Collecting Newspapers for the Newspaper House

The Newspaper House sent a collection team to join Project Freesheet's collection around London.



Altogether, Project Freesheet collected a remarkable pile of papers - in less than two hours, right (and that wasn't all of them). Each of these bags contains about 10K of papers.













Here's the team at one of London's best photo-opp spots - Tower Bridge!

Sumer Erek

Sumer Erek was born in Cyprus and graduated from St. Martins School of Art in 1985 (BA and two years post graduate in Sculpture).

Sumer Erek is a multi-disciplinary artist working in a variety of different fields such as painting, sculpture, photography, installation, video and performance.
He is best known for his large-scale installations and multi-disciplinary participatory projects, notably ‘ Footnotes - 2000’, ‘Upside Down House - 2001’, ‘The Bath - 2002’, ‘Stitch - 2002’, ‘Ash Seeds - 2004’ and ‘The Raw Earth project - 2005-2007’



'The Newspaper House' 2008. Photograph by Gillian McIver


'Newspaper House, which develops at different time scale and space, requires also different structural and conceptual analysis. Such an analysis, in turn, requires understanding the notion of ‘house’ which keeps reappearing in Erek’s works. This notion can perhaps be seen as his reaction to having lived more than half of his life away from the land of his birth. But to see the notion of ‘house’ as a nostalgic longing for the motherland would be misleading. Especially in “Upside Down House” (2001), the ‘house’ is used not just as a location but also as an existential niche, home and a metaphor for identity and belonging.' Metin Senerguc



'Upside Down House', 2001. Photograph Sumer Erek


''Upside Down House' is a completely set, detailed and literally upside down house: as you enter the space a video system captures your image and an upside down TV set on the living room shows you on the space in real time, but upside down.

The perplexity caused by this discontinuity in perception, by the collision of perceptual expectations with the impediment of understanding one's own image shown upside down, conveys in an experimental way the difficulty of building up a coherent self image that matches with the space around.' Suzana Vaz



'Upside Down House', 2001. Photograph Sumer Erek



'Stairs to blue' Raw Earth Project. Sumer Erek


'The 'Raw Earth Project' addresses both in literal and symbolical ways the idea of dwelling, and its main icon is, yet again, a house. In a derelict country house in Cyprus, Erek installed a bathing pool, crossed by a wooden bridge.

The iconographic complexity of the project, still in progress, included a series of museological procedures, such as the labeling and recording of the material that resulted from the participation of the public. Invited to stand at the centre of the house, over the pool, using it as a 'centre of the world', the participant was given a small bag of clay to hold in the hand (a 'proof of the real') while engaged on the experience of being a conductor of telluric energy, available to sense the body/mind/environment continuum.

The ideas of cleansing and rebirth, and of a site conceived for the change of the mode of being, which Erek recurrently try out on previous pieces, gain on the 'Raw Earth Project' their full archaic meaning and potency, while the introduction of museological procedures states the autonomy of a dwelling-like artwork vis-à-vis the art establishment.' Suzana Vaz



'Pool' Raw Earth Project. Sumer Erek


'In the plastic and poetic contents of his work, Erek usually explores paradoxes and oppositions in order to reach an integrative sense for the several layers of meaning. Concerning the three basic topics of the Newspaper House Project - news, paper and house - Erek explains the intent of creatively confronting the private and the public, addressing an ethics that is experimentally tried out on an exchange between the immaterial non physicality and the material physical concreteness of both information and space.' Suzana Vaz



The Newspaper House', 2008. Photograph by Tuba Altunkaya


'In the Newspaper House project, Erek takes ‘house’ a step further. He turns the ‘Newspaper House’ into both a shelter and a workshop, where he creates his art. At the same time it becomes a finished artwork and a ‘gallery’, in which spectators see the artwork. Perhaps this is why, when he speaks about this project, Erek says: “One of my main aims with this project is to share it with participants who are not artists and to embrace this process as natural as one lives his daily life.” In this context, Newspaper House is conceptually positioned somewhere between the private and the public and the real and the fictitious.' Metin Senerguc



'The Newspaper House', 2008. Photograph by Tuba Altunkaya


'While we expect a treasure to come out of the shell, we are met by a world woven by newspapers. Does he want to show us a ‘treasure of knowledge’? In archaeological excavations, we get more information from the daily, mundane objects rather than those covered with precious jewels. It may be true that the news and pictures inside those tonnes of newspapers show us all we want to know about this society. But since we cannot read them all one by one, it is not easy to understand their meaning. Can the meaning that hides between the form and the content be found in the Newspaper House?'


