A note on: the final States of Mind event at Wellcome Collection

A real high point for me as a curator, and a major step forward in this area of interest. A really wonderful night, brilliant talks from Srivas Chennu, Lotje Sodderland, Sam Winston and Barry Smith, so full of insight and so remarkably balanced together. I had such a resonant and engaged experience working with Wellcome on these events, do visit www.stevenjfowler.com/statesofmind for more.

States of Mind: Tracing the edges of consciousness at Wellcome Collection - July 21st 2016: London. The Narrative of Consciousness: One of three events curated by SJ Fowler for the exhibition program at Wellcome Collection.

States of Mind: Tracing the edges of consciousness at Wellcome Collection - July 21st 2016: London. The Narrative of Consciousness: One of three events curated by SJ Fowler for the exhibition program at Wellcome Collection. www.stevenjfowler.com/statesofmind A talk by Dr. Srivas Chennu, a lecturer at the University of Kent and a senior research associate at the University of Cambridge.

A note on: States of Mind - 3 events in July for Wellcome Collection

States of Mind: Tracing the edges of consciousness
3 events in July 2016 at Wellcome Collection

Great to be speaking at and curating three events for Wellcome Collection's exhibition on consciousness, States of Mind. These events will bring together expertise from a wide array of fields, from neuroscience to performance art, from philosophy to filmmaking, in order to explore the notion of consciousness through the concepts of language, sound and narrative. www.stevenjfowler.com/statesofmind

Through informal academic talks alongside newly commissioned artworks, the variance of speakers, with their uniformly exciting and innovative approaches to the notion of consciousness, will ensure three remarkable events, free to attend, this July, in London.

https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/states-mind-tracing-edges-consciousness Tickets available from late June.

The Poetry of Consciousness

Thursday 7 July, 19.00-20.30

FREE | TICKETED at Wellcome Collection

From the perspective of the neuroscientist, the poet, the translator - a discussion of the role of language in constituting our consciousness, presenting talks and newly commissioned works for performance on the night.

Featuring: Daniel Margulies, SJ Fowler, Noah Hutton & Jen Calleja.

The Sound of Consciousness

Thursday 14 July, 19.00-20.30

FREE | TICKETED at Wellcome Collection

This event asks what role sound takes in shaping our experience and understanding of consciousness and offers artist’s reflections on the pivotal role sound has in the firmament of our daily lives, drawing from the worlds of neuroscience, anthropology, film, composition and sound poetry.

Featuring: John Gruzelier, Nick Ryan, Vincent Moon & Maja Jantar.

The Narrative of Consciousness

Thursday 21 July, 19.00-20.30

FREE | TICKETED at Wellcome Collection

Within and without language, how does the notion of narrative define our experience of the world through consciousness? An event featuring some of the most dynamic contemporary artists, neuroscientists and writers, exploring how narrative interacts with consciousness and what happens when this begins to break down, whether through trauma or conditions like aphasia.

Featuring: Lotje Sodderland, Srivas Chennu, Sam Winston and Barry Smith.

Exhibited: Manners Maketh Man, my commission for Graz Forumstadtpark Glory Hole series

So happy to have been commissioned by the amazing pioneering Forumstadtpark in Austria, curated by the equally groundbreaking Max Hofler, to produce a videotext work, part of their Glory Hole series. This series has been going for years and involves a video with text projected against the side of the Forumstadtpark itself, blown up like a bat signal, in the middle of a huge, beautiful park in the middle of the city. Loads of people see it, and for my work, which runs throughout April, this is true as its being screened while a film festival goes on. Really i had fun making it too, they promote my kind of work. You can see all the glory hole commissions here : https://vimeo.com/forumstadtparkgraz, some great ones, and my edition, the 31st, below

„GLORY HOLE - nachrichten von drüben“ („GLORY HOLE - messages from the other side“) is a so-called screening literature magazine for short literary forms. Every night the issues are projected on a silver screen which is installed at the outside of the Forum Stadtpark, Graz. Every new month an other author creates a new issue. This issues was created by the British Poet and Artist Steven J Fowler. http://www.stevenjfowler.com/ Text: Steven J. Fowler Sounds: Martin Pichler ------ Text ------ Manners Maketh Man Style, like sheer silk, too often hides eczema. Albert Camus overconfidence and consciousness = early onset unconsciousness nose up = face down pubic hair in your food rude to the art gallery invigilators rude to the staff in the coffee shop the creeping suspicion you have no excuse for a lack of courtesy (akin to love) manipulated by alcohol assuaged by parental errors propped upon bleeding hearts an investment in artefacts fat legs soft touch slow stroke drowning pool card shark deep ditch dog day “about last night” licking leaks from the patrons projected resentment towards your father I am your father I am your friend I am the hole that you will disappear into rolled from an earth mound into the white circle unless you turn it all around and become nice to be with to live with to love to care for to work with to talk to only the rude die twice the kind live on in food stuffs and conversation and warm the beds of the people the poison egg hatches the cold hard Austrian union of sentiment Austrians pretending they don’t have feelings as English gentleman rob the poor on Downton Abbey (that you watch) LISTEN as you read I am the hole in your wall I am the white hole the strangle the choke the should brush the take out the screening the doctor’s note THE FRIENDLY WARNING I am steeped in glory I shuffle your cards I AM THE STORY OF THE OLD ON THEIR DEATHBED SAYING I HAVE HAD ALOT OF TROUBLE IN MY LIFE most of which never happened Chill out, make an effort. You’re only here for a few years really Then you’re dead Two dates & a hyphen in between - What year were you born? Say it out loud 1983? 1972? 1964? Well, imagine… 1964 – 2016 That’s you that is. “It is a very fine thing to be honest but it is also very important to be right” Winston Churchill There’s no virtue in rudeness Be nice.