The artists propose that the outcome of the commission will be to create a publication setting out ideal rules and philosophies for collaboration, with concrete tasks that can be followed by anyone.

The artists will test around 20 rules and tasks live during the event. The rules will be presented to the audience, who will judge their efficacy, and initiate the process of editorial change that will continue throughout the project.

You are invited to this event to get involved with this process, to challenge the artists’ ideas and make your mark on their evolving rule book.
Background
What can artists do together that they can’t do on their own, and how does the idea of help and exchange inherent in collaboration feed into working processes and outcomes? How could these facets become visible, exposing the hidden costs of collaboration: compromise, plagiarism, antagonism, frustration, misunderstanding and mistranslation?

Paul B Davis, Charlie Fox and Emma Hart have each worked on so-called ‘organic’ collaborations in the past – where artists find each other and fuse their practices based on mutual interests, personal or professional. The current Rational Rec commission provides a more structured space for them to reflect on the methodologies they have used in the past, a pause to reconsider how they have collaborated in the past and how they intend to collaborate in the future. Inspired by commercial music and fine art collaborations – such as Snoop Dogg ‘featuring’ on the tracks of rival rappers, or Damien Hirst’s work with Louis Vuitton – and bringing these lessons into a non-commercial project, as well as being influenced by art movements such as the OuLiPo literary group; religious laws from the Methodist Book of Discipline; the ancient Greek Axiomatic system and their own experiences, the artists will consider what happens when artists work together and why is this often deemed “better” (is it more creative? more exciting?).
Attending the event
To take part in the event please email bookings@rationalrec.org.uk by Wednesday 12 May 2010 with ‘MRA’ as the subject header. This event has limited capacity.
Online presence
< am < >"><">http://www.ustream.tv/channel/rational-rec-s-second-panel-discussion-14-may-6-30-9pm">> . To view, simply click on the link on 14 May 2010, 6.30pm-9pm and you will be able to view the discussion for up to 7 days after the event. We will send a reminder on the day of the discussion event.

Rational Rec’s Louisa Martin (our Digital Marketing and Development Assistant) will also be tweeting from the event and we would welcome your questions and comments. Follow Rational Rec on Twitter <">http://twitter.com/rationalrec">> , or get more updates on ourFacebook <http://www.facebook.com/people/Rational-Rec/100000029126404#/profile.php?id=100000029126404> profile.

This Open Dialogue event is part of Matt Roberts Arts OpenFORUM <http://www.mattroberts.org.uk/> - An Art Festival Supporting Artists' Professional Development.