Today's idea - A-B Exhibition at Boxbird

Today Boxbird presents A-B Exhibition of contemporary printmaking and illustration "inspired by travel and foreign adventures. Last year's exhibition won the Argus Angel Award for Best Show in Festival.

This year's brings together 30 of "the most most exciting international designers to create a fresh and exciting exhibition jammed full of affordable prints and original art works by the likes of Graham Carter, Jon Burgerman, Lidia De Pedro and The Peepshow Illustration Collective. The exhibition will also showcase 10 new and emerging artists selected from over 120 applications to be part of A to B. This continues Boxbird’s commitment to support new and emerging artists, graduates and students by providing a first step into the commercial art industry with the support of the gallery owners Alice Teague & Illustrator Graham Carter."

It's running until Thursday 27th May as part of the the Brighton Fringe.

Time: 11am-5pmt
Location: Boxbird Gallery, 14 St John;s Road
Map: here

Today's idea idea - Berlin Horse by Brian Eno and Malcolm Le Grice

Today we recommend Brian Eno's Berlin Horse. His third exhibition piece for the Brighton Festival, Berlin Horse is based on two sequences - one shot originally in 8mm and re-filmed in 16mm - the other a piece of found early newsreel. Taking place at Lighthouse, Brian Eno creating the music and the film pieces by Malcolm Le Grice.

"The common subject is horses - a horse being exercised and horses being led from a burning stable. Le Grice made Berlin Horse in 1970, with both visual sequences being treated at the London Film Makers Cooperative.

The 8mm sequence was shot in the village of Berlin near Hamburg, northern Germany. It was re-filmed from the screen running the film at different speeds and directions and with the camera at different angles. Later it was re-coloured using theatrical lighting gelatins in the film-printer and subject to multiple superimposition. It was finally combined with early newsreel of horses being led from a burning barn. It is a poetic drama where the sequence of image transformations and the 'narratives' are integrated as the content."

Cost: Free
Time: Tue-Sun (closed Mon) 11am-6pm
Location: Lighthouse, 28 Kensington Street
Map: here

Today's idea - Brian Eno's Speaker Flower Sound Installation

More Brian Eno today as his Speaker Flower Sound Installation transforms the Grade I Listed Marlborough House on Brighton's Old Steine. "The installation includes fifty Eno-designed speaker flowers, each with its own sound created in response to the once-magnificent building." Sound-reactive installations make me happy. Kinetica this year had some lovely ones. Eno's been doing a lot of installation pieces as curator of Brighton Festival and the reaction's been great so far.

We also recommend his '77 Million Paintings' piece as part of the Brighton Festival.

The blurb also mentions the presence of exclusive prints and a specially commissioned CD of Eno's music. Hurrah, art and buying things.

Running until 23 May 2010.

Cost: Free
Info: here
Location: Marlborough House
Map: here

Today's idea - Brighton Festival does 'Icarus'

Tonight the New Venture Theatre presents its contribution to the Brighton Festival with 'Icarus'. Based on Ovid's Poem the myth of Icarus' flight and fall is explored by three performers within a promenade setting (no seating 'immersive' stuff). I like Icarus, and the adaptation sounds good. The plot's this:

"Imprisoned in the labyrinth of the Minotaur with his son, the inventor Daedalus creates wings out of feathers and wax in order to escape. He warns Icarus, his son to follow his route and not get too close to the sea or the sun, as either would destroy the wings. Playing with the winds in excitement, Icarus gets carried away, flies too close to the sun and falls into the sea, where he dies.

Following individual stories relating to Icarus’ parable, an emotional journey unfolds using strong visual and physical imagery. Set within the intimate space of the studio, audience members are invited to create their own pathway and explore different stories and perspectives and ultimately become part of the journey."

Director Saskia Ulrike Schilling draws on personal experience, saying she wanted "to look at the emotional voyage of Icarus and give him a voice," citing an interesting history. "I was born in the communist and socialist East Germany, then lived in the re-united capitalist Germany before moving to England; a journey exploring a freedom my parents did not experience and hence living their hopes and dreams combined with my own.”

They threaten the arrival of some darkness and strobe lighting during the play. In immersion [no seating] plays, I'm a sucker for this stuff.

Time: 7:45pm
Location: New Venture Theatre
Map: here

Reserve tickets: here
Runs until: Saturday 8th May (no performance 8th May)