THE RICE PAVILION
JUBILEE LIBRARY, BRIGHTON
Artist(s): Group
Construction Dates: 28th July - 10th August.
Completed Dates: 11th August - 18th August 2007
Deconstruction Dates: 20th - 24th August 2007
In a monumental effort to raise awareness about worldwide use of food resources, an international artists' group will build an edible version of the Brighton Pavilion, using 10,000 kilos of vacuum-packed rice destined to feed children in need in Uganda. The Rice Pavilion aims to stress the importance of avoiding food waste. Crucially, its 'building blocks' will provide one basic meal for approximately 100,000 children, or will feed up to 3,300 children for a whole month.
Chris Biddlecombe, Guyan Porter and Emilia Telese, at the head of the UK based Edible Construction Company, in collaboration with Italian artist and designer Edoardo Malagigi, will create the Rice Pavilion inside the award-winning Brighton Jubilee Library, in a public art intervention taking place throughout August.
The five metre (16.4 ft) tall Rice Pavilion, complete with onion shaped domes, will be built over fourteen days with a team of volunteers, in full view of the public. The completed Pavilion will be on show for eight days inside the library, and then dismantled and distributed with the UK charity Feed the Children.
Rice Pavilion is inspired by some staggering socio-economic statistics: It is estimated that British people throw away 40% of all UK food produce yearly, through wasteful food handling and consuming practices. This is a common occurrence in Western countries, where the abundance of resources and a better quality of life allows people to overlook the value of the food they throw away on a daily basis.
Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world population. In Asia alone, more than 2,000 million people obtain 60 to 70 percent of their calories from rice and its products. It is the most rapidly growing source of food in Africa, and is of significant importance to food security in an increasing number of low-income food-deficit countries. (source: FAO, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations)
A full programme of events including workshops and public debates will take place throughout the project at the Jubilee Library and other selected venues throughout the UK. The launch event on Saturday 11 August 2007, 6 - 9pm, will featurie speeches by representatives of the Arts Council of England, South East, and the deputy mayor of Brighton & Hove, with special contributions by Rick Stein and Jackie Wills - (places limited)
The Rice Pavilion is supported by The National Lottery through Arts Council England - South East, Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton’s Jubilee Library, Brighton & Hove Council Say Aaah! Partnership, Feed The Children, Aerotrope Engineering, Brighton & Hove City Council Library Services, Curti Riso and Seb&Co.
The Edible Construction Company is a multi-disciplinary artist team of: Chris Biddlecombe, Guyan Porter and Emilia Telese. The Edible Construction Company also works in partnership with international artist and designer Edoardo Malagigi.
Artists' Background Information:
Chris Biddlecombe is a Glasgow based sculptor who has exhibited his constructions in Scotland, England, Norway, France and America. For the last 16 years he has worked as an independent artist or collaboratively with curators, architects, engineers and other creative makers to complete over 90 permanent or temporary commissions that are interactive responses to specific public sites and communities. These works have been produced using a diverse range of materials and construction methods to create landmark sculpture, interior installations, design interventions, integrated festival events and performance works.
Guyan Porter is an artist working with sculpture, installation, political dialogue and multi media arts events, combining performance, music and visual art. Based in Glasgow since 1994, recent projects have included: Collaborative Public Art Residency - Chandrasevana Creation Centre, Sri Lanka; The Environmental Art Project - artist and curator with Glasgow School of Art - Callendar Park, Falkirk; Beatson Head - Portrait Bust commission commemorating the life and work of Sir George Beatson, Huntarian Museum, Glasgow University. He was a founder member and first President of the Scottish Artists Union. See www.guyanporter.co.uk
Emilia Telese is an Italian born UK based artist. She graduated in Painting in 1996 from the Fine Arts Academy in Florence and has lived in the UK since 1997. Her work explores the questioning of social and political conventions using interactive and body-responsive technology, film and live art to installation and public art. She has exhibited worldwide since 1994, including: the 2005 Venice Biennale, Arts Electronica in Austria, the Brighton Festival, The Telemar Centre for Media Arts in Rio de Janeiro, ZKM Media Centre in Germany, Leeds City Gallery and The Freud Museum, London. www.emiliatelese.com. Emilia Telese's forthcoming work, Life of a Star - solo show - will be at ET4U Contemporary Visual Art Centre Vestjylland, Bövlingbjerg Denmark from August 2007 - 29 September.2007. Website: www.emiliatelese.com | www.et4u.dk
Edoardo Malagigi: Professor of Design, Fine Arts Academy, Florence, Italy, is an internationally renowned designer of sustainable furniture and objects - with specific reference to Montessori nursery schools. He has recently been involved in the state-run overhaul of nursery school furniture design in South Korea. Professor Malagigi also manages the international outreach programme of the Fine Arts Academy of Florence, and is Artistic Director of the children in need charity Bambini In Emergenza.
Location:
Jubilee Library
Jubilee Street
Brighton
BN1 1GE
Tel: (01273) 290800 / 296969
www.emiliatelese.com
www.guyanporter.co.uk
For more information contact Emilia Telese: Emilia@emiliatelese.com or phone 0779 2184377
Sponsor(s) : The National Lottery through Arts Council England - South East, Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton’s Jubilee Library, Brighton & Hove Council Say Aaah! Partnership, Feed The Children, Aerotrope Engineering, Brighton & Hove City Council Library Services, Curti Riso and Seb&Co.
