Open studio

A studio or workroom which is made accessible to allcomers, perhaps just in the short term, during an open studio event, where artistic or creative work can be viewed and created collaboratively. An open studio is intended to foster creativity and encourage experimentation in an atmosphere of cultural exchange, conversation, encouragement, and freedom of expression.

Marie Bashkirtseff. In the Studio. 1881

History

In the modern era, open studios originated in the salons of 17th Century Paris, such as the Hôtel de Rambouillet and the gatherings of intellectuals and artists hosted by Madame de Scudéry. Much later, during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the concept of the open studio took the form of public poetry exchanges (most notably those of the Beat poets, events that were the forerunners of modern poetry slams), the ‘happenings’ of Andy Warhol’s The Factory (culminating in the multimedia open-floor parties known as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable), and the experimental jamborees of the French literary group OuLiPo.

In the 21st century, the open studio (often taking the form of a virtual or internet location) focuses on the creative act of making and sharing, in a flexible space equipped with a range of contemporary media and multimedia. Artists and non-artists come together in a social act of collaboration, the only entry requirements being an inquisitive nature, a curiosity about new and traditional media, and a lack of inhibition about creating in a semi-public space.

Modern day

A modern-day open studio blurs the boundaries between theory and practice, sparking insights and enabling the discovery of new kinds of meaning. It allows for greater freedom of thought and expression. Its ultimate aim is to pioneer fresh modes of communication and sharing, and produce innovative forms of public engagement.

An internationally recognised event, there a number of countries running its own version of open studios. These include UK, such as Helfa gelf in North Wales, Cyprus, Holland, Germany and America, to name but a few.

Open Studios Communications

Open Studios Communications is a network and communications platform set up to promote the open studio style events in the UK and Internationally, and to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information with the rest of the world. The website offers multiple search options on date, location, type of event and organisation.

Open studios cyprus

There has been a number of events in Cyprus under the open studios banner, including the event in Nicosia and Paphos. Both have run independently of one another, with different organisation and structure.

Nicosia Open Studios

First run in November 2006 inside the city wall of Nicosia,[1] Open Studios presented the opportunity for visitors to visit and see artists work from both sides of the divide. This event typically runs once every two years.

Events were also run in 2008 and 2011.

Paphos & Limassol Open Studios

This event originally started as Paphos Open Studios in 2006, and primarily consisted of UK Artists living in Cyprus. However it expanded to include the Limassol region and so becoming a truly international affair with artist participating from a variety of countries and cultures. It is an annual event. The purpose of this event is to present the opportunity to the general public to meet and discuss the work of the artist in an informal and relaxed environment.

Taking place during selected weekends in October, the event is launched with an Opening Art Exhibition in Paphos, presenting the opportunity for visitors to view the artists work and to meet some of the artists. Information about the participating artists, their discipline, location and opening weekends can be found in the Artist Information Guide or on-line. This information helps the visitor plan and manage their itinerary for the event, and is typical of most Open Studio Events.

Open Studios is endorsed by the Cyprus Department of Education & Culture, Cultural Services, the Cyprus Tourist Organization[2] and UNWTO

In 2011, the organisers of Paphos & Limassol Open Studios announced that this event would no longer exist in its current form and would go into hibernation. The event has just been relaunched under 'new management' in 2015 - www.cyprusopenstudios.com is under construction.

2011 Participating Artists were,[3][4][5]

  • Gabriele Boehm
  • Mary Louise Chojnowski
  • Judith Constantinou
  • Elena Daniel
  • Alessandra Desole
  • Philip Duerdoth
  • Anne & Keith Empson
  • Helena Georgiades
  • Scholi-Mouseion Haraktikis Hambis
  • Paul Hughes
  • Gillian Keef
  • Joep Klinkenbijl[6]
  • Jady Kozak
  • Jenny Loizides
  • Sarah Beale Mary Nottingham
  • Gemma Plant
  • Natasha Sabeva
  • Victor Smith
  • Carole Stoate
  • Sharen Taylor
  • Jane Webster
  • Karen Wroe[7]

Recent Times

In the time around May 2020, as studios turn into websites, zoom meetings and (sometimes VIP-only) viewing rooms, open studio becomes both private and shared, hidden and open-sourced.

Written Studio

Written Studio is a shared, text based studio environment where the creative processes are broken down into choices of sentences, words, and tones. It reflects on the concept of the artist’s studio as the image of self-ideation, as the stage for artist's performance, or as the presence of working studio assistants.[8] The program, other than a virtual space, is co-conceptualization, co-imagination, and co-writing. Distinct from a mere “ingenious performance", Written Studio involves internal work such as cleaning, arranging, and decorating that influence the mental space of a shared studio.

Imitating the form of text-based MUD (multiplayer real-time virtual world), the program is operated in a multi-channel communication platform where writing is posting, chatting and editing. It allows free creation from sculpture to atmosphere through conversation, collaborative text building, writing and rewriting.

Roles

There are two equal roles in Written Studio participants can apply for, artist and assistant. For artists, they are the ones who initialize requests and ideas by starting a writing or co-writing process. For assistants, they process the requests from the artists, participate in the rewriting or collaborative-rewriting process, and they operate the studio environment.

Duration

Written Studio are usually hosted for two and half days. Each day has a theme: day one--"Move-in: make it your space", day two--"Build: build-in-progress", day three--"Dialogue: let's not call this a critique". The most recent Written Studio will be hosted in June of year 2020. The specific time hasn't been determined yet.

gollark: Also, it's not `tau`, it's `potatOS.tau`.
gollark: It's Lua, not Python, apiopythohazard.
gollark: It's either potatOS's `tau` command or just infinite random numbers.
gollark: I've discovered something immensely troubling. EFI uses UTF-16 strings.
gollark: I DON'T KNOW!

References
  1. EXPLORING OPEN STUDIOS IN A CLOSED CITY CROSSES MORE THAN THE GREEN LINE Cyprus Mail, Cyprus Nov 7 2006
  2. CTO Monthly Events Programme for October 2011 lists the Open Studios in Paphos & Limassol
  3. Half page feature on Open Studios, Cyprus Weekly, 30 September 2011
  4. Whole page, Cyprus Sunday Mail, 6 October 2011
  5. Quarter page feature, Pafos Post
  6. Feature on Joep in the PALS magazine
  7. Feature on Karen Wroe and Carole, Cyprus Living, October 2011
  8. ESNER, RACHEL (2013), ESNER, RACHEL; KISTERS, SANDRA; LEHMANN, ANN-SOPHIE (eds.), "INTRODUCTION:: Forms and Functions of the Studio from the Twentieth Century to Today", Hiding Making - Showing Creation, The Studio from Turner to Tacita Dean, Amsterdam University Press, pp. 121–135, ISBN 978-90-8964-507-4, retrieved 2020-05-14

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