10 November 2023 — Writing

Atlantic Assemblages

A photograph of some birch trees in ceramic pots, which are all displayed in front of a turquois blue wall.
Birch trees of Ravenscraig – work on display in the Ravenscraig section of A Fragile Correspondence. Photo by Daniele Sambo.

After an Open Call asking artists and writers for a creative promotional response to the themes of A Fragile Correspondence, Harvey Dimond was commissioned to write the below creative response. This three-part text considers how colonialism has shaped the natural ecologies of Scotland, South Africa and Barbados, and considers their historic and contemporary resonances from a diasporic perspective. Read more

27 October 2023 — Writing

Abundant Nectar

A close-up photograph of artwork in the exhibition that is made out of golden yellow material and thread.
A close-up of the work by Raghnaid Sandilands in the Loch Ness section of A Fragile Correspondence. Photo by Alyesha Choudhury.

After an Open Call asking artists and writers for a creative promotional response to the themes of A Fragile Correspondence, Harper Walton was commissioned to write the below poem, which explores the geographically distinct areas of Highland, Island and Lowland as queer spaces through a transgender and non-binary lens. Read more

25 October 2023 — Writing

Found in Translation: Architecture, Land, Landscape, Language

A group of people sit and listen to a woman reading from a sheet of paper.
Photo credit: Robb Mcrae.

The Scotland + Venice | Found in Translation: Architecture, Land, Landscape, Language event on 14 October brought together presentations from the Austrian Pavilion, Orizzontale (from Rome, exhibiting within the Arsenale), Dualchas, A Fragile Correspondence, the Lithuanian Pavilion and Scottish author Cal Flyn. Read more

19 October 2023 — Writing

Island Time

A photograph of the work in display in the Orkney section of A Fragile Correspondence.
A Fragile Correspondence, work on display in the Orkney Section. Photo: Daniele Sambo

The frequency of an island sounds different from that of the mainland; and in conversation with the rhythms of the sky and sea, Orcadians live in conjunction with the water that they are surrounded by and in response to its temperament - floods, rain, and storms. Read more

13 October 2023 — Writing

Erasure of contemporary landscapes

A close up photo of a white architectural model of what Ravenscraig could look like in the future, featuring model trees and people.
Model (detail) of a potential future for Ravenscraig site. Photo by Daniele Sambo.

In response to A Fragile Correspondence, journalist Diyora Shadijanova visits the site of Ravenscraig and considers its past, present and potential future.   Wikipedia describes Ravenscraig as a "village" and a "new town", but when I travel there one sunny afternoon, it's all roads and roundabouts breaking vast areas of greenery fenced off for future construction. Read more

13 October 2023 — Writing

Land ownership, cultural identity, and sustainability

A photograph of a section of an exhibition, featuring boards of text and images and a screen showing videos of the Loch Ness landscape.
A Fragile Correspondence, display in Loch Ness section. Photo: Daniele Sambo

In response to A Fragile Correspondence, Eilidh Akilade explores land ownership - imagined, formal, and otherwise. Centring around the Isle of Lewis, the piece looks to the island’s history, familial encounters with the natural landscape, and the Gaelic language. Read more

27 September 2023 — Writing

PDP Reflections: Maxwell Wilson

Maxwell Wilson formed part of the Professional Development Programme, during the summer. From Lhanbryde, Moray, he was a Stage 6 student at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen, graduating in July. Read more

10 July 2023 — Writing

Biennale Follows New Path

Photograph of the exhibition with a blurry person walking through the space
A Fragile Correspondence – Work on display in Loch Ness section – photo by Daniele Sambo

LET’S START with a word: opportunity. Scotland’s chance to participate in the Venice Architecture Biennale, the biggest and most prestigious festival of architecture in the world. In the canal-side venue used by the Scotland + Venice Partnership since 2019, close to the Biennale’s main spaces, the show is ideally placed to catch visitors from all over the world. Read more

29 November 2022 — Writing

Three questions with The Visual Identities in Art and Design Research Centre (VIAD)

Left: Dr Leora Farber (left), Associate Professor in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, with Alberta Whittle (right) in Venice. Right: Shalom Mushwana, 2022 Professional Development Programme participant from the University of Johannesburg
Left: Dr Leora Farber (left), Associate Professor in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, with Alberta Whittle (right) in Venice. Right: Shalom Mushwana, 2022 Professional Development Programme participant from the University of Johannesburg

The Visual Identities in Art and Design Research Centre (VIAD) is housed within the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA). VIAD supports an international community of Visiting Professors, Research Associates, Affiliated Researchers and Postdoctoral Fellows, whose diverse research projects promote critical thinking (and feeling) around two core thematic currents in relation to visual practice, representation and culture, art and design practices: Africa and African diasporic histories, identities, and creative human practices. Read more