'The Academic Year' is a long-term collaboration (2013-) between myself and the philosopher Alexander Garcia Duttmann (Professor of Aesthetics at UdK, University of the Arts, Berlin) evidenced in a publication, talk, public artwork and performance reading. It follows on from our previous research collaboration Liebeslied/My Suicides - an opera.
The research investigates the relationship between artist and writer, between photography and philosophy, between image and text, whereby 'text' is not meant as an illustration to images nor do images illustrate the fragments that compose the text. The research explores if a third approach is possible, whereby a parallel world emerges through the encounter. "The chance of an encounter lies in obliqueness".(AGD)
'The Academic Year' was published by Bruno Ceschel as part of SPBH Editions, with a public reading at DRAF Foundation London, January 2015. In May 2015 the research was transformed into a 3-dimensional stage set, The Teaser, for the public square of Somerset House. The work functioned as a public platform that welcomed dialogue and discussion, as well as hosting readings conducted by artists and writers. The Teaser was a Knowledge Exchange project with RCA Fine Art, Photo London, Procurarte Lisbon, supported by the Luma Foundation. The installation was seen by over 20.000 visitors to Photo London 2015 and received considerable press and tv coverage (FT, Photomonitor, Time Out etc). The Teaser was the subject of a public talk between myself and the art historian and director of the Royal Academy Tim Marlow.