Persuasion PR - News
About, Turner
For the first time since a brief visit to Merseyside in 2007, the Turner Prize has left London with works by the nominated artists on show at the Baltic in Gateshead.
Baltic Mill in Gateshead hosts Turner Prize
The controversial modern art exhibition, which has seen pieces such as Tracey Emin’s un-made bed (My Bed) and Damien Hirst’s halved cow and calf preserved in Formaldehyde (Mother and child divided), gains a mixed reception from the general public and I feel that a move away from the capital’s artisan circles is a big risk.
The sad thing is it really shouldn’t be. I’m no art expert, or even enthusiast, but have been to see the last three Turner prize exhibitions and have found something interesting in all of them. When approached as a sensory adventure as oppose to a reverent cultural experience, a walk around these artworks is very enjoyable.
The exhibition’s curator, Laurence Sillars, said the work by the four artists nominated for this year’s prize will be seen by as many people in Gateshead as it would in London. This is partly due to the Baltic’s seasonal attendance averaging between 70,000 and 90,000 people – roughly the same number of visitors as the Turner Prize normally attracts at its Thames-side home.
But the question this relocation poses is whether new people in the North East will be inspired or put off by the Turner Prize and the supposed sense of intellectual gravitas that it could be said is unfairly leveled at it.
Take art critic Brian Sewell’s comments from a few years back declaring that Gateshead should be ‘bombed’ and that the people of the north are not sophisticated enough for art. Such statements from the ‘Educated Un-enlightened’ are detrimental to the future of art exhibitions as they try to marginalise and force people out; telling them they are not clever enough to have opinions of their own.
This is a ludicrous notion. Art thrives on interpretation and opinion and the way something makes one person feel is no less valid than the feelings it stirs in another.
I would encourage everyone to take some time and explore the pieces on show at the Baltic in order to decide what they think for themselves.
On my previous visits to Turner prize exhibitions I haven’t even gone out of my way to go. I’ve been in London Christmas shopping and have chosen to take a couple of hours out of the winter rain and busy shops to have a look around, and on every occasion, to be transported to a different and weird world.
Some things have resonated with me, others have shocked me. Some have made me laugh and some have been just plain strange, but one thing is for sure – all have been fascinating in their own way.
For an insight into the imaginations of four very talented individuals, get down to the Baltic before 8th January 2012.
Digital Media, friend or foe?
I am the first to admit that I am media mad! A fully fledged addict to all things digital. Facebook and Twitter, Flikr and blogs: I love them all. It seems that I spend every minute of my day hooked to some kind of technology.
Whether it’s the constant flow of emails that I both send and receive during the work day or simply checking the social media notifications which all too conveniently now come to my phone, I am never unreachable.
Many people are now posing the question, have we become too dependent on technology? Is constant contact really such a good thing or does it just create more pressure?
Digital media usage is at an all time high, not only for communication between friends but also within business. Many leading companies use these online forums to communicate with clients, put out key messages and even answer questions which the public may have.
Despite this, there are still those who question the impact of this ‘new media’. The ever-growing lack of privacy and wide-spread scattering of negative or overly competitive messages are only some of the objections that those against sites such as Facebook and Twitter have raised.
In fact even the mainstream media themselves are blaming social media for problems caused in today’s society, specifically during the riots which affected so many of England’s cities earlier in the year.
So what is your opinion of the online media movement? Embrace or abandon?
Olympic dreams up in flames?
As inner city youths take to the streets in a mass wave of senseless and barbaric destruction, the glare of the world’s media turns to London, less than 12 months before the arrival of the largest sporting event on the planet.
In terms of a global PR disaster for the 2012 Olympic Games, the timing could only be worse if it were immediately before or during the event. Britain’s image and perception in the public eye has taken a hit as its ability to safely host an event of such magnitude is called into question. The big challenge for the government and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is no longer a mere logistical one, but a huge PR campaign to restore trust and repair the damage done to reputation while buildings, shops and livelihoods are rebuilt.
The IOC has once again expressed its confidence in the safety and security precautions in place for the 2012 Olympic Games, due to commence on July 27th next year. The test events, such as this week’s rescheduled beach volleyball, will be going ahead as planned in a clear statement of resilience. However the IOC’s confidence lies in the hands of the authorities, who so far seem to be struggling under the pressure.
Cruelly, the pre-Olympics beach volleyball test event is taking place in a specially constructed arena less than 100 yards from New Scotland Yard – perhaps an illustration of the challenges ahead. Indeed the hub of the games and all press activity, Olympic Park, is located in Newham, one of the areas most badly affected by the riots.
PR disaster management is in essence about finding the positive in the seemingly negative; spinning bad press back in your favour. We can expect a concerted drive in this area over the coming months. What the capital needs is good news in the face of crisis; the proverbial phoenix from the ashes.
The outlook is bleak though. You’d have to look very hard to see any positives in the current maelstrom of civil disorder. Outsiders would be forgiven for losing faith in London’s ability to safely host the games. After all, what hope is there for a country to host one of the planet’s largest events when it can’t even contain its own youth?
Destruction on the streets
Darryl Seibel, director of communications for British Olympic Association (BOA) is certainly flying the flag though, stating: “It (the rioting) makes an Olympic Games and a Paralympic Games all the more important. We need a reason to come together.”
It’s an unenviable public relations assignment but a necessary one. It’s often said that sport and politics have no place together but with the country’s current civil disobedience forced so squarely into the global spotlight, a successful and trouble free Games is vital if we are to restore Britain’s tarnished reputation.
Stephen Holland, Persuasion PR.
“You Know I’m No Good”
As the newest member of the Persuasion PR team I have been asked to blog about something of current interest – being a lover of music only one thing springs to mind.
I’m assuming that by now everyone will have heard about the unfortunate death of troubled jazz musician, Amy Winehouse. Rumours began circulating Twitter in the early afternoon and were eventually confirmed by Sky News that the soul singer had been found dead in her Camden home.
Although the cause of death is still to be determined, I think it’s safe to say that many have their suspicions and most of us are left asking the same question… Are we really surprised?
Winehouse’s career began back in 2003 when she was only 19, a lot younger than most people, including myself, would have expected. Maybe that’s why I was so shocked to find that she is the newest member of ‘The 27 Club’ – a group of influential musicians who all died aged 27..
Created after the deaths of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, ‘The 27 Club’ or ‘Forever 27’ now holds 45 members including Kurt Cobain, Rudy Lewis, Les Harvey and, most recently, Amy Winehouse.
After releasing her 2006 album, ‘Back to Black’, Amywas never out of the spotlight. This was to reveal to everyone that the young woman’s lyrics, were true reflections of her own life. . Songs such as ‘You Know I’m No Good’ and ‘Rehab’ spoke of Amy’s battle with drugs and alcohol but always gave the same message – she loved her lifestyle and was not planning to change.
Having cancelled several shows in 2007, and appearing unfit to perform at several others, Winehouse’s health began to deteriorate, and in 2008 she was confirmed to be in the early stages of emphysema which would result in death if she didn’t stop smoking substances such as crack cocaine.
So again I ask the question, are any of us truly surprised that it has come to this? Even with the reports in the past few years of Winehouse trying to clean up her act and give up on drugs for good it has to be said that, somewhere along the line, past substance abuse must be responsible!
I only hope that this is taken as a warning by those destined to follow in her footsteps
It was acceptable in the 80s……..
Photos from Persuasion’s 25th birthday party.
