LONDON.- Leading contemporary artist Doug Aitken’s commission for the Sky Arts Ignition Series, presented by Tate Liverpool as part of Liverpool Biennial, will feature filmed conversations with some of the world’s most established creative individuals, exploring the roots and realisation of the creative process. It has been revealed that the work will include British actress Tilda Swinton, musician Jack White, the late artist Mike Kelley and architect Jacques Herzog.

Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken – The Source will be Aitken’s first public realm installation in the UK, showcasing his pioneering and ambitious approach to public art. Creative visionaries of all ages and backgrounds, working across different art forms, will consider two questions: where does the creative idea start and how is it realised? Participants sharing their thoughts with Aitken will include David Adjaye, Devendra Banhart, Thomas Demand, Liz Diller, William Eggleston, Jacques Herzog, Mike Kelley, Lucky Dragons, James Murphy, Philippe Parreno, Richard Phillips, Jack Pierson, StephenShore, Paolo Soleri, Tilda Swinton, Ryan Trecartin and Jack White.

The Sky Arts Ignition Series launched in 2011, and will enable Sky Arts to back the creation of major new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent. Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken - The Source will be the first project in the series, which will see Sky Arts collaborate with six arts organisations in the creation of brand new works. For each of the chosen projects, Sky Arts will provide a cash investment of up to £200,000 and work with the arts partners to bring their projects to a wider audience, using Sky’s platform.

The work will be housed on Liverpool’s historic Albert Dock in a temporary pavilion designed in collaboration with British architect David Adjaye OBE. This deliberate separation from the traditional gallery space will create a new creative territory and cultural destination. The pavilion will have a night-time presence, with the work projecting outwards from the structure. Sky Arts Ignition: Doug Aitken – The Source will be the antithesis of long-winded lectures on the arts and will open the artistic process up to the viewer: looking to the future, while engaging individuals whose legacies have shaped contemporary culture. It will be free admission and will open to the public on15 September 2012, continuing to13 January 2013.
Aitken said:

This project is about the roots of creativity. Many of the people in this project are working in very diverse mediums and it’s that common thread that I’m interested in. The project is very much about the empowerment of the viewer. I want the installation at Tate Liverpool to be a destination: a place that one can go to and walk into this field of ideas. It will be a celebration of the power of the individual and the forging of a borderless new creative territory – I’m incredibly excited.

James Hunt, director of Sky Arts, commented: At Sky Arts, it’s clear to us just how fascinated people are by the creative process that goes into making works of art,” comments . “Doug’s plan for the first Sky Arts Ignition project really captures that; opening up the creative process and making it more relatable and accessible. That’s another thing that we try to do at Sky Arts, and Doug’s project fits with that ethos perfectly.