2010 Challenge

Background;
A part of every artistic practice is challenge, without challenges we are not pushing ourselves enough to learn and understand, to explore, take risks and fail, without challenge we can not excel our potential. Where there is no challenge there can be routine, although routines in its self can be a challenge, routine can lead to mundaneness and complacency. I have always maintained that I want to be challenged in what I do and push my own boundaries in doing so.

The project;
On the last day of each month I will select a challenge to accept from those proposed from the first day of that month. The challenge can be anything, the challenge is not limited to any one discipline or medium there is no restraint by description such as artist, curator, critic etc, leaving the challenge as open as possible to individual interpretation. 12 challenges will be accepted and attempt to be fulfilled, the time frame of each is determined in the challenge its self.

To make a challenge;
Challenges are welcome from any one, and can be submitted in any format, although preferably written and sent via email. The following is what is needed for a challenge;

1. Challenges will be accepted all year around, however a challenge will be selected on the last day of each month from those submitted during that month.
2. The parameters are set by the challenger, there is no structure.
3. Not every challenge submitted will be carried out, but those chosen will be acted upon.
4. If a challenge is not selected in one month it can be re-submitted again.
5. There is no limit to the amount of challenges one person can set.
6. All challenges that are submitted, are done so in the consent that they may be reproduced in documentation.
7. All challengers will be credited with the information supplied, all contact details will remain confidential.

To submit a challenge email mail@ameliabeavisharrison.com
If you have any questions please use the above email address.

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January Challenge

18 points out of 576
3.125% successful.
1.125/36

Guests in attendance:
Steven Ingman
Next door neighbours
James E Smith
The Lady Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Jeanine Packer

'Invite local celebrities, national celebrities, local government, local clubs and societies, local press, important people and less so, to come to your studio and have you explain what it is that you do / are doing. It will take all of your cunning and tactical skills to get people to actually come, and you can rate the exercise based on who you manage to get (ie. the mayor = 10 points, head of the local hells angels = 4 points).'

Challenged by Alexander Stevenson

February Challenge

(A work of two parts)
Audio and printed rules for an installation

'I challenge you not to think about art for a whole year.'

Challenged by Paul Matosic

March Challenge

(A piece of three parts)

'Sorry'
Balloon launch, with thanks to Nottingham Castle
20 apologies

Apology to the Ambrose Sisters
A bouquet of Hydrangea’s

Apology to Jeni
18 Cadburys Cream Eggs

'To list and act appropriately towards all the people to whom you owe apologies.

I am not challenging you to write letters to every single person you owe apologies to, in some cases this may be inappropriate, and re-approaching someone you have hurt in the past, may be upsetting for them again. I trust you to have a degree of discretion about who you choose to apologise to. I would like you to think of and write down, everyone you may have upset, hurt, wronged, stolen from, angered or done other activity that could warrant an apology, however great or small, and to write these down, along with dates, names, activities etc, that can be remembered, in a fashion as to which you see appropriate. These needn't be exhibited in their entirety, again, discretion would be a necessity. Some form of public statement should be acknowledged for every wrong-doing/occasion; the published details of the wrongdoings are at your discretion. The apologies must not state that they have come from a challenge, or that I have told you to do this. The apologies you do make, if any, must be genuine and honest.

This might be quite a horrible thing to have to do. So I will add one additional condition: that you can stop thinking about this if you start to feel uncomfortably anxious or guilty. While it might be interesting to work through times like these, I think it is important that you have the option to stop when you need it.'

Challenged by Tom Duggan

April Challenge

Status: Awaiting responses

'Make a whole load of challenges for other people to complete, and send you their responses as evidence.'

Challenged by Jodie Hawkes

May Challenge

One sunny Saturday in July a tourist walks towards Nottingham Contemporary, as the man stands out side reading his map a lady picks up her camera. The man has short brown hair, and a stripy t-shirt. The man moves over to a table and chair where he begins to read his map and study his papers, still looking confused he begins to walk up the road. The lady begins to follow him. Slowly ambling the man’s maps rustle in the light breeze, he crosses from one side of the road to another. At one point he looks to be heading into a museum before crossing back over the road and walking into a pub. The lady waits.

Quickly the tourist re-appears in the street, the map is turned around, he heads further down the road. The tourist reaches a church, he pauses. The lady not far behind pretends to photograph the church. The man begins to walk beside the church he crosses into a shop and reappears. The lady still pretends to photograph the church. The man begins to walk out of site. The lady quickly walks through the church yard, she takes a blurred photograph. The man continues down the road, the scenery has changed its more run down and the man begins to look more confused, he stops in front of a van to look at his map. He is clearly looking for somewhere. The man begins to walk quicker. The lady begins to walk quicker. The man turns left at a chip shop, back onto a main street. The lady quickly takes a photograph as he turns the corner. The man sees her in the chip shop window reflection.

On the main street the man walks upwards heading in a parallel to the way he previously came. The man turns left again. He walks near the tram lines and makes another left. The lady takes another photograph. As she takes the photograph the man looks directly at her. She follows him down an alley way toward the street they have already walked down. The man stops, checks the map and turns around, he knows it’s not the right direction. They walk past each other as he turns around, the lady does not make eye contact. The lady walks a little further and stops to look at a menu on the wall, she watches him turn right at the end of the alleyway retracing his steps. The lady walks quickly back the way she came, following the man to the main street. The man walks towards a bin, rests his map on top of it and looks at the lady. She walks past him back down the street. She pauses and turns back to face the man. He has gone. The lady walks back up the street, she traces all the path ways, but there is no sign of the man.

The lady sees an old woman in a striped jumper, she walks slowly behind her. The old woman is pushing a Zimmer frame. The lady walks past the old woman and stops further down the street. The lady sees the old woman peering into a shop window selling wedding cakes, she stoops lower, and lower, looking in further, she shields her gaze from the sun. The lady takes photographs in the busy street as people pass by.

The old woman finishes peering in the window and crosses the road, she narrowly escapes a collision with a dustbin cart and heads down the road. The lady follows at a distance behind. The old woman merges into the busy street, she turns into Marks and Spenser. The lady takes a photograph as she enters the shop. The old woman heads to the clothes section and begins looking at orange trousers in the sale. The lady looks at some of the rails at a distance. The old woman is still looking at the trousers. The lady looks at the clock. The old woman moves to the jumper section. The lady moves to another isle. The old woman moves back to the orange trousers. The lady moves to another isle. Over the course of an hour the old woman moves back and forth between the same four isles, returning to the same pair of orange trousers. The lady looks at a shelf as a distraction. The old woman walks away. The lady looks at the orange trouser isle, the old woman has gone, she walks around the clothes isles quickly, she heads over to the changing room, and back to the clothes isle, the old woman has gone.

'I challenge you to re-make a piece of work in true Hollywood style. Namely Sophie Calle's Suite Venitienne of 1979 which is now 31. You should follow someone you do not know at all or only vaguely (you can adopt a disguise if you require) for as long as it takes before you are rumbled, you must go everywhere that they go in this time.Along the way you should take images discretely. These should be exhibited somewhere printed in black and white. I accept no ethical responsibility should anything sinister arise from you doing this.'

Challenged by Andrew Bracey

'Test your physical and mental agility to the limit by appearing on a television quiz show or game show.'

Challenged by Anneka French

July Challenge

‘I challenge you to make or do something that isn’t challenging.’

Challenged by Michael Bowdidge

August Challenge

'Sew me a cambric shirt, without any seam or needlework.'

Challenged by Rob Van-Beek