Derek Jarman garden and every striking sunset! Take as many pictures as your iCloud allows you - we’ve all had THAT pink staircase photoshoot, so don’t worry, no one’s going to judge you.

Make friends. Be genuine and nurture your friendships with the other trainees & coordinators. You’ll soon realise that Bold is a family - a wholesome, new group where everyone is invited to collaborate and feel at home.

You’re going to visit a handful of exciting places. Galleries, museums, fancy tea rooms, independent studios and even a city farm: these were only some of the places we visited in 2020 (yes, in the middle of a pandemic lol).

Peckham is one of them! Don’t forget about your surroundings. Bold is ideally situated in one of London’s most exciting communities. There’s a variety of really great food spots: the wrap truck just off the main street - which is so famous for their lunch that it doesn’t even need an introduction; the delicious afro-carribean JB’s Soul Food, the 5 star asian ‘Mr. Bao’ and the list can go on and on. Lots of good charity and books shops - and of course the Bussey building and Peckhamplex.

Assignments and mentor talks. As part of your learning programme you are encouraged to compose artists, workshops and event proposals. This is an exciting opportunity to share your interests with the group and present something that you’d want to see at Bold! Another incredible opportunity that you definitely have to take advantage of is the weekly mentor talk, which can be an off/on-site invitation to meet inspiring individuals from the arts & culture sector. Some of my favourite mentor talks included artists Es Devlin, Rene Matić and curator Zoé Whitley.

Lunch and baking goods. Are you into cupcakes, cookies and banana bread? So are the staff and the trainees at Bold. Be ready to immerse yourself in a variety of baking goods and speciality hummus selections. Yep, lunch is also fun and quite diverse. Soups, BAGELS, great fillings, fresh veggies, an infinite amount of small packs of crisps and cheese… I mean what else would you need, right?

The live music events. For those of you who don’t know already, every summer at Bold there’s an exciting programme of live orchestral music which you’re lucky enough to see and hear for free. Excited yet?

Don't forget about your discount at Frank’s Cafe! Don’t be like some of the peeps that haven’t used their 30% off discount at Frank’s! Want to grab a drink after work? Your mate Frank’s got ya sorted. Just go to the bar and say you’re an art trainee, the staff will know what to do. #Blessingsonblessings

Also, don’t forget to keep on vibing (and vibe checking for extra points). You’ll be great, I simply have no doubt. Good luck in your Bold story my friend, I’ll see you on the rooftop. :) 

I came to Bold Tendencies as an Art trainee for Period 2. I thought it would be quite daunting to join at a later time when previous trainees already knew each other, just like missing freshers week. However, the welcoming nature of Bold and my fellow trainees made it very comfortable and exciting to join.

An image is worth a thousand words. I decided to draw a little illustration and use it as packages for possible merchandise. Wish I did this earlier to realise it for Bold, but it is impossible to know these interesting elements if I don't experience all of it first.

Here are a few words to describe my time at Bold.

Connectivity, playfulness, bagels, diversity, bravery, interactions, adamancy, flexibility, pigeons, seagulls, cheese balls, learning, listening, embracement, and chocolate bars...