Lost in the wood

Working on a Scottish art-anthropology project submission for speculative land use proposals - rarely has anything been more up my street or in this case, up my forest ride. The deadline is quite close and what with meeting wild boar in Perthshire wood (yes, this did happen - not intentionally) - there has been a quietness over p&g. But plenty to tell you and silence is regenerative. In fact, one thing I learnt from my counsellor is if things drop in the pool you can always take them out.

In addition this project has introduced me to the work of Peter Liversidge - on typewriter  - of what I would term art poetry. More on that later.

You can find out more about Speculative Ground http://thecommonty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/speculative-ground-call-for-submissions.html and Peter Liversidge here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Liversidge

Where is the Ai Qing Museum?

Ai Qing 艾青 is a Chinese poet and the father of Ai Weiwei 艾未未. Both Ai Qing's museum and Ai Weiwei have gone missing: perhaps in the same place?

Take a look at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Qing.Scroll down to the other resources and there is a reference to the Ai Qing museum. It is a Chinese site but it has disappeared.

For poets, absence and the space it creates is a powerful force. Those in authority who know why the museum and Ai Weiwei have disappeared would do well to consider that their silence speaks loudly. Their nature and practice is being screamed all around the world by silence.

I would like to go to China and walk with Ai Weiwei in his father's museum. Speak up in the silence if you feel the same.

Photo: Dan Chung from the Guardian (Dan, I have borrowed this photo but please let me know if you want me to use another.)

More on Ai Qing here: http://french.people.com.cn/french/200401/29/fra20040129_65100.html and on Ai Weiwei's disappearance http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/may/09/ai-weiwei-arrest-protest-exhibition.