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New Art images inspire students at UEL to choose their world and make changes

Wednesday 29 October 2008

An innovative visual art display sponsored by UEL Facilities Services is arriving at the Docklands Campus on Thursday 29 October for a month.

Choose your World is a series of actions and images devised by Marie Ange Bordas, the Leverhulme artist in residency 2008, in collaboration with the University Campus Management and students.

The visual campaign aims to prompt viewers to make connections between the way they live their lives, the world they live in and the costs of it, hence the title “Choose your world”. Marie Combines images taken in and around UEL with imagery of idyllic nature and global consequences of over consumption and waste.

The project was created out of Bordas’ concern with the amount of litter and waste she encountered after 3 months of living on the Docklands campus and her interest in exposing links between our daily actions and local/global environmental and economic issues.

Marie is especially interested in bringing forward issues to discuss such as economic, ethical and political implications of our actions, specifically in the context of over consumerist European society.

Marie said: “Choose your World is about me tackling my personal responsibility as well as inspiring the students to take more personal responsibility. Sometimes we study about a lot of issues, such as the environment, international development or social policies, however, we don’t always follow up with the necessary actions to start changing things on a local level.

“For example, recycling is a primary step that people should be looking at, as well as reducing our consumption.”

Students will have a chance to have their say across from the Student Union Shop in the Atrium, where there will be two message boards. The boards have a number of different images on them, that the artist hopes will inspire students to begin making connections towards their own actions and global issues. It will be an open space for UEL students and staff to showcase any work done related to the “Choose your World” idea.

Other aspects of the display include letterings & Floor Signage at the Docklands Campuses and videos around the Atrium, these are produced in collaboration with MA student, Despina Oikonomopoulou and other UEL students. There are statements about about positive small changes that make a local or global difference printed onto clear adhesive vinyl and these will be placed on tables in eating areas.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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