25.08.2012 - 11.09.2012
When Nina offered me an opportunity of taking up an art residency with
my daughter I was very excited. I was also slightly hesitant
about being able to make the work and ensuring that both of us enjoy our time
in Switzerland. Erring therefore on the side of caution (and due to my other
commitments) I booked two weeks at Trelex. I can only stress that two
weeks is a short time and I would recommend a stay of a month or longer at this
unique residency.
Being picked up at the airport and invited to share the initial meals
eliminated any travel concerns. As I only had a couple of weeks, I decided to
focus on exploring the immediate surroundings of Trelex and nearby town Nyon in
favour of sightseeing Geneva (although this would be easy to do with kids). I
found going shopping to Nyon easy, and my Nina loved these little train rides.
I combined these trips with strolls around the historic town, relaxation at the
lakeside and nice coffee. There are some attractions for kids in Trelex (walks,
playground, exercise circuit in nearby woods, visits to local bakery for
morning rolls) and plenty more in Nyon. The most surprising however is the house
itself – large with numerous rooms often connected in a maze-like fashion. Combined
with an enormous garden with a hidden play house, vegetable garden and
swing/hammocks area, it creates an amazing adventure ground for kids.
The family was very welcoming and little
Nina quickly made friends with the other children - they all were sharing toys,
films and even a few evening baths. The family invited us to join in their
trips to the lakeside for an evening swim or to have a barbecue picnic in the
woods. I will definitely miss drinking afternoon tea with two little girls who
would kindly accompany me in a lady-like manner.
The living/working space felt very comfortable and easy (all I needed to
do is ask). Spacious studio areas were easy to rearrange depending on my needs
and provided inspiration to keep going back to making. There was a variety of
art supplies and tools to hand, plus and interesting range of materials in
outdoor sheds which were great to use for temporary structures. I brought some
materials with me including packaging and fabrics but also used the contents of
the sheds and garage.
I found making work in Trelex easy, at the same time enjoying trips out,
playing with kids and experimenting in the studio kitchen. I also managed to
squeeze in a fair bit of late night writing for my university essay (though
sometimes I found it hard to stay away from the artwork). I
was particularly keen to capture the lighting conditions in the afternoon and
having my daughter nearby proved beneficial. She was happy, in exchange for a
chocolate reward, to perform for my photographs and short films.
I arrived at the beginning of the residency with few ideas I wanted to test
and possibly develop towards my upcoming show at the Slade. Much of my past
work has referred to the idea of home as a spatio-temporal concept and the more
recent inquiries dealt with negotiating perceptions about art, labour and the
domestic. In a way the situation of the residency was a form of negotiation in
itself. I have become intrigued by boxes as packaging but also temporary
structures: Emptiness offers itself up as the box opens its folds. The
surprise of the flat pattern, the icon both familiar and unidentifiable. Then
the folds collapse back and carve out a bit of space. Walls are formed around a
promise of home. For a short while the structure lies to us of its solidity
until it dissolves again.
During the last days of my residency I overlapped with Yuki Aruga and we
started to strike up some great conversations. I would have loved to continue
these as well as the conversations with Nina which I feel have also only been
started. The final presentation to Nina, her husband David and a few local
residents was not only enjoyable but it became a constructive critical debate.
I particularly liked David’s comments on loose artist talk and contrasting
these with his philosophy background and a need for making the arguments clear
and understood (paraphrasing “you may not need to agree with me but I need you
to understand me”). Many of the points raised still echo with me and I only
wish I could have stayed longer...
