‘Chamada From Chico Mendes’ digital carnival installation connects with environmental activism

A5 flyer (front) for 'Chamada From Chico Mendes' digital carnival installationinteractive digital art meets Afro-Brazilian carnival


An Interactive Digital Carnival Installation by Kooj Chuhan inspired by environmental activism stories from across the world – including Chico Mendes.
Created in partnership with Global Grooves

Saturday 28th February – Saturday 21st March 2015 at Global Grooves Centre
10 mins walk from Mossley station – just 20 mins train from Manchester, only £4 off-peak return ticket!

(MAP)

upcoming: WORKSHOP in digital media and performance, Weds 11th March 7-9.30pm (more info below)

‘Chamada From Chico Mendes’ is a digital art work by Kooj Chuhan made up of art and documentary video, imagery, poetry and sound from across the world.  Visitors encounter a range of objects which they can play like instruments, which then spark off visuals, music and words from guest artists, film-makers and environmental activists.  Kooj describes it as an “exhibition within an installation” because of the wide range of material that the audience can view and interact with.

Opening times:
Weds 3-9pm, Thurs 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-4pm
MEET THE ARTIST every Weds, 3-9pm
Other times can be arranged – call 0161 870 6895

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

ALL EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS: BOOK ONLINE HERE

SPECIAL OPENING EVENTS SAT 28th FEB incl. Film Screening with discussion, Multimedia Music Performance, live Brazil link, interviews and free food! This was a fantastic and packed event – the photos are now on the gallery page for the project at http://crossingfootprints.com/chamada/gallery/ .

Wangari-Maathai-Taking-Root-Signature-imageOPENING EVENTS on Sat 28th February (register here)

  • 4pm: Film Screening “TAKING ROOT: THE VISION OF WANGARI MAATHAI” the activist who went on to become the first environmentalist and also the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (2004). Plus talk by Kooj exploring Climate Justice, incl. discussion chaired by poet-activist Sai Murray.
  • 7pm: LIVE MULTIMEDIA AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE, presented by poet Sai Murray plus guided tour of the installation and a live link with Brazilian environmentalists. Free food included!
  • LIVE WEBCAST – if you can’t make the evening, watch online! Click HERE for all details.

WORKSHOP on Weds 11th March (register here)

GG-drummingTime: 7-9.30pm, open to adults and older teenagers:
‘Using Digital Media Techniques with Stories and Performance’ – learn and create with digital artist Kooj Chuhan and musician Holly Prest; use VJ software, spoken words and live drumming.

ALL ACTIVITIES ARE FREE, BUT ONLINE BOOKING IS STRONGLY ADVISED.
Workshops also available for schools or community groups – please enquire 0161 870 6895

SHARING CARNIVAL PRACTICE MINI-CONFERENCE, Sat 21st March:
Details to be announced on the Global Grooves website.    Linking with the Chamada From Chico Mendes installation, this mini-conference will include a section exploring possibilities of connecting carnival practice with digital media, environment and social justice.

 

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

Map for Global Grooves Arts Centre

Map for Global Grooves Arts Centre

A digital art work inspired by Brazilian activist Chico Mendes, made up of voices, imagery and sound from across the world. Visitors encounter a range of objects which they can play like instruments, which then spark off videos, music and poetry from guest artists, documentary film-makers and climate activists.  A pioneering attempt to combine carnival with digital media art, reflecting the spirit and underlying social context of Afro-Brazilian carnival.

at Global Grooves Arts Centre
Vale Mill, Micklehurst Road, Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne OL5 9JL.
10 mins walk from Mossley train station.  Walk all the way up Micklehurst Road, find the mill via the last turning on the right before the end of the road.
Just 20 mins by train from Manchester Victoria station, costs only £4 for an off-peak day return ticket!

Chico_Mendes_1988_CC - taken by Miranda Smith in Xapuri_s

Chico_Mendes 1988 (CC) – taken by Miranda Smith in Xapuri

CHICO MENDES:

The ‘Chamada From Chico Mendes’ exhibition is inspired by Brazilian environmentalist and national hero Chico Mendes who was murdered by profiteering corporations. “Chamada” means “a call to all” in Portuguese. Kooj Chuhan invited artists and activists from across the world for media contributions to create a composite work from each person’s own parallel to Chico’s story, creating an ‘exhibition within an installation’ with Afro-Brazilian layers.  READ MORE ABOUT CHICO MENDES

GUEST ARTISTS:

The amazing range of international artists, activists and documentary film-makers contributing their work for this exhibition include Sarawut Chutiwongpeti (Thailand), Badrul Alam and Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Heiko Thiele and Zwischenzeit e.V. (Germany), Marcella Haddad (Brazil), Shaikh Mohir Uddin & Rural Visual Journalism Network at Drik  (Bangladesh), Fuyumi Labre Lopez (Uruguay/Spain), Milda Lembertaite / Amelia Prazak (Lithuania/Switzerland), Victor Steffensen and the Living Knowledge Place (Australia), Nigel Hulett (Zimbabwe), Ali Pretty and Kinetika (UK), Marian Osman (Somalia) with ‘Democracy Now!’ (USA),  Maya Chowdhry (UK), Julia Davenport (UK), Jose Ignacio Lopez Ramirez-Gaston (Peru/Spain).  Selected media from these contributors will be watchable on extra screens in the exhibition.  Percussion loops produced by 17 young musicians from the Future Leaders carnival arts training programme by Global Grooves.  READ MORE ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS

DIGITAL CARNIVAL INSTALLATION ART – ABOUT US:

This project is possibly the first of its kind, as a collaboration between digital interactive art and carnival arts.  We hope this will be the beginning of a new synthesis between these art forms, which may open up new cultural possibilities for the future.  Kooj (Kuljit) Chuhan is a digital media artist and film-maker who has exhibited across the UK and internationally. His recent focus on climate justice is playfully partnered here with Global Grooves, a leading North-West carnival arts organisation fast gaining an international profile.

This is a video art project that links carnival vibes with environmental campaigns, driven by people and groups from different places.  Read more about Chico Mendes both HERE and also: www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/20/brazil-salutes-chico-mendes-25-years-after-murder .

The A5 publicity flyer (in PDF format) can be downloaded HERE.

A project by Metaceptive Projects and Media in partnership with Global Grooves

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One Response to ‘Chamada From Chico Mendes’ digital carnival installation connects with environmental activism

  1. Pingback: ‘Chamada From Chico Mendes’ | Maya Chowdhry

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