Farnborough’s Grade I and II Listed wind tunnels opens to public as exciting arts venue with site specific installations by international artists selected by curator Salma Tuqan. The RCA will collaborates on events and a podcast series for diverse educational programme designed to engage the community and outreach to inspire new generation of creativity.
10th April, 2014: Farnborough, Hampshire: Artliner, an organisation which stages art experiences around the world has announced a six week artistic programme of sound and light installations for its inaugural exhibition at The Wind Tunnel Project, which runs from 9 June – 20 July 2014. This runs concurrently with a diverse educational programme to engage the local community and schools.
Through site specific installations by a selection of international artists, the exhibition, which is housed in and around the wind tunnel in Farnborough, aims to revive and resurrect these 1917 and 1935 Grade I and II Listed buildings, open to the public for the first time.
Curator Salma Tuqan has invited artists to create site specific installations that respond on to the space, as well as archival material from the FAST museum and the Royal Aeronautical Library. “We aim to create a sensory experience for visitors through subtle interventions using sound and light ” Tuqan explains.
The artist, writer and technologist James Bridle will draw inspiration from one of the aircraft tested in Farnborough to create his Rainbow Plane installation series, based on satellite mapping, which he will set in the Portable Airship Hangar that spans 1400 sq M. Meanwhile, sound artist Thor McIntyre-Burnie will re-awaken Q121 and R52 wind tunnels, as apparatus to physically explore, via three new sculptural and sonic interventions.
Richard Gardner, Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) Chairman said: “It has been fascinating working with the artists involved in this project, especially observing how they have adopted their own insightful alternative perspective as a result of examining our archives. Our unique collection of artefacts, images and documents has been interpreted in an innovative new context and we are enthused at the prospect of showing this to the diverse audiences the project is expected to attract."
A lecture series and podcasts will be produced in collaboration with the Royal College of Art (School of Humanities) and the FAST Museum, and will form part of the exhibition’s extensive educational programme. With ambitions to inspire the next generation of creative minds within the community, Artliner aims to engage 34 local schools through classroom-based activities and visits on site.
Once a unique testing facility for aircraft, including the world famous Hurricane, the site was used into the 1990s for Grand Prix vehicle wind tunnel tests. The wind tunnels and the hangar were restored by Julian Harrap Architects, who were awarded the RIBA Awards in 2007 and 2008 for their work on both buildings. By converting the tunnels into an exciting arts venue, Artliner hopes to stage exhibitions every two years to coincide with the Farnborough International Airshow.
Andrew Lloyd, Chief Executive of Rushmoor Borough Council, said: “This is such an exciting project for Farnborough and for the Borough of Rushmoor as a whole, and we are thrilled to support it. The project will reinforce Farnborough’s worldwide profile and reputation and bring new focus to the area’s aviation heritage, which is dear to so many people’s hearts. We are particularly pleased at the emphasis on community engagement and at the commitment to involve our young people in a venture that we hope will help inspire their future creativity.”
The Wind Tunnel Project is generously supported by Bombardier, the Canadian multinational aerospace and transportation company and leader in the manufacture of civil aircraft, Breitling, the world’s only major watch brand to equip all its models with chronometer certified movements, and owners of the Farnborough Business Park, Harbert Management Corporation.
Press Day: Thursday 5th June 2014 - Please register your interest at artliner@brunswickgroup.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Artliner: Founded in 2011 by Tatiana Ojjeh, Artliner stages art experiences around the world, bringing unique art projects to international and local audiences. Artliner has organised world-class art exhibitions at Dubai International Airshow, the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Gene va, Bahrain International Airshow, the Middle East Business Aviation, as well as a show of Damien Hirst works during the London Olympics at TAG Farnborough Airport.
About Salma Tuqan, Curator: Salma Tuqan is the Contemporary Middle East curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She previously worked at Art Dubai since its inauguration in 2007 as Head of Artists’ Projects as well as Artistic Director of Contemparabia. She curated exhibitions at Art Dubai including Desperately Seeking Paradise (2008) in collaboration with Salima Hashmi. She has contributed to many other projects as an independent curator and facilitator, including Palestine c/o Venice at the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009) and Future Movements at the Liverpool Biennial (2010). She is an active board member of ArtSchool Palestine, The Khatt Foundation, Artistic Committee for the Marrakech Biennale, Trustee of the Crossway Foundation, Strategic Advisory Panel member of the Delfina Foundation and chair of the Young Committee for the Barakat Trust for Islamic Art, London.
