Flight from Liverpool to Madrid on Thursday 24 August 2006, train to Toledo arriving at the Circulo De Arte at 8pm.
Arriving at the Circulo de Arte from the railway station , I was met by Juan Giordano NEXO2006 ( Artists Coordinator) and shown around the magnificent Circulo De Arte. An historic building with a terrible past as the place where the Inquisition held court.
Being ushered into such a beautiful building set the tone for the week, more so, as a Concierto de guitarra given by Pedro de las Mozas greeted us on arrival.
On day four after a working session in the studios at Escuela de Artes de Toledo the artists were engaged in producing a piece of work for the Coleccion Toledo on a surface of 35 x 35cm, which on completion was installed into prepared panels on the walls of Circulo de Artes. The public came in and watched the work as it progressed, and when finally finished placed in the panel on the wall.
Fernando Barredo, Juan Giordano, Janko, and Ofrei Mindov worked one whole day in the square in front of the cathedral. They each made a piece of work from a felled tree trunk with a large crowd as an audience. It was 37C, and the work was carried out with chainsaws. The project was sponsored by a chainsaw company. The five works were then to be viewed in the main exhibition.
Work Produced on Residency.
I produced a piece of work with an interactive element, which followed on from my interest in ideas about Toledo and the triad of religions in the 11th century. and the possibilities for composition that arise from the ‘SWITCH’ and ‘BRIDGE’ in the PICTURE - STATE - PLACE series.
Tuesday 29 August it was the time to set up the exhibition in the Centro Cultural San Clemente, del Gobierno Provincial de Toledo. The gallery spaces were excellent comparing with anything we have in Wales. At 7.30pm the Mayor and other dignitaries arrived and Spanish National TV were recording the opening event.
Visit to Madrid on Wednesday the 30 August we travelled as a party to Madrid, by the excellent train service from Toledo to Madrid. A visit to Museo Del Prado in the morning and then lunch in the park. The artists met the Children of Columbia at the Centro Nacional De Arte Reina Sofia. The arriving back in Toledo at 9pm we had a farewell meal at Restaurante Casa Tabordo.
Summary and outcome.
It is easy to get over enthusiastic about artists meeting one another in a sort of international cultural exchange which fosters a camaraderie that in itself is a raison de etre for the whole event. This in effect is in my view a small part of the justification for the funding spent on the event, for artists get to view each others working practices and make assessments on integrity of purpose and outcome is in itself important to the development of ideas in a global sense, but what is important is the work itself, and what is communicated. NEXO 2006 will be seen by visitors to the exhibition in Toledo, Madrid and on tour to other towns in the region. An estimated 5,000 people will see the works and make connections between the countries of origin and the works on show. Then the actual contacts made by the artists being profiled while on the residencies, introduced to many hundreds of people from Toledo. Then the artists back in their own region will expound on their experiences and the connections made and the new things found out about countries, cultures, and politics. The cumulative effect of the value of communication which in turn opens up opportunities for trade of all sorts means that the benefits far outweigh the sum total of the parts.
NEXO2006 delivered a project which achieved many cultural goals, and which in turn has given rise to other initiatives that will bring many economic benefits to all the regions represented by the artists on the residencies. ICAW Harlech Biennale will be seeking along with NEXO to further develop the project to enhance the notion that art in the 21 century has an important role to play in making a positive input in the evolving and fast moving times we live in.
John Brown September 2006
Director ICAW Harlech Biennale
John Brown- Wales was supported by: 
Other participating artists were arriving and there was a general feeling of goodwill emanating from our Spanish hosts and percolating the entire building. Part of NEXO2006 project was the sponsorship of four children from a poor district of Columbia, accompanied by their minder. In typical Spanish fashion the greetings all round were warm and sincere. Fernando Barredo also known as Loc, NEXO Director arrived with artists . Nove Frangovski, and Ana Frangovska from Macedonia who had been to Harlech on the ICAW 2005 Harlech International Artists Residencies held in Lasynys Fawr, Harlech. In all 18 artists took part in the residency including Janko from Macedonia who was not originally listed.
Everyone that was scheduled to arrive had arrived; by now the time was 10.30pm, and we were taken to restaurant La Abadia for dinner. The food was excellent with Jamon de serrano, salad and Steak for the main courses. After dinner at about 1am we were led through the ancient streets of Toledo to our hotel accommodation at the Residencia Ortega y Gasset. The accommodation proved to be very good with single rooms en suite, just a short walk from the Circulo De Arte.
