The Antipodes Webcams project will juxtapose real-time images from cameras on exact opposite points of the glove:

Film and Video Umbrella presents:

Antipodes
By Layla Curtis

A new online art project launching at www.antipodes.uk.com on 20 March 2013 with photographic exhibition at Spacex, Exeter from 18 May – 13 July 2013.

Imagine digging a hole right through centre of the earth to the other side of the planet – where would you end up? If you were in Hamilton, Bermuda you would come out in Perth, Australia and if you were in Porto Alegre, Brazil you would arrive near Nagasaki, Japan. A hole through the earth from London would end up in the South Pacific Ocean, about 800km off the coast of New Zealand.

Layla Curtis’ Antipodes is an online and photographic project which pairs webcam images from places on opposite sides of the globe. Only 4% of the earth’s surface has land antipodal to land but it offers rich terrain for fascinating parallels. As far away from each other as it is possible to be, these distant ‘twins’ often possess surprising affinities. Having researched multiple webcam sources from myriad international locations, Curtis revels in drawing out these points of connection: finding topographical echoes in the landscape, as well as architectural and cultural similarities. A number of photographic diptychs, distilled from the stream of webcam footage, press the point home. Highlighting both the distance and the difference between us, they also remind us how technology is bringing us closer together.

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Image by Layla Curtis showing antipodes views of South Georgia and Russia

Layla Curtis Antipodes launches online on 20 March at www.antipodes.uk.com

The launch date coincides with the northward equinox and will be an ongoing online project, lasting for one year.

The exhibition of photographic prints runs at Spacex, 45 Preston Street, Exeter, Ex1 1DF from 18 May until 13 July 2013.

About Layla Curtis
Layla Curtis received her BA Fine Art from Edinburgh College of Art (1998) and her MA Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art (2000). Her work, featuring in collections including the Tate Collection, and the Government Art Collection, is exhibited widely. Solo exhibitions include those at Milton Keynes Gallery (2000), New Art Gallery Walsall (2006) and Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast (2008). In 2005 Curtis was awarded an Arts Council England International Fellowship and undertook a three-month journey to Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey. Her work has also been included in exhibitions at Tate Modern, London; Tate Liverpool; Pavilhão Lucas Nogueira Garcez-Oca, São Paulo, Brazil and Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal, Canada. Recently her work was included in the Revolver series of exhibitions at Matt’s Gallery, London (2012).

Antipodes is commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella in association with Spacex.  Technical support by Cuttlefish.  Supported by Arts Council England.

Film and Video Umbrella commissions, curates, produces and presents film, video and other moving-image works by artists that are staged in collaboration with galleries and other cultural partners. Since the late 1980s, Film and Video Umbrella has been at the forefront of this vibrant and expanding area of practice, promoting innovation through its support of some of the most exciting figures on the contemporary scene. During this time, the organisation has commissioned and produced over 100 different artists’ projects, ranging from ambitious multi-screen installations to shorter film and video pieces, as well as online commissions. www.fvu.co.uk

Cuttlefish have been innovating with technology since 2001. Based in the UK’s East Midlands, the Cuttlefish team create web and mobile apps for a wide variety of organisations and have a particular passion for arts, cultural and community projects.