Fresh Art International

In Barcelona, Cathy Byrd speaks with Carolina Grau, an independent curator from Spain, who has created projects in London, Madrid, Lisbon, Sao Paulo and Paris. Carolina describes what she learned as a facilitator for artists Rachel Whiteread and Juan Muñoz; her curatorial residency at the Center for Contemporary Art, Noisy-le-Sec; the evolution of her work with Martin Creed (Cubitt Gallery and Tate Modern, London; Sala Alcalá, Madrid); and how locals get involved with the D.I.Y. biennial she co-organizes with Mario Flecha in the village of Jafre, Spain. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Photos: Courtesy the artists and Carolina Grau, except where noted Episode End Sound: Martin Creed, Thinking, Not Thinking

Cathy Byrd meets independent curator Christopher Eamon at Lora Reynolds Gallery, Austin, to talk about his latest project, Manscape: Male as Subject and Object, on view at the gallery through August 11, 2012. Christopher explains how he discovered the artists whose work was featured in Rearview Mirror: New Art from Central and Eastern Europe (2011) at The Power Plant, Toronto, and talks about the challenges and rewards of working solo. Christopher has curated exhibitions at institutions internationally, including at the Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, MoMA PS1, NY, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Photo credits noted in captions Sound: excerpt from Adina Popescu, Jeremiah, 2011

Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century Cathy Byrd telephones Charles Guice, owner/director of Charles Guice Contemporary, to talk about his passion for contemporary art and his commitment to participate in the international scene. Pivotal in the careers of leading contemporary artists, including Hank Willis Thomas and Carrie Mae Weems, Charles represents some exceptional talent, including Max de Esteban and Erika Diettes, artists featured in Buenos Aires' Festival de la Luz 2012 this summer.Of note: Charles works with Chicago-based artist Jefferson Pinder, who appeared on an earlier Fresh TALK episode.  Sound Editor: Leo Madriz  Photos: courtesy Charles Guice  Music: ChocQuibTown, San Antonio

Cathy Byrd meets artist Jack Sanders at his studio in East Austin. From Cleburne, Texas, Jack studied at Auburn University and the School of Architecture at the University of Texas before he founded his company DesignBuild Adventure. Hear Jack talk about his muse Sam Mockbee and the late architect's Rural Studio program, El Cosmico, and his commitment to slow architecture, storytelling and dreaming. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz  Photo credits noted in captions  Music: Ross Cashiola, Trains in the Grass

Cathy Byrd drives to Lubbock, Texas, to meet with Chris Taylor and students who participated in Land Arts of the American West 2011, an experiential program taught in the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University. An amazing road trip of some 6,000 miles culminated in the exhibition that was on view this spring.Students: Alexander Bingham, Luis Bustamante III, Will Cotton, Winston Holloway, Richard Klaja, Celeste Martinez, Zachary Mitchell, Carl Spartz, Rachael Wilson, Bethany Wood. Program Assistant: Adrian Larriva. Program Director: Chris Taylor. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Photos: Chris Taylor, Cathy Byrd and Joe DeMarco Episode Sound: 45 rpm record found by Land Arts 2011 participants

Cathy Byrd connects on skype with Sasha Dees, an independent curator/producer/consultant who lives and works between Amsterdam and New York. In the Netherlands, Sasha curates the residency program Open Ateliers in the area of Amsterdam known as Zuidoost. In the U.S., Sasha is the producer of a roving video performance project with Sietske Tjallingii, the protagonist in Miss T - My American Dream. Their road trips in search of mid-century roadside icons have led them to gigantic versions of a guitar, a blue whale, a sombrero and more. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Photos: courtesy Sasha Dees Episode Music: Billy Holliday, All of Me

This episode features conversations with five current participants in the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program. Established in 1967 by artist and art collector Don Anderson, the program offers visual artists the unique opportunity to spend a year concentrating on their work. The voices you'll hear are those of Sarah Bostwick, Jon-Paul Villegas, Brian Kluge, Corwin Levi (aka RadioSebastian), and Siobhan McBride. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Photos courtesy Cathy Byrd and RAiR artists RAiR acoustics: Sarah Bostwick Music: Paper Bird, The Train Song

This episode features Navid Nuur, an Iranian artist based in the Netherlands. Navid was invited to present his first solo exhibition in Spain at Matadero Madrid, an art center developed on the former site of the city’s main livestock market and slaughterhouse. The artist who loves to experiment talks about Hocus Focus and the painting project he just presented in Switzerland at Art Basel 2012. Special thanks to Gema Melgar, Matadero Madrid, for facilitating this podcast production. Sound editor: Leo Madriz Photos courtesy Matadero Madrid and Cathy Byrd Episode Sound: Navid Nuur, Fire Painting, 2012

Cathy Byrd spoke on the phone with Jason Moran, a jazz pianist/composer based in New York. The MacArthur Fellow and artistic adviser for jazz at the Kennedy Center talks about when he first started improvising, how he collaborates with contemporary artists, and what unfolded during Bleed, the suite of events he created with his wife Alicia Hall Moran during their Biennial residency at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Known photo credits noted Music: Jason Moran, He Takes His Coat and Leaves

In Austin, Texas, Cathy Byrd talks with seminal video and performance artist Joan Jonas about how context affects each presentation of The Shape, The Scent, The Feel of Things, a project commissioned by Dia Beacon in 2004. Joan considers the evolution of her transmedia process since the 1960s and the inspiration she gets from working with jazz improvisor Jason Moran. Joan's collaborator in The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things (2005-2006) and Reading Dante (2008), Jason will be featured in his own Fresh Talk episode. Jason and Joan will perform together this September in Kassel, Germany, during documenta 13. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Photos: known credits notedMusic: Jason Moran, He Takes His Coat and Leaves