A typical day started with breakfast at 9am. At 10am we gathered at the hotel ready to be taken to Escuela de Artes de Toledo, where we were going to work. The walk to the Escuela de Arte took approximately 45 minutes from the hotel, but we had a tour of Toledo meeting at the Escuela de Artes de Toledo, at 12. The working spaces were in a magnificent building which housed the Art School. The studios were well equipped, and the whole ambience of the place gave the impression that the courses were of a traditional content with an emphasis on didactic teaching. I was allocated a space in the ceramic department which was well furnished but had limited open floor-space.
On what was the second day, (the first day after the arrival) there was a presentation of the Escuela de Artes de Toledo, and the work begun. In the evening NEXO had arranged a Spanish picnic at the Pena del Rey Moro, a rock over the river which runs around Toledo, and which overlooks the city. Spanish songs were sung, and as always all the artists were embraced by the warmth of being invited into the culture of our hosts.
On the third day after a day in the studios, broken by a presentation at the Circulo de Artes where the mayor and other dignitaries welcomed us, together with the Ninos de Columbia. Work in the studios in the afternoon, and then at 9pm we went to Casa-taller del artista Jairo Valero (NEXO03) for a special dinner. The welcome was overwhelming, but typically Spanish, and we danced until the early hours to the latest Spanish music, as well as some old favourites.
NEXO looked after our material needs and the place was well equipped for hand tools, although I had taken my own power drill and power saw together with other hand-tools. Fernando Barredo and Juan Giordano the NEXO2006 Directors had organised the event very well, and the first day saw them getting materials and equipment as per the artists’ requirements. I had taken preparatory ideas/drawings to Toledo which meant that I could maximise the limited time on the residency.
The timetable shows the commitments to meetings and events which in themselves were points of contact with the local population, ranging from the interested local resident to meeting the Mayor and other important members concerned with culture. We made a piece of work of a size 35 x 35cm in the Circulo De Arte to fit into prepared panels on the walls. This drew crowds from the community to see the artists working, and ended with a buffet, and an evening of music and dancing.
The typical daily routine was Breakfast at 9am then to the Arte Institute for work at 10am, back to the hotel for lunch at 1.30pm then to the Arte Institute for work until 9pm. Dinner at 10pm. There was a half hour walk right across the city of Toledo from the hotel to the workplaces. The streets are very narrow and cobbled and the walk was to the Cathedral then up along the main street to the summit and then.
A picture tour of NEXO 2006 - more photos to come. |
Toledo at night from the Pena del Rey Moro. |
7.30am and the bells of the monastry awakens Toledo to a |
A typical street in Toledo on the way to the Escuela de Arte de Toledo. |
Aleksander contemplating where he was going to work. |
Evidence of a classical teaching in the Escuela de Artes. |
Another studio for the artists to choose where to work. |
Yet more superb space in the Escuela del Artes |
Fernando Barredo alias LOC - NEXO at work with chainsaw in the |
Juan Giordano NEXO in the early stages of creating a piece of sculpture |
Orfei Mindov - Bulgaria well on the way to realising his piece of work. |
Some intricate work going on by Janko - Macedonia . |
Nove Frangovski - Macedonia in the exhibition at |
Fernando Barredo NEXO Director with the Mayor of Toledo viewing |
Work by Pepik Achrer - The Check Republic in Centro Cultural San Clemente. |
Albena Mihaylova - Bulgaria with her installation work speaking to |
Albena Mihaylova - Bulgaria doing her performance piece with a very interested onlooker from Columbia. One of the Niňos de Columbia which NEXO 2006 sponsored to stay in Toledo. |
Aleksander Pribicevic - Serbia in the Centro Cultural San Clemente |
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Toledo Cultural Bridge 2006 John Brown - Wales
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Element I I - STATE Invitation to viewers - Make a switch from one idea to another - (make a statement).
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Element III - PLACE (Dimension) - photo Greta Estevez
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Greta Estevez - Chile (Photography) see work above |
The floor element of the work done on the NEXO2006 residency
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Ayde Rouviere - France installing her work in the |
Ayde Rouviere with another element of her work. |
Ana Frangovska - Macedonia an artist and art critic and Director of the Art Colony Galichnik. Photo taken in the Centro Cultural San Clemente.
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Milena Ouzunova - Bulgaria at work in the Escuela de Artes de Toledo.
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Milena Ouzunova - work on show at Centro Cultural San Clemente. |
Robert Garcia - USA work on exhibition at Centro Cultural San Clemente
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Robert Garcia - title Tormenta/Storm (material - cut steel sheet) |
Robert Garcia casting a critical eye over his work Tormenta/Storm at Centro Cultural San Clemente |
| Please keep alert for updates and more photos as further information comes in from NEXO participants. |
