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The theme for this year’s Edinburgh Art Festival commissions programme has been Parley. As a result the programme has considered how art can be an agent of discussion, negotiation and debate. Various strands of event have been formed around this notion, led by our commissioned artists and guest speakers.

The first Parley Discussion, curated and led by Ross Sinclair, kick-started the festival as an open platform for exploration into discussion and performance with the audience being led through a series of conversations and collaborations. Live art was happening across Krijn De Koning’s Land as speakers such as Maria Fusco presented abstract narratives and explored the notion of Utopia. Performers such as Phoebe Amis lifted the experience with her incredibly high-pitched vocal abilities which echoed across the Sculpture Court. This certainly created an environment that took the viewers out of their initial comfort zones of experiencing visual arts. Lighthearted performances such as this were contrasted with the harsh social realism film Autumn Leaves, created by Kenyerse.  The whole experience felt like a whirlwind journey through discursive content which compliments Ross Sinclair’s commission Real Life and How to Live it in Auld Reekie, a series of informative graphics found all over Edinburgh.

Ross Sinclair performing at the opening Edinburgh Art Festival Parley Discussion. Photograph by Kat Gollock.

For the programme of talks that followed, each artist was partnered with a speaker whose specialty relates to the work in question without necessarily coming from an artistic point of view; this allowed for a huge scope of discussion covering social, political and historical contexts.

Robert Montgomery, the artist behind the Edinburgh Fire Poem, spoke with Ryan Van Winkle, poet, performer & podcaster, about their differing use and expression of poetry (Robert’s being bold, visual & public, whereas Ryan approaches the same subject with a personal caution, not intending for all his written words to be widely read).

Robert Montgomery, Edinburgh Fire Poem, 2013. Image courtesy of Dael Poulter.

Our final commission-based Parley was this week’s “in conversation” between Krijn De Koning, the artist behind the sculptural, architectural intervention Land in Edinburgh College of Art’s Sculpture Court, and Edward Hollis. Edward is based at Edinburgh College of Art and specializes in architecture so the conversation was particularly pertinent. They talked in depth about how artworks unite with the space they are located in; how they can expand the volume and impact of the chosen space. Uniquely, this conversation took place on the work in question.

Krijn de Koning and Edward Hollis in conversation on Land, one in a series of artist talks as part of Parley.

To see the work used physically and metaphorically as a platform for this conversation was perfectly representative of Parley. Krijn spoke honestly about all aspects of his work touching on the use, or lack thereof, of colour across his works as well as the physical process of transforming such a large piece from initial drawings and model works.

We are now sadly drawing to the end of our programme of discussions, but there is one remaining and we are certain to go out with a bang. Parley Discussion: Tae Think Again, Rethinking Identity in Contemporary Scotland, curated by Rachel Maclean and co-commissioned by Edinburgh Art Festival and Edinburgh Printmakers, is this Saturday.

Similar to our opening Parley Discussion, the afternoon will see a programme of performances and speakers. Speakers include Craig Coulthard, David Cameron, David McCrone, Duncan Petrie and Denise Mina and the event will be chaired by Jim Tough with an introduction from Alastair Snow. Expect to delve into the history and future of Scottish identity with the added bonus of a screening of Rachel Maclean’s recent and highly acclaimed work The Lion and The Unicorn.

Venue for the Edinburgh Art Festival Parley Discussions. Krijn de Koning, Land, 2013, co-commissioned by Edinburgh Art Festival and Edinburgh College of Art. Photograph by Kat Gollock.

Parley Discussion: Tae Think Again, Rethinking Identity in Contemporary Scotland (curated by Rachel Maclean), Saturday 31 August, 2-5pm, free.

Edinburgh College of Art
74 Lauriston Place
EH3 9DF

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Our programme of public art commissions for this year’s Edinburgh Art Festival is titled Parley, exploring both art that depends on dialogue for its realization and art’s capacity to create dialogue.

Opening with Ross Sinclair and company pondering the role of the artist and closing with a discussion of contemporary Scottish national identity, Parley events also traverse a puppet play, performances and ‘in-conversation’ pieces by our 2013 commissioned artists. We’re discussing them already!

Parley events are bookable on www.edinburghartfestival.com and are all free with the exception of the Wind Pipes for Edinburgh concerts. Spaces are limited.

Here are just some of the highlights.

Parley Discussion: Real Life Parledonia (curated by Ross Sinclair)
2 August, 2-5pm

Artist Ross Sinclair adopts the role of ring master to direct a loose array of speakers, performers and artists, in debating questions such as: ‘what is Parley? And what is Caledonia? And how might they come together locally, nationally and internationally? What is the job description of ‘artists’ in a small damp Northern European country in 2013? What is a ‘creative life’ and how can the idea be articulated by ourselves and others at this particularly complicated moment in time?’.

Parley for Power
2 August, 5:30-6pm

Based in a world where cats and dogs engage in wild debate over issues of identity and independence. A vote will determine whether they rid themselves of the moniker of ‘pet’ and all associated ties to their petitude.

Parley for Power is a short play written for the festival by poet Michael Pedersen (Neu! Reekie!) and award-winning playwright/novelist Alan Bissett.

Parley: Katri Walker in conversation with Noe Mendelle
6 August, 6-7pm

Katri Walker will be in conversation with Noe Mendelle, an internationally renowned documentary maker and Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute.

Parley Discussion: Is all this hot air worth it?
10 August, 1:30-4pm

Artistic activity produces tonnes of CO2 – particularly the international movement of artists, artworks and audiences. What responsibility do artists and arts organisations have to use the form, content and framing of their work to address climate change? With a provocation from the artists Collins & Goto, Creative Carbon Scotland’s discussion invites contributions from across the arts.

Parley: Peter Liversidge and Brigadier David Allfrey MBE
13 August, 1-2pm

Peter Liversidge will be in conversation with Brigadier David Allfrey MBE, producer of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Parley: Robert Montgomery in conversation
13 August, 6-7pm

Robert Montgomery’s conversation partner will be announced shortly.

Parley: Daniel Padden and Peter Nicholson (The Complaints Choir) in conversation with Katie Overy
20 August, 7-8pm

We’ve just announced on our website that Daniel Padden and Peter Nicholson of The Complaints Choir of Edinburgh will be in conversation with Katie Overy, Senior Lecturer in Music Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. The Complaints Choir invites people to come together to share their complaints, and sing them out loud.

This is one of a series of events every Tuesday during the festival where our commissioned artists are engaged in conversation with specialists from other disciplines that provide a counter-point to the artist’s practice and interests.

Parley: Krijn de Koning in conversation with Edward Hollis
27 August, 6-7pm

Krijn de Koning will be in conversation with Edward Hollis, author of ‘The Secret Lives of Buildings’ and ‘The Memory Palace: A Book of Lost Interiors’.

Parley Discussion: Tae Think Again, Rethinking Identity in Contemporary Scotland (curated by Rachel Maclean)
31 August, 2-5pm

Responding to the upcoming 2014 referendum on Scottish Independence, this symposium curated by artist Rachel Maclean intends to delve deeper than a simple yes/no debate and look at the broader social, cultural and historical background to a discussion of contemporary Scottish national identity.

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