About James Bridle: Based in London, the young ar tist, writer and technologist James Bridle is quickly becoming one of the most important voices of his generation. His work, which looks at the impact of ne w media and technology, has been exhibited internationally and he has an extensive online following. Currently artist in residence at the White Building in Hackey Wick, he was Technologist in Residence at the Lighthouse Gallery in 2012 and his online project Dronestagram received an honorary mention from the Prix Ars Electronica 2013. He has been commissioned by leading organisations including Artangel, Mu Eindhoven, the Istanbul Design Biennial and the Corc oran Gallery,Washington DC. He writes a regular column for The Observer, and is a contributor to influential publications including Domus, Wired and The New Statesman.
About Thor McIntyre-Burnie: One of the early artists to pioneer sound as a tool for site-specific public art. Working largely outside the gallery system, Thor has a depth of experience, transforming public sites and forgotten architectural spaces. He creates immersive experiences, which invite the viewer to enter the peculiar space between the tangible and audible realms. - A Bandstand re-awakened as an ear to an historic mound - a flock of speak ers ‘occupy’ a square, giving voic e to the Arab Spring - an exploded orchestra re-activat es a Victorian mill - a derelict pier’s Starling colony becomes a sonic Ghost Roost. His Art Interventions have appeared in public sites world wide. His collaborations cross the disciplines; opening the Sydney and Singapore Int Arts festivals with TWF; European award winning ‘Sound Space’ for Eureka! Museum; broadcasts for BBC Radio. This year see’s commission’s for the 2014 Colombo Art Biennale, and four key European Arts Festivals (Oeral, La Strada, Samhain, Placcc.)
About Royal College of Art: The Royal College of Art (RCA) is Britain’s only solely postgraduate institution in arts and design, offering masters and research programmes in architecture, design, materials, fine art, communications and humanities. The School of Humanities offers the following programmes: V&A/RCA History of Design, Critical Writing in Art & Design, Curating Contemporary Art and Critical and Historical Studies. These programmes offer students the opportunity to develop their own practice in the fields of hist ory, theory, writing and curating. The School has a distinctive and highl y innovative research culture based upon its extremely close relationship to art and design practice.
HEADLINE SPONSORS
About Bombardier: Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, ser vices and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transpor tation. Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada.
About Breitling: Since 1884, a specialist of technical watches, Breitling has played a crucial role in the development of the wrist chronograph and is a leader in this complication. The firm has shared all the finest moments in the c onquest of the skies thanks to its sturdy, reliable and high-performance instruments. From the implementation of a circular slide r ule on the iconic Navitimer in 1952 for pilots which became the official watch of AOPA, through to product development alongside the prestigious Italian Frecce Tricolore resulting in the famous Chronomat watch. Breitling is firml y established as the leading supplier to aviation world.
The world’s only major watch brand to equip all its models with chronometer certified movements, the ultimate token of precision, Breitling is also one of the rare companies to produce its own mechanical chronograph movement, entirely developed and manufactured in its own w orkshops. This family business is also one of the la st remaining independent Swiss watch brands.
About Harbert Management Corporation: HMC are the owners of Farnborough Business Park and are supporting The Wind Tunnel Project with business partners XLB Property, one of a new generation of asset managers focused on generating enhanced returns from commercial property. Established in 2009 it ha s proved itself as one of the leaders in the sector.
SUPPORTERS
About FAST: FAST (the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust) was founded in 1993 to safeguard Farnborough’s aeronautical heritage and its museum is Arts Council accredited. FAST works to preserve and promote Farnborough’s great heritage in aviation science - an important educational resource and an internationally significant part of the nation’s scientific progress. FAST is a registered charity and is entirely self-funded through the activities of its Trustees and supporting members’ association (FASTA), and supplemented by donations from the general public.
About Rushmoor Borough Council: Rushmoor Borough Council is a district c ouncil, which serves a population of more than 90,000 residents in the towns of Aldershot and Farnborough in north-east Hampshire. The council was established in 1974 when Aldershot Borough Council and Farnborough Urban District Council joined to become Rushmoor Borough Council. The council has 39 councillors and provides more than 100 local ser vices to residents and businesses, ranging f rom bin collections and street cleaning to planning, economic development and regeneration. Both towns are famous – Farnborough as the birthplace of British aviation, home to the former Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) and to the Farnborough International Airshow, and Aldershot as home of the British Army.
About Julian Harrap Architects: Julian Harrap Architects LLP is a distinguished medium- sized practice offering a full range of specialist architectural services for the repair and restoration of historic buildings, estates and landscapes and for the design of extensions and new buildings in historic settings. The practice has won two RIBA Awards for their work at the wind tunnels. A RIBA Award in 2007 for the re-erection of the 1912 portable airship hangar frame and a second Award in 2008 for the restoration of the three listed wind tunnels.
View full press release