Newspaper House, outline

The Newspaper House is an interactive public installation making use of the free newspapers found scattered in and around London. The house will be erected in a public square of London to provide wide access to the public.

Members of the public will bring the newspapers they find lying around on the tube, bus, streets, public spaces, and in their homes to add to the structure, building the house.

The more newspapers the public bring, the higher, the bigger the “house”, and the more features it could have.

The house i s scheduled to be built in Hackney's Gillett Square from October 8th to 14th, and is currently looking for partners and supporters.

The house could (to be negotiated) include other recyclable collectables: i.e. plastic bottles that are used in housing material. We will also use the project to introduce discussion of the uses of this discarded material, e.g. noting that paper and newspaper is an excellent insulation materials for walls.

The House will be a centre of activity, from public interaction to live performances by different artists who would perform in the house.

The topic is a current news item as Westminster Council is looking for ways to deal with the large quantities of free newspapers that clutter and dirty our streets and public transport. The large amount at the end of each day raises the issue of recycling as well as littering, and our project aims to bring the public to realise the simplicity of turning a thought into action.

Thinking about the way we live is not a trend for the privileged, it is essential that every member of the public starts looking after their own house, environment, the world they are creating for their children. Good habits are a learned behaviour.

The theme of the project is “the city is our home” and we will “clean” the city and organise our “house” into something attractive and livable.

The project is interactive, large scale, playful, informative, educational, conceptual, exciting, and receiving interest every time it is mentioned.

Seeing the large crowds that manifested themselves around the coming of the Sultan's Elephant to Westminster in May 2006, or Olafur Eliasson's Sun in the Tate Modern in 2004, we expect that a public-art project that combines art with social interaction and social community, backed by a strong concept, a tight press campaign and the support of selected partners, will spark instant positive response.


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The Newspaper House will reach out to

• Travellers on London public transport
• Families
• School children
• People of all ages and backgrounds
• Professionals at all levels
• London inhabitants
• Passers-by and tourists
• Artists, art students, students

The project aims to last a few days and grow daily, bringing more and more people as the word passes. We would welcome any number from 1,000 people to 100,000 to come and take photographs, and/or participate, and benefit from the project itself.

Depending on the project location, the amount of guaranteed audience will vary.


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News paper house concept, creation & realisation: Sumer Erek, artist

Sumer Erek is a conceptual creator of high artistic integrity. He has extensive experience in interactive public art installation from previous projects, the likes of 'UpSide Down House' that was exhibited in London, Liverpool and Glasgow. The 'UpSide Down' House is an ongoing project, which aims to travel to the Republic of Cyprus, with a view to take it to destinations worldwide including the Istanbul Biennial.

Sumer Erek both is simultaneously developing the ‘Raw Earth Project’. Information can be found on
www.rawearthproject.com
www.sumererek.com

Conceptual realisation & documentation: Gillian McIver

Gillian McIver is a curator, writer and documenter of site specific art. She is frequently invited to talk at events and conferences on site specific art, from Oxford University to Canada and Russia. She is the founder of the international art collective Luna-Nera. As an academic teacher, writer and practising artist and curator, Gillian McIver will help the
Newspaper House become a meaningful project. She will also supervise the comprehensive documentation of the project.
www.luna-nera.com
www.artsite.org.uk

Project management & elaboration: Karen Janody

Karen Janody is the soul of sleepless nights when she gets her teeth stuck in a project she likes. The Newspaper house is one of them! Coordinating a film festival, and numerous exhibitions, events and artists brought Karen from Liverpool to London where she has been freelance working on the management team of an internationally renowned music act, and cultural projects.

All individuals have worked with each other and together in the past, and the three will make an excellent team to take this project to the heights it deserves.


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Contact Karen Janody on 07 989 954 414 kjanody@gmail.com for information