Cathy Byrd meets creatives at the intersection of contemporary art and food in Barcelona. Iranian-born Mariam Shambayati talks about her multi-media art project Moulinex-Me and the conceptual dinner parties she stages in the Food Cultura Museum. The anti-museum's founders Montse Guillén and Antoni Miralda have mixed art and food cocktails for decades. They introduce their most recent collaborative project, Off Menu—a series of fantastical events that offered a creative alternative to Alimentaria, Barcelona's annual culinary festival. Sound Editor: Jay Agoglia Photos: Courtesy of Moulinex-Me and Food Cultura Episode Sound, in order of appearance: Moulinex-Me Cena3 dinner conversation; Disco Kitchen, Off Menu 2012  Cathy Byrd se encuentra con los creativos en la intersección del arte contemporáneo y la comida en Barcelona. De origen iraní Mariam Shambayati habla acerca de su proyecto artistica multimedia de Moulinex-Me y de los partidos de la cena conceptuales que se ponen en el Food Cultura Museum. Los fun

In this episode, Cathy Byrd talks to a couple of creative nomads from Holland. Artist Iris Tonies and writer Arnout Krediet live on their boat in Port Veil, Barcelona, with their two children. They talk about how they made themselves at home, founded Estudio Nómada and became animators in the local art scene. The last week in May, they'll be projecting films on the mainsail of their boat during SCREEN Barcelona, an annual city-wide video art festival. Sound Editor: Jay Agoglia Photos: Courtesy Estudio Nomada and Cathy Byrd Music: Oumou Sangare, Ah Ndiya

Cathy Byrd talks on the phone with Franklin Sirmans, curator of contemporary art at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Their conversation considers the essential role of public art at LACMA, covers the latest news on Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass installation and previews upcoming LACMA exhibitions to feature the Broad Collection (2012) and the work of Noah Purifoy (2014). Recently appointed Artistic Director for Prospect.3 New Orleans, Franklin also shares some of this thoughts about the 2014 exhibition. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz Photos: Courtesy of LACMA, except where noted. Episode Sound: Excerpt of audio recorded while moving Michael Heizer's 340-ton rock from Riverside to Los Angeles, CA. Courtesy of LACMA

Cathy Byrd meets with Jennifer Lane and David Hollander to learn more about CineMarfa, a film festival that takes place this May 16-20, in Marfa, Texas. Professional filmmakers, Jennifer and David lived in Los Angeles for a dozen years before they fell in love with Marfa and made West Texas their home. The two talk about why they created CineMarfa and introduce some of the films featured in the second annual event. This is the first in a Fresh Talk series about creative energy in the American Southwest.  Sound Editor: Jay Agoglia Photos: Courtesy of CineMarfa, except where noted  Sound Track excerpt: Harmony Korine, Trash Humpers, 2009

In this episode, professional consultant Tara Gentile talks about what it takes for creatives to thrive in the new economy, challenging the assumptions we have about work/life balance, the starving artist mythos, and true personal success. Sound Editor: Leo Madriz  Photos courtesy Tara Gentile  Music: Aretha Franklin, Soulville, 1968

Now living a seaside village just outside Lisbon, German artist Regina Frank has expanded on her central theme, The Artist Is Present, for more than two decades. Regina talks about the political and cultural issues that interest her and how her meditative installation projects explore the tension between analog and digital media. Sound Editor: Jay Agoglia Photos: Courtesy Regina Frank Music: Astor Piazolla, Tango Milonga del Angel

This episode features Papo Colo, a Puerto Rican born artist who founded Exit Art, an important nonprofit contemporary art center, with his partner, the late Jeanette Ingberman. Their work as artists and activists has made a tremendous impact on the contemporary art scene since 1982. In May 2012, an exhibition and events in the space mark the closing of Exit Art, as Papo prepares to launch a new venture: a finishing school for young creatives in the Puerto Rican rainforest.  Sound Editor: Leo Madriz.  Images: Courtesy of Exit Art.  Music: Papo Colo, Clara Luna.

Spanish artist Antoni Muntadas talks about how language and the social body figure into the multi-media conceptual art projects he's been producing since the 1970s.Living and working in New York and Barcelona, Spanish artist Muntadas talks about the importance of language and the social body in the multi-media work he's been creating globally since the 1970s. His complex conceptual projects were featured in exhibitions in the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona earlier this year.  Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz.  Sound: Muntadas, Stadium, 1988 El artista español Muntadas, que vive y trabaja entre Nueva York y Barcelona, habla de la importancia del lenguaje y el cuerpo social en las obras multimedia que ha ido creando a nivel mundial desde la década de los 70. Sus complejos proyectos conceptuales se presentan este año en exposiciones en el Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, y el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Barcelona.

Khadijah Queen talks about what is essential in her creative practice and shares poems from her latest book, Black Peculiar.  Sound Editor: Jason Agoglia.  Music: Denelda Queen, Lush Life, 2007

A visual artist, musician, music producer and event designer based in Lisbon, João Paulo Feliciano talks about how he manages to fit all those elements into his creative practice.  Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz  Images: Cathy Byrd  Sound: courtesy of Feliciano’s dance orchestra Real Combo Lisbonense, a group dedicated to exploring the heritage of early Portuguese pop music.