Workshop EXPERIMENTAL DRAWING: The Psychogeograhic Industriebahn by Emily Hunt

Psychogeography is essentially the study of the ‘psychology of place’. Why are we drawn to certain places? How do certain places effect us in a profound way? Be that positivity or negatively. The best real world example of a negative outcome is Hostile Architecture – examples being bars on windows, barbed wire on fences, and some bureaucratic places, like jails, airport security. This course will focus on an action or movement, something which we do everyday but usually in a state of unawareness. It is an exercise, a practice, a mode of thought. We can think of this exercise as being “Embodied Walking”. This is a constructive behaviour with an awareness of the effect the city is having on you. The Situationists – led by Guy Debord understood this emotional mapping of the city as a rebellious act against the urbanisation and gentrification of the city. We will be using the Industriebahn location as our source for mapping, locating significant personal responses to place. The lecture will cover the history of psychogeographical drawn and collaged maps, looking at contemporary drawing practice in particular. We will be creating a drawn map that reflects the experience of looking at the Industriebahn with new eyes and using this sense to reflect on our experience of being in the larger city of Berlin.

Duration: The dates will be published soon.

Hours: Each day from 10 AM – 12:30 PM

Seats: Max. 20 | Language: English

Fees: The participation fee is €90 per person including material (without accommodation).

The fee is VAT-exempt by the Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senate Chancellery Higher Education and Research pursuant to Paragraph 4 No. (21) (a)(bb) UStG (German Value Added Tax Act).

Taking a simple walk in Berlin can be a powerful tool for exploring the urban world as a museum. To enhance this experience, a hand-drawn map will be created, presenting the location through a unique design that may be geometric, abstract, or figurative, and incorporates text. Participants will also receive an overview of the topic of Psychogeography, both from a historical and contemporary perspective. This knowledge can then be applied to their artistic practices, allowing them to see the city in a new light.

Day 1

10 – 10.30 am
The course will commence with an informative presentation on the topic of Psychogeography. This presentation will provide an overview of the history and origins of the term, as well as its contemporary applications. Notable artists, such as Grayson Perry and Vanessa Berry, who incorporate Psychogeography into their practice, will be discussed. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating subject and its relevance to the art world

10.30 – 11.15 am
We will begin our walk throughout the grounds of the Industriebahn. Participants are encouraged to bring a pad and paper to take notes, as well as a camera to capture photos of their surroundings. During the walk, participants should pay attention to details that have a pronounced effect on them and record their observations through notes, photos, and drawings. They are also encouraged to ask questions and engage in discussions with their peers. This exercise is designed to help participants develop their observational skills and engage with their environment in a meaningful way.

11.15 – 12.15 pm
To create a map model for the exercise, begin by making preliminary sketches with a pencil of various potential models. This will aid in visualising and planning the map prior to finalizing the design. Once a model has been selected, proceed to create a detailed map of the Industriebahn on an A3 sheet of paper. Ensure that the map includes various significant locations that have had an impact on the artist.

12 noon – 12.30 pm
At the end of the first day, there will be a group discussion to review the progress made so far and to assess what work remains to be completed on the following day. This will provide an opportunity for participants to share their thoughts and insights, and to receive feedback on their work. After the discussion, there will be a general tidy up to ensure that the workspace is organised and ready for the next day’s activities.

Day 2

10 – 10.30 am
The course will commence with a presentation by Emily Hunt, who will discuss her project that explored the concept of Psychogeography in the areas of Wedding and Alexanderplatz. During her presentation, Emily will share insights into her creative process, including how she generated ideas and translated them into a visual representation in the form of a map. This will provide participants with an understanding of how to approach the task of creating their own Psychogeographic maps.

10.30 – 11.45
During focused work time, artists concentrate on completing their maps and/or text.

11.45 am – 12 noon
Once the participants have finished creating their maps, they will be displayed in the corridor for a group discussion. This will provide an opportunity for everyone to share their work and engage in a collaborative dialogue about their experiences and insights.

12 noon – 12.30 pm
After completing their Psychogeographic maps, participants engage in a discussion about their work. They review the successes and failures of their books and reflect on the skills they acquired. This discussion provides an opportunity for feedback.

Emily Hunt (born Sydney, 1981) creates ornamental, figurative ceramics. Her history as a rare-book dealer has informed her encyclopedic approach to her art-making, taking influences from the history of ornament, visionary art, big-ego personalities and scholarly magical texts. She creates world-building installations that reflect automatism in ceramic forms. Her work articulates the concept of the collapse of a macro & micro world view, and walking as a magical tool. From 2017 to 2018, she created large new body of ceramics and etchings for exhibition in Second Sight: Witchcraft, Ritual, Power at UQ Art Museum (AU). Her etchings were installed on alongside Hans Baldung Grien and Albrecht Dürer. The invitation to create work for an exhibition about witchcraft was a turning point in her research and Hunt started to delve into the earliest representations of women as witches. The result has been her on-going fascination into the history of western esotericism, magick and the occult in print history.

More information on the Emily Hunt Website and on Instagram.