Saturday, March 31, 2012

"just us at work" — the fundraising video


We recorded sound and reviewed photos for a fundraising video — Jamie McGaw, Diana Gurley, and Deborah Doering – in the McGaw-Gurley's studio in the Pilsen Neighborhood in Chicago.



Wednesday, March 28, 2012

"just us at work" — 'Manifest O' needlework tapestry


Fabric for the  "Manifest O" needlework tapestry is scheduled to reach Hamburg, South Africa, tomorrow.

The 9' x 21' (2.70 m x 6.41 m) fabric will be hand embroidered by KAP artist collective. When finished, the "Manifest O" tapestry will be brought to Kassel by Cebo Mvubu and Veronica Betani, KAP artist-collaborators.

DOE Projekts and KAP artists will work each weekday in the entrance hall of the Amtsgericht, Frankfurtstraße 9, near the "Manifest O" on various art projects -- drawing, stencil-cutting, needlework, writing -- beginning June 1 and continuing through Sept 10, 2012.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

"just us at work" — fabric arrives in Johannesburg


The 6.41 m  x  2.70 m (21' x 9') "Manifest O" fabric has arrived in Johannesburg today and will be transported to Hamburg by Helen Vosloo, KAP collaborator. Samples continue to be stitched in Hamburg, SA, as KAP artists and artisans await the arrival of the large fabric.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

"just us at work" — cotton on linen


DOE Projekts collaborator Nancy Adams begins a cotton on linen work. Stitched works, stencils, prints, drawings and writings — using zero and one as a point of departure — will be among those art pieces made during KAP + DOE Projekts' 13-week art action "just us at work" in the Amtsgericht, Kassel, Germany, June 1 - Sept 10, 2012.  

Saturday, March 24, 2012

"just us at work" static-cling material tests

The static-cling material for the windows of the Amtsgericht has arrived and DOE Projekt members are making samples.

Below are photos of some of the on-site tests made in Kassel. DOE Projekts thanks Mr. Reinhold Kilbinger, Vice-President of the Amtsgericht, for his help in making the samples and test forms.



Thursday, March 22, 2012

"just us at work" stitching samples



Photos of some stitching samples arrived in my email-box today, sent by Veronica Betani, one of the KAP artists.
Very exciting -- the "Manifest O" project is moving forward.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

"just us at work" Amtsgericht proposal photos


Proposal photos (using photoshop for the "Manifest O") for "just us at work" art action, scheduled to open June 1, 2012, in the entrance hall of the Amtsgericht (Offices of Justice), Kassel, Germany.

Members of DOE Projekts and the South African artists' collective KAP, will work together on "handwork" art projects and other performative art works, each weekday, 10 am - 1pm ;  2pm to 5pm.

If you will be in Kassel during the Summer 2012, please come visit us!

Monday, March 19, 2012

"Manifest O" Fabric is Shipped to KAP Artists

Two members of DOE Projekts, Glenn Doering and Deborah Adams Doering, were first in line at the Chicago Post Office at 7 am today. The fabric with the "Manifest O" outlines is now on its way to South Africa and the KAP artists! The tapestry work will begin when the package arrives in Hamburg, South Africa.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Amtsgericht (Offices of Justice), Kassel, Germany

DOE Projekts and KAP artists will work together each weekday in the circled area of the Amtsgericht.
Our plan is to work from 10am to 1pm, and again from 2pm to 5pm.

On weekends, we will visit the various art installations and exhibitions that are a part of Documenta 13.
We will post our observations and opinions on this blog -- so please stay tuned!


Above: The Amtsgericht (Offices of Justice) in Kassel, Germany.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Tracing the Manifest O

Today, Deborah Doering transferred each 'code line' of Manifest O to the fabric. Each code line took about 1 hour to trace, and there were 10 lines of code.

Each line was first drawn on tracing paper, then put underneath the fabric and traced over.
The next step will be to send the fabric to the KAP artists to tapestry the 'Manifest O"


Last weekend, the 'code lines' were laid out on tissue paper in preparation for tracing them.

Doering is pictured to the right of the tapestry.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Early beginnings of "just us at work"

Deborah Doering's connection, and DOE Projekts' connection to the KAP artists began in 2006.

Doering remembers: "I saw the Keiskamma Art Project's work in Chicago and was very moved, impressed and challenged by KAP's reinterpretation of Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece, (15th century, Germany/France). I wondered why a group of rural South African artists were making art with these particular forms and concepts?"

"After seeing other examples of KAP's works on the web, I emailed them and asked if they might consider a collaboration. The answer was yes — plan to come and visit us in Hamburg, SA."  


That visit was made possible almost four years later through the help of Doering's Chicago patron and travel companion, V. G. Carreon.

Doering states: "During my visit, the KAP artists and I worked on two small tapestries and a series of painting-prints called 'Night Sky Constellation.'  We now have the opportunity to collaborate again in Kassel, Germany during the Summer of 2012. The Amtsgericht, the Offices of Justice, have extended an invitation for DOE + KAP to create an "art action."  This daily installation/performance will be called "just us at work." 

Two KAP artists, plus Doering, and others from DOE Projekts, will work each day, Monday through Friday, 10 am - 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, June - September, in the entrance hall of the Amtsgericht. The group's focus will be "handwork"  — needlepoint, stencil cutting, drawing, writing.

The public is invited to visited us during "just us at work."



Photos above: International director and cultural activist Peter Sellars gave the keynote address at C6 at Art Chicago, a symposium about global art with a wide variety of concepts including, but not limited to, ecology and social justice. He spoke about the work of the Keiskamma Art Project (KAP), work that Deborah Doering had already been drawn to, after seeing it first hand in Chicago.

Monday, March 5, 2012

About DOE Projekts



DOE Projekts was founded in 2010 by Deborah Adams Doering.

Doering's vision for DOE Projekts includes inviting artists, artist groups, and other professionals, to collaborate on large scale installations and performative works that use the movement of the zero (the circle) as a point of departure.

"DOE" is a surname that is often used by English-speaking people as a placeholder. It denotes "everyperson," which indicates individuality as well as invites an open community collaborative effort. Participants in DOE Projekts are listed by name. Groups collaborating with DOE Projekts are also given full credit.

In 2010, DOE Projekts worked in collaboration with KAP, South Africa. Two tapestry works and a series of prints were completed.

In 2012, DOE Projekts and KAP will collaborate in the art action/installation "just us at work" at the Amtsgericht, Kassel, Germany, June 1 - Sept 10, 2012. (See additional blog posts).

In 2011, DOE Projekts collaborated on the event "Blue Plate Special," highlighting local food production, with the Mobile Food Collective, participants in the 2010 Venice Biennale, Architecture. "Blue Plate Special" was part of Doering's installation "Eye Eat Too" at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

DOE Projects is a sponsored project of FracturedAtlas.org. More Information »