In this age of information, newspapers inform as much as create disinformation. As such, the newspaper is amongst the most important tools of those in power. Erek’s rolled up newspapers, in a way, point to their paradoxical character. The information that newspapers contain is still there, but impossible to read anymore as they’ve transformed into building ‘bricks’.' Metin Senerguc



'The Newspaper House', 2008. Photograph by Emra Islek

Invitation to Gillett Square!

Creative City invites you to the Newspaper House!

March 3rd - 9th on Gillett Square
Dalston (Hackney N16)
[Unveiling March 8th from 2pm]


The Newspaper House is a public art installation making use of YOUR (the public's) newspapers and erected in Dalston's Gillett Square (Hackney) from March 3 to 9th, 2008.


Sumer Erek, installation artist, will be building an art-house in just one week. Members of the public are invited to bring newspapers to the Square to add to grow the installation. Visitors will also be invited to insert their own news into the newspaper, before rolling it.






This is the first art in the public realm proposal to be introduced to Gillett Square and an ambitious public art piece by Creative City. www.creative-city.co.uk www.sumererek.com

Creative City would like to see more collaborations and inspire high quality art work of a collaborative and participatory nature. As the Newspaper House gains momentum, we are hoping to continue growing it and take it to new locations!





This exciting project was funded by Hackney Council's Cultural Team and Partnership Development Officer Sandra Collins has pushed for the Newspaper House to happen in Gillett Square. It includes partnership development with Hackney Council's Cultural team, Environment and Recycling Team, The Learning Trust and Hackney Cooperative Development's Gillett Squared project. Its R&D was funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Arts Council England and UnLt.


The success of this work would not have been possible without the considerable and amazing support from the local community and a dedicated team of volunteers and visionary people.

The Newspaper House hopes to see you, with your newspapers during the making, and at the unveiling. It will not be the same without your contribution.


Don't forget to come collecting newspapers on Wed 27th as part of Project Freesheet's Walk About! www.projectfreesheet.org

www.myspace.com/newspaperhouse
www.creative-city.co.uk
Newspaperhouse on Facebook


press[@]creative-city.co.uk for press
karen[@]creative-city.co.uk for info

Visits

The Newspaper House is a piece of public art making use of YOUR newspapers in Gillett Square from March 3rd till March 9th.

Come once to bring newspapers that week, come again to see the finished piece on March 8th @ 2pm! Sumer Erek, the artist will unveil.



The project is produced by Creative City. It is a partnership with Hackney Council, Gillett Squared, and supported by UnLtd, Arts Council England, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

www.myspace.com/newspaperhouse
www.creative-city.co.uk
karen[@]creative-city.co.uk for info
press[@]creative-city.co.uk for press

Writing by Suzana Vaz, photo montage by Luiz Antonio Rocfta, for Creative City

All texts and images are copyright of the authors. Please do not use any of the images on this site without express permission. Please contact gillian[@]creative-city.co.uk if you would like to use any of the images.





"'Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon' was one of several appropriate and engaging songs that the radio played during our visit to the Newspaper House, to Sumer Erek and the team of volunteers working at Shacklewell Row. Nico came along, shot carefully around the space with his photo camera and made some fine composite images.

The wooden cast of the house was now painted white, ready to receive the subsequent coloured layers of paint. Inside the house a sector of structural parts and respective filling showed the adopted technological solution, and anticipated the rhythms and texture of the house's flesh. Sumer Erek was working on the windows, exploring different weavings to bring light and air inside.

