So the lockdown continues, but it doesn't, unless it is. If you're looking to find any sense from the UK government then nae luck, its all been unravelling day by day since it started. The Scottish Goverment has faired a bit better but has still made mistakes along the way and as for our own Aberdeen City Council, well on many of the recent issues that have arisen its hard not to find fault. Although that's maybe unfair, after all, we all knew that as soon as pubs and clubs re opened the Corona cases we're going to spike again. Little did we know it would result in photos of Soul Bar appearing not just across the UK media but across the globe as a warning to others. So what is the current state of play, how many people can you squeeze into your beer tent and from how many households? Thankfully the wonderful Scarfolk Council are on hand with easy on the eye infographics and advice to get us through these trying times.
If you haven't been following, Scarfolk Council can be found on facebook, sharing vital information for the people of Scarfolk which is generally applicable to everyone. Their councils graphic design department might be stuck in the 70's but the seem to be well on top of the current crisis. I dare say given the choice I'd vote for them. Alas, it'll be 2022 before the next local council election in Aberdeen, with so much already changing in 2020 it'll be interesting to see how things stand in 2 years time. Be sure to follow Scarfolk Council for regular updates.
So the pandemic has seen the arts face many challenges, especially for smaller independants who don't have insitutional funds to keep them going. This in turn has led to the artists support pledge which seems to have been a guiding light for many to share and actually sell their work. A personal favourite has been Gabi Reith aka Small Stories who's been sharing a series of behind the scenes sketch book pages, ideas and some beautiful small scale drawings and paintings. With some paintings only measuring a few inches in diameter, these miniature artworks are really fun and can inject a little bit of magic into your home. I managed to snag a new piece for my own home and highly recommend checking out Small Stories insta feed.
While the pandemic has give many a lot more free time, few have used it like Led by Donkeys. Founded in 2018, the group are responsible for some important interventions including billboard hacks exposing the hypocrisy of the UK Government and even going a step further by projecting videos directly onto the houses of parliament calling out the political elite. Many of the groups actions cut straight to the issues and use the very platforms often reserved for advertisers and helps to point out the political fuckery that's been so detrimental for many in the UK. Their most recent critique comes in the form of a video featuring Hassan, a war refugee and asylum seeker who like many, came to the UK in search of a better life, the hope of a life even. While the Conservatives speak about sinking boats with women and children on board, Led by Donkeys remind us of the humanity and empathy we should all employ when looking at these issues.
As Aberdeen settled in for the initial lock down, Nuart Aberdeen decided to postpone this years festival with the hope of returning later in the year although this seems unlikely with the continued havoc caused by Covid 19. But a good virus can't keep us down. Instead of the usual large scale art works and productions, the team worked with a number of this years artists including Paul Harfleet aka The Pansy Project to produce a series of large scale paste ups which were placed around Aberdeen. A small team of volunteers took the artworks to locations outside of the usual boundaries and put up 9 temporary pieces with work from Biancoshock, Icy & Sot, Jacoba Neipoort, Jofre Oliveras, Nuno Vieags, The Pansy Project, Sandra Chevrier and Vladimir Abikh. Although many of the works have since gone, they provided some light relief to the oppressive feelings of the lockdown and also proved that sometimes smaller actions in public space can have power. More on the project soon.
With the onslaught of content releasing online, I was chuffed to see Ye Olde Destruction appear on the Transworld site. Filmed and edited over the course of 7 years, the film comes from skateboarding artist Thomas Campbell and looks to capture the fun, creativity and bonds that are created through the act of skateboarding. Art, music, crusty concrete and getting radical are where it's at so be sure to check out the full film here.
Final shout out goes to Miles Travels and his 'to your ears' podcast. Miles is a man of many hats and when not conducting mindfulness and creative workshops through his Pabyan network, you'll find Miles spinning records from across the spectrum featuring soul infused jazz to Scottish bothy ballads and some mild ramblings from the man himself for good measure. If you're getting bored of those spotify recommends then check out some fresh sounds above.
And that's it for another round up. I feel like I'm slowly getting back to some sense of normality and my desire to blog and connect some dots is back. Certainly in a time when digital spaces became almost over saturated it was good to not be feeding the beast too much. But there has been a lot of activity in the last few months which ill be diving into with another Deen Scene and hopefully showcasing a bit more of the people, places and art works that have kept my eyes and my mind happy. Hope everyone is doing ok and remember, Scarfolk Council is watching you!
