Here are some pictures of INVIGILATOR : DIGBTH followed by something about the piece itself:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikki_pugh/sets/72157604315544938/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikki_pugh/collections/72157604320330003/
paul conneally + nikki pugh + you + them
Saturday 29th March, 2-5pm
VIVID at 2pm
As Digbeth continues its metamorphosis and assimilation into Eastside (Birmingham’s transforming, revitalising and regenerating regeneration project[1]) art institutions and project spaces present there are slowly increasing in number and yet, for the most part, they are safely kept behind locked gates, barred windows and access-controlled doors.
For Invigilator: Digbeth, a team of volunteers took the role of gallery invigilator/visitor assistant outside where, rather than sitting in gallery spaces, they were watchful over the streets and the day-to-day life unfolding there.
This is the fifth in the Invigilator series[2] where a single set of directions has been transposed onto different locations to determine the exact place for watching over; we can choose our significant starting points, but then a pre-determined sequence of lefts, rights and straight-ons takes us on a not-quite-random walk to an unplanned invigilation site.
Invigilator: Digbeth consisted of several invigilations taking place simultaneously throughout the Digbeth area. The significant starting points were the galleries, studios and project spaces that would normally host the invigilators. The same galleries, studios and project spaces responsible for Digbeth’s renaissance…
Digbeth is also significant as the starting point for the Invigilator series as a whole since the directions used to arrive at the invigilation sites were derived from those used to get from home to a part-time job invigilating at VIVID.
Invigilators met at VIVID at 2pm, borrowing some of their red t-shirts and then walked to our respective invigilation sites (3 people per team) where we were watchful for about 30 minutes before returning to VIVID for refreshments and feedback. No special equipment was required: just suitably warm clothing and a willingness to interact with the city.
references:
[1] www.birmingham.gov.uk/eastside.bcc
[2]New Forest,Derby,Tokyo and Nuneaton
Invigilator:Digbeth has been supported by Access West Midlands