The several tasks concerning the newspaper sticks occupy different teams of people. Taking the staples out and piling the opened newspapers; rolling different amounts of pages to produce sticks of different thickness; gluing and compressing the paper rolls into sticks in the Stixx's machines; covering coherently the structural wooden parts with sticks of different thickness... The tables with the Stixx's machines were now lined up on a narrow aisle of the Hall, while piles of sticks lay on the available space, side by side with the tall structural parts.

Dealing with the newspapers to prepare them to become sticks is the less specialised task for the volunteer, so I dived on the pile of different free newspapers from Feb 6, Amy Winehouse on the front page of each of them, the majority of the used newspapers opened and folded on the page with the news about her. Loose thoughts about mass media and ethics, drug addiction and creative gifts hovered my mind, and soon enough Jo, Paula, Andrew and I were exchanging points of view on the subject..."

Suzana Vaz, 10 February 2008

Launch photographs!

The Newspaper House is a piece of public art making use of YOUR newspapers in Gillett Square from March 3rd till March 10th.

Come once to bring newspapers that week, come again to see the finished piece on March 8th @ 2pm! Sumer Erek, the artist will unveil.

The project is produced by Creative City. It is a partnership with Hackney Council, Gillett Squared, and supported by UnLtd, Arts Council England, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

www.myspace.com/newspaperhouse
www.creative-city.co.uk

Photographs by Ramon Andarias for Creative City

All text and images are copyright of the author. Please do not use any of the images on this site without express permission. Please contact gillian[@]creative-city.co.uk if you would like to use any of the images.

Launched!

The Newspaper House is a piece of public art making use of YOUR newspapers in Gillett Square from March 3rd till March 10th.

Come once to bring newspapers that week, come again to see the finished piece on March 8th @ 2pm! Sumer Erek, the artist will unveil.

The project is produced by Creative City. It is a partnership with Hackney Council, Gillett Squared, and supported by UnLtd, Arts Council England, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.


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The Newspaper House launched!

So fantastic to see an idea taking shape. Amazing to see all the hard work being appreciated.

It was the opportunity to see an unfinished piece and understand how it will work on Gillett Square, and for us to gauge feedback.


Tez, a visitor, surprised us by calculating that if we aimed to use the 120,000 newspapers that we had originally calculated to make the house, we would need to work 47 hours a day to achieve it!! ...Is that all?...

The whole point of R&D and moving into production early was to assess and test the scale. Sumer concluded early enough that this was not realistic, and changed the method of construction.. slightly.. so not to be so under pressure.

Tez went back into the House to re-calculated on the new method basis, sat down pen and paper in hand and crafter away for a while before announcing that we now needed 30,000 newspapers rolled + 5,000 sticks. Thanks Tez, you made the night.


Joanne, Paola, Hannah and Pippa had the production line ready for visitors and had everyone rolling sticks, it was fun.

Creative City's Newspaper House documentary was playing in the background. Ramon took photographs. Rosie and Chris interviewed and filmed everyone as well as capturing the visitors rolling sticks. Photographs will be up soon.


If you too want to roll some sticks before March 3rd, call Karen 07 989 954 414 to come to St Barnabas Hall, E2 8EA. There is something very therapeutic about it and a lovely atmosphere in the Hall, thanks to our team.

Last night thanks:
Emma Jones (Gillett Squared), Jojo Beechey, Paola, Hannah, Pippa, Mehmet, Gillian Burton, Ramon, Chris, Rosie, Schu Khan, Gwen and Imogen Welch (The Paper Trail).


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Walk About with Project Freesheet

On Wed Feb 27th. Project Freesheet is looking to collect 10,000 newspapers.

The Newspaper House will gather a team of individuals to collect newspapers from 6.30 to 8pm. 100 newspapers each. You know as well as I do that it will not take long at all. We can then take them to City Hall and pile it all up! with photo.

These newspapers are coming to the Newspaper House afterwards, being counted, and added to the House of course to make it grow.

Register your interest at
karen[@]projectfreesheet.com


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The Newspaper House was featured in three Turkish newspapers! One of which in Cyprus, where Sumer Erek is from.

