Pride of Place Project - The People's Perspective

About

What do you think of when you think of Portsmouth? What makes you stay and what drives you away? Are things getting better or worse? Does it feel like a northern city in the south? Do you have a favourite sunbathing spot or a preferred kebab shop? Is Fratton the new Southsea? How many starlings and Portsmouth Football Club shirts have you seen today? Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilder and Governor of California, used to work out in a gym on Albert Road? Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale, the two artists behind this project, are interested in exploring people's relationship to places from a psychogeographical viewpoint; they are curious to know how places evolve and how they make people feel and behave. ‘The Pride of Place Project' will feature a selection of photos they have taken on their travels around the UK with a particular focus on Portsmouth, the south coast's very own world- class waterfront city. The rest of the exhibition will rely on contributions from the public — in other words, you. The Caravan Gallery needs your help to create a growing participatory exhibition celebrating the unique character of Portsmouth, not just the obvious things but unfamiliar, overlooked details and hidden secrets. Go for a walk, take some photos, eavesdrop a few conversations, make notes, collect things. An entire wall will be set aside for your observations. Come along and complete an unusually entertaining Portsmouth survey, make a postcard or souvenir, record a video portrait, add something to our map. Space gallery will become a centre for urban exploration for a month, an alternative visitor information centre. This is your chance to help The Caravan Gallery create The People's Guide to Portsmouth! The Caravan Gallery is an artist-led collaboration and mobile exhibition venue set up by Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale in 2000. Based at Art Space Portsmouth studios in Southsea they have travelled thousands of miles and exhibited in hundreds of locations from car parks and shopping centres to prestigious galleries in Britain and beyond. They use photography, video and surveys to document the reality and surreality of ‘the way we live today', engaging with audiences from all walks of life by inviting them to respond to their findings. Tragicomic humour, pathos and absurdity feature strongly in their work. Public Talk: Wednesday 4 May, 2pm, all welcome ‘The Pride of Place Project' will travel to different locations exploring the character of each area. www.thecaravangallery.co.uk Facebook: The Caravan Gallery: Pride of Place Project Twitter: @caravangallery Email: admin@thecaravangallery.co.uk Phone: 02393 877415 / 07808 160207