England has some great artwork in the mix for the London Cultural Olympiad, which coincides with the start of the Games later this month:
Nowhereisland: Alex Hartley, an artist known for his photography and sculptures, is asking a very interesting question: If we were to create a new nation, how might we begin? In order to answer that, Hartley went to the arctic island of Svalbard and claimed a small tract of land that had recently been uncovered by a receding glacier. With permission from Svalbard, he dragged this new 44-meter long island into international waters and Nowhereisland was born. Over 9,000 people from around the world have signed up to be citizens and are participating in the writing of its constitution. The island will be making stops in harbor towns across England until the end of the month.
Peace Camp: Inspired by the Olympic Truce, which dates back to the original Greek games, the Peace Camp project is a celebration of love poetry, beautiful landscapes, and the great variety of English accents. At 8 coastal locations around England hundreds of silken tents have been set up and when dusk comes they glow a dull orange light and begin to emanate recordings of love poetry from around the world. In addition, at the Virtual Peace Camp, U.K. residents are encouraged to contribute their own poems and make recordings of the poems listed on the site.
