Final week of TAXED TO THE MAX at Noorderlicht

TAXED TO THE MAX is reaching its final week after almost two months showing at Noorderlicht. It was a real pleasure to be part of this pertinent exhibition on the effects of global capitalism and corporatism showing a selection of work from my Masterplan Project at De Zwarte Doos (The Black Box), one of many locations in the city of Groningen in the Northern province of the Netherlands. Thanks to everyone who made this possible, especially the Noorderlicht team including Kees van der Meiden,  Hester Keijser, Wim Melis, Regina Broersma, Margriet van Weenen, Marc Knipamong many others. If you haven't been to see it already, make sure you do before closure on 1 Dec. 

Alternatively get a copy of the catlogue, known as 'the baguette' for only 5.00 Euro + postage, which features an excellent set of essays and images of all 34 participating international artists. email to: info@noorderlicht.com

https://www.noorderlicht.com

Occupation vs Liberation workshops at Hautlieu

Great to welcome Professor George Dupin and his post- graduate students from EESAB-site de Rennes to Hautlieu School this week to work with our students developing their projects in response to the Occupation of Jersey in the Channel Islands. This collaboration and extensive programme of study will be presented next year in the first week of May 2020 leading up to the 75th Liberation celebrations with a joint exhibition in the Berni Gallery at Jersey Arts Centre, a newspaper published by Jersey Evening Post and an outdoor installation. Thanks to all involved, including students, occupation babes, teachers and organisations facilitating research and work, including  Bureau des Iles Anglo-Normandes, Photographic Archive at Société Jersiaise, ArtHouse Jersey, Jersey Heritage, CIOS Jersey, Jersey War Tunnels and a special mention to Yury Toroptsov who delivered an inspirational workshop during Parisphoto last week!

TE AHI KĀ book signing at Paris Photo

I'll be signing copies of my book TE AHI KĀ - The Fires of Occupation at the stand of Dewi Lewis Publishing (SE17) in the Grand Palais at Paris PhotoThurs 7 Nov at 16:00. A choice between two covers female/green/fern and male/orange/flames. PM me if you are interested in Special Editions and Collector's Edition. More details can be found here.
https://www.martintoft.com/shop

Talk at SJ on work in Belize and Honduras

Tomorrow between 13:10-13:50 I will giving a lunch-time talk at Société Jersiaise about my trip this summer to Central American researching and making new work in response to Jersey Mahogany Cutters and Merchant Trade in Belize and Honduras. This work is part of The Seaflower Venture - a transatlantic project exploring the history of Jersey’s cod fishing trade with Canada and its international merchant networks in the West Indies, South America and Mediterranean. 

Both my long term projects The Seaflower Venture and Masterplan (work currently exhibited in TAXED TO THE MAX at Noorderlicht) explore Jersey’s original wealth acquired through its historical maritime trade and contemporary prosperity as an International Finance Centre with capital inflows derived across multiple jurisdictions and financial markets. Together they proposes to re-address parts of the legacy upon which the islands’s economic growth and development in the past, present and future has been told.

If island bound you can come along tomorrow to find out more about Jersey mariners extracting mahogany wood from the dense forests of British Honduras and bringing it to market in Europe. Alternatively, visit my site here. https://www.martintoft.com/the-seaflower-venture

Images: Joshua Gabourel who left Jersey for Belize in 1789 and the census records of 1820 showing his offsprings William and Joshua Gabourels slave populations, courtesy of Belizean Archives and Record Services

Interview with BBC and JEP about finance and MASTERPLAN

If interested you can listen to my conversation with Cameron Ward live on radio at BBC Jersey a little while ago by clicking on link below (2:22:02 - 2:39:40) about Masterplan Project and my views on the island of Jersey's finance industry. Jersey Evening Post also published a piece today about work from Masterplan being exhibited at TAXED TO THE MAX Noorderlicht and recently in Australia as part of CAPITAL Ballarat International Foto Biennale.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07p2k83

TAXED TO THE MAX publication

Finally had time to explore the sexy publication accompanying the exhibition TAXED TO THE MAX at Noorderlicht. In addition to presenting each exhibiting artists work there are some delicious essays by director, Kees van der Meiden, curator Hester Keijser, Marco de Mutiis, Clair Quentinand Tanvi Mishra. In the next couple of weeks I will share a few words from these texts to hopefully entice you to go and explore the festival at various sites in Groningen and beyond.

First up is tax lawyer and researcher Clair Quentin who in 'Making the other bodies visible' reflects on wealth and power, the state and the company:

‘One method for achieving immortality, if you are a bundle of wealth and power, is to be passed down from generation to generation in accordance with the heredity principle. This is the origin of the state….Another method for achieving immortality, if you are a bundle of wealth and power, is to belong not to an individual human, but to a group of humans. Thus, even as members of the group die, other members join, and the group itself, as an entity just keeps on going in defiance of mortality. This is the origin of the institution of the company….’

https://www.noorderlicht.com

TAXED TO THE MAX at Noorderlicht

Time to reflect on an extended weekend in Nederland ending with a roundtrip to Groningen for the opening of TAXED TO THE MAX at Noorderlicht International Photography Festival where new work from Masterplan is being exhibited. Some really strong work and expertly curated by Hester Keijser and Wim Melis. Thanks to everyone involved from the wonderful Team Norderlicht for a warm welcome and excellent job. Check out their new website! 

http://noorderlicht-live.com

Enroute to Groningen…

Enroute to Groningen for the official opening of TAXED TO THE MAX at Noorderlicht. Preview of all the work exhibited on display between 14:30 and 16:30. I’ll be at de Zwarte Doos after 15:00 where work from MASTERPLAN will be on show together with other work from Alan Gignoux, Sergey Novikov, Max Sheer, Michele Borzoni and Tony Fouhse. Many other exhibitions and events totalling 34 international artists are on show all over the city. Launch party at 17:00 at Oude Conservatorium. See you there!