The next Big Thing could be a real gas

A NEW festival is set to showcase several unique artworks, including a project that will see 500 people wearing gas masks freeze in their tracks as they go about their daily business.

The human installation, which will see those involved remain perfectly still in streets and businesses for up to five minutes, is one of many artworks designed to get Edinburgh residents thinking about what constitutes public art.

The Portobello-based festival, Public Art Fest, is the latest creation by Big Things on The Beach (BTOTB) in partnership with Italian association, GeoArte, and the Edinburgh College of Art. It will run between August 27 and September 3 and will feature three Italian artists, three Scottish artists and a number of small workshops.

The human installation - called ToxMe - by photo-artist and videomaker Federico Calo is designed to highlight that we live in an artificial society, full of additives and chemicals.

The aim is to get at least 400 people across Edinburgh in gas or dust masks to freeze during their daily routine at key moments throughout the week.

A second work, ChristMe, by Italian artist Magda Milano, will display a range of medium and large spheres made from garden flowers. They will be displayed inside and outside a local church, and organisers are hoping locals will donate flowers to help create the colourful balls.

Artist and performer Ezia Mitolo aims to place Lycra stands along Portobello Promenade so that people can shape their own art, with a theme based on empathy.

The three Scottish artists taking part are yet to be announced.

Damian Killeen, who founded BTOTB in 2004, said: "Through this festival we want to ask the question 'what is it that makes art public?'

"People have very different ideas. Sometimes the public is very involved in a work, while at other times they feel like they've had something imposed on them, so it isn't really public.

"We're basically inviting people with very different types of practices to present their work in very diffent ways. This festival is designed to allow people to get really involved."

The presence of the three Italian artists is designed to launch BTOTB's intention to start connections with other countries. It is hoped that cities in southern Italy will establish their own BTOTB events, and work is under way to prepare a 2012 event to celebrate the Cultural Olympiad.

Portobello's BTOTB art collection has been responsible for dozens of unique open arts projects over the years, including arranging 13 fruit machines along the beach, converting a pub into an art gallery and transforming a swimming pool into a three-dimensional artwork.

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