NVA (arts organisation)
Encyclopedia
NVA is an arts organisation and charity based in Glasgow
, Scotland
. It was founded in 1992 by Angus Farquhar, a former member of the group Test Dept
. The company's name is an acronym of nacionale vitae activa, a Roman term meaning 'the right to influence public affairs'.
The company is best known for its dramatic, large-scale environmental artworks in Scottish natural landscapes, building on the site-specific performances that Farquhar created with Test Dept. These works have included The Secret Sign, The Path, The Storr and Half Life. The works are designed to involve local communities and to incorporate regeneration aspects that will benefit the landscapes in the future. For example, improvements were made to the footpaths around The Storr as part of the preparation for that work.
. Audience members were transported by bus (with the windows blacked out) to the site of the work, where they were given hard hats and wading boots. They were then escorted through the glen by members of the company. Various artistic interventions were visible along the way, including lights, sounds, birds of prey and live performance.
, a rocky hill in Trotternish
on the Isle of Skye. Audience members were bussed to the site from bases in Portree
and Staffin
and kitted out with head torches and walking sticks. They were then led up to the base of the Old Man of Storr, a natural rock formation. Like the earlier works, the walk was marked by lights, sounds, music and performance. The work contained music by Geir Jenssen and Paul Mounsey
, live performance by Gaelic
singer Ann Martin and recordings of the works of Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean
. Other elements of The Storr included a series of LED
stars which together made up the largest light sculpture ever seen in the UK. The total cost of mounting the work was £1 million.
, Argyll
from 4–16 September 2007, and was a collaboration between NVA and the National Theatre of Scotland
. It consisted of two parts: a daytime element, where visitors could explore a series of sites and installations based around known and rarely seen prehistoric landmarks; and a night-time element, consisting of an outdoor production staged in a forest location at the entrance to the glen, centred on a sculptural set constructed from felled logs.
Visitors were invited to contribute to an immense jam wall, sample edible punk haircuts, and submit to competition the creative containers they had used to grow plants. Glasgow’s allotments made 12 different soups and 20 local schools participated in the Double Rubble Chip Challenge - making chips at Harvest from potatoes they had grown from seed in their playgrounds.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was founded in 1992 by Angus Farquhar, a former member of the group Test Dept
Test Dept
Test Dept were an industrial music group from London, one of the most important and influential early industrial music acts. Their approach was marked by a strong commitment to radical socialist politics.-History:...
. The company's name is an acronym of nacionale vitae activa, a Roman term meaning 'the right to influence public affairs'.
The company is best known for its dramatic, large-scale environmental artworks in Scottish natural landscapes, building on the site-specific performances that Farquhar created with Test Dept. These works have included The Secret Sign, The Path, The Storr and Half Life. The works are designed to involve local communities and to incorporate regeneration aspects that will benefit the landscapes in the future. For example, improvements were made to the footpaths around The Storr as part of the preparation for that work.
The Secret Sign
The Secret Sign took place at night on May 9–16 1998 at The Devil's Pulpit, Finnich Glen, near Loch LomondLoch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
. Audience members were transported by bus (with the windows blacked out) to the site of the work, where they were given hard hats and wading boots. They were then escorted through the glen by members of the company. Various artistic interventions were visible along the way, including lights, sounds, birds of prey and live performance.
The Path
The Path was a two-hour night-time walk that took place from May 19 to June 4 2000 at Glen Lyon in Perthshire. Like The Secret Sign it featured light, sound, performance and music, including Buddhist chant by Ani Choying Drolma.The Storr
The Storr took place at night from August 1–September 17 2005 at The StorrThe Storr
The Storr is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west.-Geology:...
, a rocky hill in Trotternish
Trotternish
Trotternish or Tròndairnis is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland.One of its more well-known features is the Trotternish landslip, a massive landslide that runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some...
on the Isle of Skye. Audience members were bussed to the site from bases in Portree
Portree
Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses....
and Staffin
Staffin
Staffin is a village , lying at the head of Staffin Bay on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portree. Nearby is the rock formation of the Quirang and Staffin Island lies just offshore...
and kitted out with head torches and walking sticks. They were then led up to the base of the Old Man of Storr, a natural rock formation. Like the earlier works, the walk was marked by lights, sounds, music and performance. The work contained music by Geir Jenssen and Paul Mounsey
Paul Mounsey
Paul Mounsey is a composer, arranger and producer from Scotland.He lived for over 20 years in Brazil. A graduate of Trinity College, London, where he studied with Richard Arnell, he has written for film, television, theatre, advertising and also for the Latin American pop market...
, live performance by Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
singer Ann Martin and recordings of the works of Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean was one of the most significant Scottish poets of the 20th century.-Early life:He was born at Osgaig on the island of Raasay on 26 October 1911, where Scottish Gaelic was the first language. He attended the University of Edinburgh and was an avid shinty player playing for the...
. Other elements of The Storr included a series of LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
stars which together made up the largest light sculpture ever seen in the UK. The total cost of mounting the work was £1 million.
Half Life
Half Life took place at Kilmartin GlenKilmartin Glen
Kilmartin Glen is an area in Argyll not far from Kintyre, which has one of the most important concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in Scotland. The glen is located between Oban and Lochgilphead, surrounding the village of Kilmartin....
, Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
from 4–16 September 2007, and was a collaboration between NVA and the National Theatre of Scotland
National Theatre of Scotland
The National Theatre of Scotland is a theatre company established in February 2006. The company performs in a wide range of venues including theatres, halls and found spaces across Scotland....
. It consisted of two parts: a daytime element, where visitors could explore a series of sites and installations based around known and rarely seen prehistoric landmarks; and a night-time element, consisting of an outdoor production staged in a forest location at the entrance to the glen, centred on a sculptural set constructed from felled logs.
White Bike Plan
In April 2010 NVA re-enacted Witte Fietsenplan (White Bike Plan), a free transport programme by the Provos, the Dutch counter culture movement of the 1960s. NVA released 50 white biycles across the city, which were available for the audience of Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art to travel between venues for the duration of the festival.Glasgow Harvest
NVA hosted the first Glasgow Harvest in August 2010 at the Hidden Gardens. Glasgow Harvest was a celebration of urban farming, and encouraged visitors to participate in a mass open-air meal prepared using their home-grown ingredients.Visitors were invited to contribute to an immense jam wall, sample edible punk haircuts, and submit to competition the creative containers they had used to grow plants. Glasgow’s allotments made 12 different soups and 20 local schools participated in the Double Rubble Chip Challenge - making chips at Harvest from potatoes they had grown from seed in their playgrounds.
Speed of Light
Speed of Light is a major Edinburgh International Festival 2012 commission, one of Scotland’s signature contributions to the Olympic cultural programme. Conceived and produced by NVA, the transformation of Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh’s iconic mountain, combines innovative public art and sport. Using energy-harvesting technologies to illuminate walkers and runners, Speed of Light harnesses collective action to create a beautifully layered night-time animation. Additionally, a daytime ultra marathon, 21 x 21, will take place over 21 days exploring the power of mind over matter in endurance running.List of works
- Stormy Waters (1995)
- Pain (one-man show by Graham Cunnington) (1996)
- Virtual World Orchestra (1997)
- The Secret Sign (1998)
- National Day for Britain, Expo 98 (1998)
- Grand Central (1999)
- The Gimmick (1999)
- The Path (2000)
- The Hidden Gardens (2003)
- The Storr (2005)
- Radiance (2005)
- Half Life (2007)
- Spirit (2008)
- White Bike Plan (2010)
- Glasgow Harvest (2010)
- Speed of Light (2012)