Client: Bow Arts Trust and Bow School

Location: LONDON, United Kingdom

Completion date: 2015

Artwork budget: $30,000

Project Team

Artist

Julia VOGL

Client

Rob Smith

Bow Arts

Overview

Plotting Values is a scatter graph reflecting Bow School's students and staff views on current values and future aspirational experiences. The work is installed on the 140 Meter long fence that separates the school play yard from the canal. It is made of powder coated steel units on a zinc fence, and 624 community members data points.

Goals

In January 2015, Vogl met with a team of 15 core students to determine what content the scatter graph should measure and how best to illustrate the data. The core team of students from ages 12-16, with interests in math, art, geography, devised that the 140 M fence be broken down into an X axis of 12 sections of 4 fence panels , and a Y axis of 6 horizontal rows. They decided each student and staff would plot their response to two questions one on the X and one on the Y axis. The X axis asked: WHAT FUTURE EXPERIENCE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFETIME? and the Y axis asked: WHAT ONE VALUE IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU NOW?

Process

The work aimed at creating more dynamism in the barrier of a fence, and giving students ownership over the artwork as well as a legacy. By inviting every single person in the present community to take part- they not only shared their thoughts/beliefs and aspirations in the present moment but leave an inspiring comment to future generations that can track themselves along the community that has come before. The collaboration between the artist, the students, the greater Bow community was essential to the success of the project- and leaves a greater sense of community.

Additional Information

The project was commissioned by Bow School, produced by Bow Arts, supported by Clifford Chance, Legacy List, and Tower Hamlets. Photos taken by Ollie Harrop, Film by Liza Cucco, fabricated in conjunction with Weber Industries