Global Survey The paradigm of an endless or irresolvable quest can be witnessed in the practice of artists Heather and Ivan Morison, where the staging of grand, episodic adventures or global expeditions appears to produce only ever slight or dematerialised; idiosyncratic or obscure, or else highly personal or anecdotal outcomes. Whilst the performative element of a quest or journey is often central to their practice, the actual motivation for the (re)search itself often remains nonsensical or absurd; poetic or purposeless. It often functions as a ruse or foil through which to undertake an alternative trajectory of enquiry; to create points of arbitrary focus such that they may then explore the resultant peripheries. In 2003, they proposed to undertake a year-long period of research, which would take the form of an irredeemably impossible 'global survey'. Travelling across the Baltic States, Russia, Western Siberia, Mongolia, China and New Zealand, their “quest was to explore without prejudice and to record and broadcast their observations”; where akin to “a pioneering exploration there (was) no end destination, only points to navigate by”. Ambiguous and undeclared, the specific nature of their research was deliberately open-ended and indeterminate. Opportunity and chance encounter were adopted as the critical decision making processes, where relational encounters and conversational exchange plotted the route taken or determined the motivation for each episode of the adventure. The couple’s work has increasingly departed from the garden in recent times, but it seems to have carried with it the same preoccupations, whilst also demonstrating that nature, land, places, aren’t the anchor of their interests by any means. In 2003 they undertook a roaming residency with the media arts organisation Vivid, which was known as Global Survey. It was a ‘modern expedition’, a journey of discovery and documentary, but one that was led, with more than a little randomness, by people rather than places. Obviously, practicalities dictated some of the stop-offs, but the principle of the trip was to allow chance suggestions to lead the way. So, when they met someone who suggested they ‘must see the Siberian larches in Russia’ - just as one always says, half seriously, "you really must see the whatevers in whatever" - that is just what they did. However, when they arrived they found that all the trees were being cut down, and so, responding as they often do to a shock, they issue a brief communication: "Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Morison do not understand it. Why are they cutting down all the Siberian larches? Archangelesk, Russia". Along the way they made field recordings, and sent printed cards and messages back documenting the people they met and their observations along the road. One might have expected this project to occasion their earlier work, to flower into global, environmental concerns. Instead they seem more preoccupied by the fact that one man’s jewel is another man’s rubbish. The art of Ivan and Heather Morison has expanded beyond gardening and its related activities of floristry and fruit and vegetable selling into the more specialist realms of dendrology and forestry, ice fishing and birdwatching. The title of their project, Global Survey, is deliberately grandiose, and the artists acknowledge that they have set themselves an impossible task and have no final destination in sight, but their wit and enthusiasm has already enabled them to travel across vast areas of the world. During the Morison's roaming research residency, Global Survey, together with media arts organisation Vivid, the tone of the observations changed as they travelled from Scandinavia to the Baltic States, through Siberia, China and Mongolia. Initially full of marvel and wonder, the recordings become bleaker with the deteriorating physical conditions echoed in their writings. An expedition of discovery and documentary that allowed random factors to influence the programme, Global Survey was full of unexpected incidents. During 2003 we were artists not in residence, working on a project titled Global Survey, supported by Vivid through the hothaus program. The project can be found at www.globalsurvey.org. Much of the recent work presented on this website has come out of this project. Project description Mr & Mrs Ivan Morison were commissioned by Vivid to carry out this international research project during 2003. The project took the form of a modern day expedition, the aim of which was to survey previously uncharted lives and to record and broadcast its findings. The artists travelled slowly around the globe guided and informed by the people they met along the way. These people were the focus of the expedition, their stories and experiences being relayed to a network of participants and recipients. The goal of the survey was to instigate a global sharing of lives, highlighting the extraordinary in the everyday. The expedition's course was determined by people rather than places, the artists never visiting a place, only a person. So far the artists have visited people in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Russia, Mongolia, China, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand. Further people are always being recommended during the expedition by the people the artists meet along the way. As people are recommended and unexpected subjects are discovered the expedition's course adapts. Like a pioneering exploration there is no end destination, only points to navigate by and the intention of returning home some time in the distant future. All travel will is carried out using local methods only. The title 'Global Survey' was chosen for its grand sounding intentions, yet in reality being an impossible task for just two people. Mr & Mrs Ivan Morison interact and collaborate with individuals and local communities, often over extended periods of time. Recordings of people talking about their passions are being made, with the artists looking for insights into their subject's lives. The edited recordings are then shared locally and globally, to an internet radio station. Other observations, always directly relating to a moment in a person's life, are also broadcast on the online message board, LED display boards, mailed cards and individual telegrams. An international network of galleries and art organisations act as broadcast hosts, receiving information from the artists and displaying it and re-broadcasting it to their own audiences. Ivan and Heather also carry out localised broadcasts through the publishing of small inserts into local newspapers, giving talks and presentations, and through collaboration with local radio stations. Many of the broadcasts made can be found here on this website. Others have presented in a touring show in 2004. A publication is being published by Article Press, which will document their observations and the messages sent to the LED board. This will be available at the end of 2004. One of the major broadcasts made earlier this year was a live two day broadcast to the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham form Vilnius, Lithuania. For this the artists broadcast live the goings on inside a flower shop in the town centre, whilst having the conversations simultaneously translated. As the day went by the audience got to hear the everyday problems and concerns of the three sisters working in the shop, and also later that day, the translators own views and opinions as she became more and more tired of translating. In Helsinki the artists placed a series of three text inserts into the Helsinki Sanomat, the most popular and serious national newspaper, each insert telling the story of a different lady, all set in Vingos park in Lithuania. Also in Finland Ivan and Heather produced a live ice fishing broadcast to Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery. The artists have also travelled to the very north of Russia after being told that they really must see the Siberian Larches, only to find they were all being cut down. For this they have produced a printed card detailing their observations that will be mailed out to over one thousand recipients. Galleries and arts organisations that participated included Ikon Gallery Birmingham, Metapod Festival Birmingham, IPS Birmingham, Harris Museum Preston and Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery. International galleries and organisations that hosted Mr & Mrs Ivan Morison were IBID Projects Vilnius, Lithuania, DEPO Novosibirsk Russia, Helsinki City Art Museum Finland and Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China. The project can be found at www.globalsurvey.org
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