Sight-seeing and site-running in Grenoble.

TITLE

Run run run. Hand in hand. Run into and run with one another. Created by Kai of the RUN! RUN! RUN! International Body for Research June 2016 UK. Dedicated to Europe and the world. 02:15

RUNDOWN

Amidst a volatile and hostile reality, (how) could we — as image-makers, researchers and ‘ordinary citizens’ –- create poetic/political/playful artistic interventions to celebrate difference?

This film highlights an example, a pilot experiment run in a festival in France. Inspired by how blind athletes and their guides run, Hand-in-Hand invited friends/strangers to share their dreams while running tethered together with a specially-designed ribbon. Running thus became a methodology/metaphor to subvert or ‘détourn’ antagonism into something creative – a ‘productive antagonism’.

Yet, more than a documentary, the film enacts the breathlessness of a sprint — sensations and meanings run/fly past. It walks the talk too, by performing the inspired/inspiring possibilities of running into difference — hence the jump cuts, wordplay and mad montage/sampling of disparate footage/sounds/sights. It also invites us to re-imagine other gestures/‘movements’ to mock/knock the toxic status quo.

So, run run run, hand-in-hand. It’s ‘harder’, but as co-runners we can create yet ‘stronger connections’.

CREDITS

Director, researcher, editor: Dr Kai Syng Tan FRSA

Sound director, composer: Philip Tan/Philbeat philbeat.com

Interviewer, interpreter, assistant: Richard Wright

Talents: Florent Cholat, Gilles Dubois, Taoufik Trouissi

Translation: Florent Cholat, Dave Maliki, Mary Thorne

Support: Leeds College of Art

Additional footage: ANTI Festival (Pekka Mäkinen, Kim Saarinen), Robin Kang, Kleopatra Korai, Michael Larsson, Hayley Newman, Alan Latham, Annabeth Robinson, Dan Robinson, Philip Tan, Arleen Teo, Richard Wright, Yan Tuck Hong (Tuckys)

Citations from: a range of examples of running as a creative/critical process by RUN! RUN! RUN! since 2014, as well as:

ABC News. 2016. Orlando Shooting Kills Over 50 at Gay Nightclub. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKKRyoVpfGQ.

Attenborough, David. 2002. The Life of Mammals. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/10_october/31/progs6-10_mammalspack.pdf.

BBC. 2016. “EU Referendum: The Great Debate.” BBC iPlayer. June 24. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07hk5h6/eu-referendum-the-great-debate.

BBC News. 2016. “BBC News at Ten, 24/06/2016.” BBC iPlayer. June 24. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07hj6hm/bbc-news-at-ten-27062016.

Breaking News. 2016. EU Referendum: “Shame on You Boris” Crowds Yell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hydUvY3mLUM.

CCTV. 2016. Thousands of Runners Participate in Annual Palestine Marathon – YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23IjzlsvxOs.

Crites, James A. 1995. “CHINESE FOOT BINDING.” http://www.angelfire.com/ca/beekeeper/foot.html.

Debord, Guy. 1955. Guy Debord 1957: Psychogeographic Guide of Paris. http://imaginarymuseum.org/LPG/Mapsitu1.htm.

Fleschner, Kristen, and Michelle Wade. 2016. Running Blind by Kristin Fleschner and Michelle Wade. Accessed June 30. http://www.monumentalmarathon.com/stories/11-Running-Blind.php.

Forrest, Rob. 2010. Martin Creed – Work no.850 | Runners in the Tate | Rob.forrest | Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rob-forrest/5035385981/.

Frey, Katherine. 2014. Visually Impaired Athlete Prepares for Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140728/entlife/140728954/.

Hartley, Laura. 2016. Where Have the English Defence League Been in the Midlands? – Coventry Telegraph. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/english-defence-league-been-midlands-11240124.

India Today. 2016. Ai Weiwei Poses as Dead Syrian Child on Beach. http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/01/arts/ai-weiwei-alan-kurdi-syria/index.html.

Lacey, By Martha De. 2012. “It”s like a Three-Legged Race but with Hands’: Blind Sprinter Libby Clegg Overjoyed That Her Guide Is Finally Eligible for a Medal Too. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2195087/London-Paralympics-2012-Libby-Clegg-blind-sprinter-running-guide-Mikail-Huggins.html.

Lam, Paul. 2011. Tai Chi for Beginners, 8 Lessons with Dr Paul Lam – First Lesson below – YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIOHGrYCEJ4.

