Alex Hartley's Current Projects
nowhereisland
Alex Hartley’s winning proposal for the Artists Taking the Lead 2012 Cultural Olympiad project for the South West of England is nowhereisland.
Through the 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme, Alex will tour a scaled version of Nyskjæret along the ports and harbours of the South coast; moving one landscape through another, and conjuring visions of Arctic exploration and the fragility of a threatened environment. As nowhereisland, the floating sculpture will expand people’s view of what art can be and where it can take place, and as a work of land art, it will challenge perceptions and question assumptions about the location and subject matter for a work of art. nowhereisland will provide a platform to engage with issues raised by the project, exploring a sense of place through an epic, nomadic sculpture that will resonate in the public consciousness. In capturing the imagination of the public, it will address the most significant global issue of our time: namely how we can respond to the urgent issue of climate change together.
nowhereisland will have a land support vehicle that travels with it, providing information about the project. A coordinated program of events, forums, celebrations and education programs will accompany the island. nowhereisland is a platform to question national identity and nation status, climate change, land-grab and resource exploitation. It is also an exploration of the romantic and problematic notion of the pioneer or explorer, and our poetic idealised relationship with island landscape.
This epic journey will begin in June 2012 to coincide with the sailing events of the Olympic Games. As the landscape of nowhereisland moves through the landscape of the South coast of England, it will embody the spirit and values of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad: excellence, friendship and respect..
