European artists stream into town

Artists from across Europe have been brought together, some over the internet, for an arts event in a Gwynedd town. The Harlech Biennale, which began last week, has seen 20 artists exhibiting work made in a 12 day period around the theme of international crosscurrents.

Performance pieces have been streamed live in galleries from as far afield as Naples, Italy and Toledo, Spain. The mountains near Harlech have also been used as natural working locations. The artists involved come from Hungary, Romania, Austria, Spain, Italy, England and Wales. Some have been making work in the Neaudd Goffa Harlech building and around the mountain of Moel Senig. We get very good support from people in Harlech - they make dinners, local businesses have donated materials, a farm that is above Harlech has allowed us to work there John Brown, Harlech Biennale Artists in different parts of Europe have used Skype, the internet service which allows free video calls, to beam their performances into other participating galleries in Naples, Italy, Toledo, Spain, Norwich and Stoke-on-Trent, England. The event is named after the long-established Venice Biennale, which has brought together international artists every two years for more than a century. John Brown, one of the artists behind the Harlech Biennale, said the project was about connecting with different cultures. "Our aim is, through a European ideal, that we experience other people's cultures and enjoy them," he said. A short tale of a Neapolitan prince in Harlech, by Antonio Manfredi, Naples A short tale of a Neapolitan prince in Harlech, by Antonio Manfredi, Naples "Over the past week the artists have been hard at work, particularly a Spanish artist who was up all night, to produce their work based on a brief that they submitted to us way back in March. "We get very good support from people in Harlech - they make dinners, local businesses have donated materials, a farm that is above Harlech has allowed us to work there. "Last night we had a connection with a gallery in Italy. We saw a performance by an artist there and they saw a performance done by us in Wales." Members of the public can see work in progress and completed pieces at Neaudd Goffa Harlech until Thursday. A reduced exhibition will be on show in Theatr Harlech until 17 October.