Mirrie Lace fuses the craft of Shetland lace knitting with new technologies. Twenty-one knitters have been working with artists Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar to develop Shetland lace pieces which will become part of the permanent light installations for Mareel, Shetland’s new music, cinema and education venue. Mirrie Lace forms a significant part of the project, Mirrie Dancers, conceived by the artists and commissioned by Shetland Arts. This exhibition offers the first public opportunity to see what this exciting new work involves.

The exhibition gives an insight into the experimental process undertaken by this diverse group of highly skilled knitters over the last year. It includes the knitters’ lace pieces as well as light projections, using the work of eighteen different knitters to create a light installation in the upper gallery. This work employs a unique system of LED lights designed and produced by Nayan Kulkarni and lighting engineer Duncan Turner. 

The knitters have been working with the artists since July 2009 and ever since they have been exploring new ways to use their knitting by taking part in a series of group ‘laboratory’ sessions called Lace Labs. In each Lace Lab the knitters came together with the artists to look at their knitted pieces through a prototype light projector that simulates the lights which will be used in the permanent artworks at Mareel. The Lace Labs provided an important opportunity for the artists and knitters to share their thoughts, ideas and to collectively consider the qualities of different patterns, materials and scale in combination with the light, as well as technical knitting issues. 

Mirrie Dancers is funded by the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and LEADER funding.

The exhibition runs until 1^st August.

Mirrie Dancers continues with Lace Labs, wherein knitters are producing designs for the interior light works at Mareel, and there will be an exhibition of their progress at Bonhoga Gallery from 3rd July 1st to August.

All over Shetland people have been surprised and delighted, over the past few months, to discover MirrieDancers illuminations, as they drive through the dark winter nights. These are part of a cross generational project that fuses traditional craft with new technologies taking place at 12 sites throughout Shetland over the winter of 2009/10. This innovative and inspiring project, conceived by artists Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar, was commissioned by Shetland Arts and funded by the National Lottery Inspire Fund. ‘Mirrie Dancers’ is the Shetland term for the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. Now, into 2010 five more sites are about to be illuminated.

The artists, Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar, have been working on this project in response to a Shetland Arts’ commission to create public art for Mareel, using the medium of light. Residents of Shetland have attended light labs working with the artists to create light based artworks, not only for their locality, but also for a set of permanent art installations at Mareel, Shetland’s new cinema, music and education venue, due to open early in 2011. This venue will be a hub and a focus for the creative community and a catalyst for the emerging creative industry sector in Shetland so it is most appropriate that the people of Shetland help to light up this building.

The illuminations of the Floating Tin Shed in Lower Voe and of the Tin Shed in Haroldswick launched the programme, followed by illuminations at Da Giant’s Grave in Lochend and the Sand Dunes at West Sandwick, Yell. The fifth illumination, at The Glasshouses in Tingwall, took place over the holiday period and unfortunately suffered from some technical difficulties due to lack of wind. Although the snow meant fewer visitors viewing the glasshouses illumination, those that did venture out have seen effects caused by the ice and snow that the artists could not predicted.

Both Kulkarni and Permar have delivered projects in a national and international context and bring that experience to MirrieDancers. Multimedia artist Nayan Kulkarni’s work engages with ideas of site specificity, time, technology and perception. These themes are manifested in work that is generated from specific concepts, processes or places through diverse media such as light, video, installation, sculpture and photography. Over the last 15 years Kulkarni has developed a keen interest in the potential of site specific and collaborative practice.

Roxane Permar works in response to issues of location, history and community, using a variety of methods and media including film, textiles and social exchange to realise public art projects, events and sculptural installations. Her work often employs creative collaboration, networking and participation as well as gift-giving and exchange. Her involvement with Shetland began in 1985 and she works locally, nationally and internationally from her Shetland studio.

For full details of the project and to view photographs by Austin Taylor, Mark Sinclair, Davy Cooper and Duncan Turner go to www.mirriedancers.com or www.shetlandarts.org The images are stunning and inspiring. We invite you to visit the sites and see the illuminations for yourself.

So far the lights have been dancing at Lower Voe, Haroldswick, the Dunes at West Sandwick and (my personal favourite so far) Da Giant’s Grave at Lochend, North Roe. The artists and the installation team have worked outside for long hours in some appalling weather conditions to get the lights and the turbines up and I hope they feel that their numb hands and water sodden boots have been worth it – because the outcomes really have been lovely: eery, intriguing and mesmerising.

Come and be intrigued and mesmerised tonight at the Glasshouses in Tingwall. Or if you prefer, come to the Tingwall Hall any time between 7.00pm and 9.00pm and we’ll ply you with soup and bannocks and then take you down in the minibus to walk amongst the lights in the company of the artists, Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar.

Let there be light, indeed.

Mirrie Dancers, commissioned by Shetland Arts, invites the public to join with artists Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar in creating a series of lightworks that will be on view across Shetland in a Festival of Light during the winter, before transferring to Mareel, Shetland Arts’ new cinema, music and education venue, early in 2011.  There, they will literally light up the building in a way that has never been seen in Shetland before.  This is your opportunity to be part of this exciting new project and ultimately have your personal input on Mareel.

The website was created by Sarah Backhouse Design Studio with the design and colours reflecting the aurora borealis’ own unique colour scheme.  The site is simple to navigate and encourages participation. Find out what the project is all about and who is involved; see a photographic record as Mirrie Dancers progresses. There is a blog for those wanting to keep a closer track of the project, and to contribute their thoughts and ideas.

Most importantly, according to Project Co-ordinator Kathy Hubbard, the web site presents another opportunity to get involved in Mirrie Dancers. “The more folk who join in, the better the project will be,” she said. “The success of Mirrie Dancers relies as much on the community at large as it does on the artists who are working on it. I hope people will take the opportunity to look at the web site and think how they can get involved. And there are significant opportunities for doing just that with Light Labs taking place all over Shetland in the next ten days. Come and join us – it will be interesting, and fun too.” 

Anyone, whatever their age or ability, can take part.  By the end of your session you will have used a simple digital movie camera, been shown how to transfer it onto a computer using specific software to create a colour ‘light score’ that will be seen as part of the public illuminations over the winter. Eventually, your work will light up the exterior of Mareel. You can come to any number of Light Labs, and use the skills learned to carry on creating different light scores in your own time, using your own video camera or mobile phone with the free software used in the Labs. 

The schedule is in the local press, and of course, on the new web site, and anyone interested can e-mail the project at info@mirriedancers.com or phone Roxane Permar on 01595 859202, or Kathy Hubbard on 01595 743843.