Le Dauphiné Libéré. 2016. Grenoble : Record de Participation à La Fête Des Tuiles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwee4BppIzE.

London Athletics. 2016. England Athletics and British Blind Sport Guide Runner | London Athletics. http://www.londonathletics.org/Blind-Sport-Guide-Runner.

Magazin Hazarder. 2015. Femen. http://hazardermagazin.rs/tako-lepe-i-nista-vise/.

Mail, By Hugo Gye, Emma Glanfield for MailOnline, Chris Brooke and Sian Boyle for the Daily. 2016. “Asylum Seekers ‘Forced to Live in Houses with Red Doors.’” Mail Online, January 20. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3407885/Asylum-seekers-forced-live-houses-red-doors.html.

Muybridge, Eadweard. 1887. “A Little Girl Running.jpg.” https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/A_little_girl_running._Photogravure_after_Eadweard_Muybridge_Wellcome_V0048721.jpg.

Nguyen-Hatsushiba, Jun. 2009. Breathing Is Free: 12,756.3. http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/2009/breathingisfree/index.php.

National Turk. 2013. Istanbul Protests:Standing Man on Taksim Square Silent Scream against All Cruelty, Video / Turkey News | NationalTurk. Photography. http://www.nationalturk.com/en/istanbul-protestsstanding-man-on-taksim-square-silent-scream-against-all-cruelty-video-turkey-news-39054/.

Reyes, Ruben. 2009. Tarahumara Woman Running with a Baby. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rreyes-2010/3747506136/.

Stewart, Heather. 2016. “Palace Complains to Watchdog over Sun’s ‘Queen Backs Brexit’ Claims.” The Guardian, March 9, sec. Media. http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/09/palace-sun-queen-backs-brexit-ipso.

Taylor, Diane. 2016. “Asylum Seekers Made to Wear Coloured Wristbands in Cardiff.” The Guardian, January 24, sec. UK news. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/24/asylum-seekers-made-to-wear-coloured-wristbands-cardiff.

Tykwer, Tom. 1999. Run Lola Run. Sony Pictures.

My work as an artist and educator has resulted in my appointments in positions of planning, policy- and decision-making. At the same time, I also work at grassroots level, by contributing to the community and often in areas that overlap with my own art research. These means of public engagement have trained me to be comfortable to deal with people from all walks of life. Photographing the energetic and enthusiastic kids in South London as a volunteer, for instance, has been most fun, uplifting and educational (for me); mingling with high-ranking types has made me familiar with the mechanisms of art and government policies. And elegant ways to speak/eat (or rather, not speak when eating, and not eat too much) (in their presence).

2012: I was invited curator and Advisory Board Member, of the first DIFF. I initiated a partnership between the DIFF and the Slade. Films I curated include that by Liz Rideal and Patricia Townsend.

2007-2012: Media Development Authority of Singapore: Expert Panel Member for the Interactive & Digital Media R & D Programme Office. Approved funding (up to £125,000) for innovative projects by start-ups.

2008, School of the Arts, Singapore: Digital Arts Consultant. Gave advice on setting up a conducive environment for young digital artists.

2005: Focus Group Member in panel, Ministry of Information and Communication Arts on the design of School of the Arts.

2009: Keynote Speaker, Art and Music Education Conference, Ministry of Education. Presented ‘Art Teacher–Art Practitioner–Art Student’ to 1000 principals and teachers, Singapore.

2005: Focus Group Member in panel, Ministry of Education regarding the art curriculum for primary and secondary schools.

1999: Committee Member for the Ministry of Education’s Video Awards.

2000: Focus Group Member in panel, National Arts Council for its New Media Arts Fund.

2005: Judge at Selection Panel for Arts Scholarship, Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

2008: Mentor to young film curators from secondary schools at Cineodeon, organised by the Asian Film Archive.

2008: Judge at Fly By Night, an annual filmmaking competition.

2000: Judge at Magazine Lien’s Photography Competition, organised by the Alliance Francaise du Singapour.

1998 – 1999: Chairperson of the Organising Committee of Thomson Video Club‘s First Junior Video Awards, a nation-wide video competition for young people (under 16). Organised and conducted video-making workshops.

2012: London Ambassador during the 2012 London Olympics. appointed by the Mayor of London, Greater London Authority. Shortlisted from 34,000 applicants. Stationed at Kings Cross, helped visitors about all matters concerning London. Won Excellence Award for dedicated service.

2011: Ran London Virgin Marathon (4 hours 24 minutes 37 seconds). Raised £1520 for Shelter, a homelessness charity, UK.