AID & ABET- TALK



Aid and Abet was co-founded by Sarah Evans, David Kefford and CJ Mahony in 2009 and is based in a large warehouse near the railway station in Cambridge.

Aid and Abet is an artist-led organisation that supports artists to experiment, take risks and innovate as well as collaborate, engage and network.

Aid and Abet is a production and presentation site for contemporary art that combines work, project, gallery and performance spaces allowing audiences and participants to engage with cross-disciplinary practice in both creative and critical ways.

Aid and Abet are a part of the CB1 programme for public art in Cambridge's new City quarter the Station Road area and is supported by Commissions East, Brookgate and Hill Residential.




Aid and Abet came to my college, which isn't far away from the Cambridge Station too. It only came two members of the team, and they spoke about their work, when they started, how they started and who have they worked with.

 David Ward’s commission for the CB1 development "Foster’s Mill Firmament" drew on the history of the mill and other buildings in Cambridge to create a temporary light projection for the iconic mill building at the centre of the CB1 site.
The projection combined linear drawings of fan vault ceilings, such as those in King’s College chapel, with drawings of stellar firmaments, relating to the ancient belief that the sky is a celestial sphere enclosed within a dome or vault.



Antoni Malinowski’s public art commission for CB1. "Translucent Drawing" was revealed in June 2012. Hundreds of small glass inserts across the brickwork of the new student accommodation respond to the changing light with reflections and shadows that create a large subtle drawing on the surface of the building.


Dryden Goodwin will begin his commission for the CB1 development in 2013. 
"Wander consists" of 100 etched steel plates laid into the paving. Inspired by a series of drawings collected around Cambridge by the artist, these start close to the railway station and are scattered across the site.
The dispersal of the plates means that visitors and local residents may only see some of the plates, but will discover previously unnoticed etchings over a period of time as they further explore the site.




Artist Jem Finer is in the process of developing a new artwork for Cambridge CB1 station area entitled ‘Supercomputer’ as part of the programme for public art. ‘Supercomputer’ is a functioning computer made from a series of beautifully constructed and designed pipes, it will be enclosed in a glass fronted pavilion, similar to the mainframe computers of the 1970’s.
‘Supercomputer’ will be designed to play pitched percussive instruments incorporated in the structure, in effect turning the computer into a composing calculator. The sounds generated by the sculpture will be relayed through a speaker system incorporated in the pavilion’s structure, which will be activated at certain points of the day.





After the talk, which was about 1 hour, they artist spoke more briefly about the work they did in the past, within the different artists.
The artists gave me a little sheet, that i had to fill in about Public Spaces.

1. What makes good and bad a Public Space?

-Bad
  • Emptyness
  • No lighting
  • Dull
  • Plain
-Good
  • Good lighting
  • Good planting
  • Mix of Materials
  • Colours
  • Open spaces
  • Atmosphere
2. Differences on making a work for a Gallery or a Public Space?

The differences on making a work for a gallery or public space, is that only specific people can go to a Gallery, people who pay for it, or they spend some time doing it. And public spaces, are seen by anyone, its free, is in a space where everyone can see it.

3.What are the challenges for artists working in a Public Space?

The biggest challenges for the artists, to put their work on a Public Space, is that public like it, that the sculpture has a good impact on the site, thinking about health and safety, to not hurt anybody, to not offend anyone. There will be always a judgmental side, but artist has to just make his work sometimes, because there's always someone who wont agree with something.

4.The Public or local community should be involved in the process of public art?

Yes the Public or local community should be involved in the process of Public art, like City Council and Public. Council needs to agree about whether to put the piece up or not and where, so is a fundamental opinion, and the public should always be asked first, people around the area so, the artist knows what to produce.

5.What role do artists have within the community ?

Artists have to make sure, that their work wont affect anyone, i mean by that by offending anyone in the way they produce it, or how big it is. 



























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