Londra Gazete - 7 Feb

Pages 4 & 18: Sűmer Erek’ten kamu sanatı projesi – a Turkish-Cypriot artist launches the Newspaper House, constructed out of used free newspapers, is to be displayed in March in Gillett Square, a joint project between Creative City, Hackney Council, The Learning Trust, the Arts Council, and Gulbenkian Foundation.

Toplum Postası - 7 Feb

Page 1: Sűmer Erek başaşağı evden sonra şimdi gazeteden ev yapacak! - a Turkish-Cypriot artist launches the Newspaper House, constructed out of used free newspapers, is to be displayed in March in Gillett Square, a joint project between Creative City, Hackney Council, The Learning Trust, the Arts Council, and Gulbenkian Foundation.

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Press info Gillian :: press[@]creative-city.co.uk 07 921 956 164
Project info Karen :: karen[@]creative-city.co.uk 07 989 954 414

Preview invitation Thursday 7 Feb // 4 - 9pm Meet Sumer Erek, understand his challenge

The Newspaper House is a piece of public art making use of YOUR discarded newspapers! It will grow on Gillett Square from March 3 to 9th, 2008. 10am to 10pm

In the week, passers-by and visitors can bring their newspapers to the Square, where installation artist Sumer Erek, who created the piece, will build a house (with them).

The Newspaper House
March 3 - 9 2008
Gillett Square
Dalston N16


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It is not easy planning and delivery a piece of public art that will grow on a public square! Er... Who said it was? Well, definitely not us because the challenge is what motivates us!

¬ First, we have to make sure we understand the technical hurdles and evaluate the time it takes to get round them

¬ Second it is a case of finding a team that can deliver

¬ Third, it has to work to plan

¬ Fourth, we have to make enough noise to make sure YOU know about it and bring your newspapers to Gillett Square so that the piece achieves its aims!


Part of this process we are showing on Thursday 7 Feb 4 - 9pm
@ St Barnasbas Hall
Shacklewell Row
London E8 2EA

If you read this, then please come along.

Sumer will be there explaining the highs and lows, the techniques, the findings, the intricacies of his masterpiece.






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Interest on the project is growing! and we have had 2 more very valuable articles this week!

Hackney Today Jan 28th



Evening Standard Jan 31st





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We would also like to thank Paola, Emily Gray, Jo Beechey, Hannah for helping us through all this!


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Sunday just gone, Sumer had a visit from Suzana Vaz, who has been writing about the development and his work within the Newspaper House. Her text will be published in the next post on Thursday. For now, here are her comments on her first visit to Barnabas Hall::

" At Shackelwell Row, easy access alighting from Dalston Kingsland Station or Dalston Junction by bus.

I had my first viewing of the Newspaper House at St Barnabas Hall. Ariane Feijó came along and, as we arrived, Nicola had just finished interviewing Sumer Erek.

At the entrance of the Hall the scent of wood anticipated the vision of the cast of the newspaper house, an imposing structure made of wood and plywood, which took almost completely the central space of the Hall. A playful reminiscence of childhood, when we made barracks out of big size cardboard boxes, enacted the rooted image: a house inside the house.

There were several collaborators working with the newspapers, folding and rolling them on the Stix's machines, producing sticks at a regular pace, for the aim of the day was to estimate a rate of daily production.

Sumer Erek got us into the wooden cast through one of the two opposing central entrances and guided us to one corner where the filling of the cast was being tried out. He showed us the several technical solutions to bundle different sizes, lengths, and different amounts of newspaper sticks, which will serve as structural components and as filling material. Once the actual technological solutions are established the volunteers can be trained to work. This should be decided until the 7th Feb, so that the main filling of the cast is completed for the outside event on the very beginning of March.

We were then trained to process the newspaper into sticks. Sumer, Karen and Hanna showed us how to fold the newspaper sheets, roll them, and afterwards glue them and roll them on the hand moved Stix machine (an invention of Darcy Turner). Ari, Nicola and I naturally got into a focused working pace, to understand the engaging, therapeutic power of manual work and to enjoy the feeling of transforming, compressing, a numbly soft flat raw material into a thick fine generic reed-like shape. Lightness."