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This week has all been about preparing for my performance for the Studio Chongqing symposium at the Chinese Arts Centre curated by Nina Chua and Jessica Longmore. Before it started Jessica introduced the event and whilst she was doing this I noticed that two people were standing on the stairs which I was shortly about to walk down backwards holding a fan. I quickly moved across the room and asked the people to come off the stairway one guy was like, why do I have to move? This really put me on edge and he was rather defensive which is the last thing you want just before the start of a performance. When Jessica finished I asked the group to turn of there mobile phones and then directed them down stairs using my message fan, which read COME WITH ME. There were over thirty people although it felt like more as they moved down the narrow stairway. As we descended the on hold music grew louder and I held the group in the reception area starting to move and gesture people by moving the fan back and forth. I took out the band in my hair, threw it into the crowd and shook my hair loose whilst watching the audience.
Framed by the doorway I then moved backwards into the darkened room, take my shoes off and leave them to act as a barrier. On reflection I could have done this a little further into the room, as people seemed to literally stop when I started this action that meant other people were left in the reception looking through the door and window. I continue to dance, turn the fan off and turn to move the mobile wall dividers in place still jigging about to the music. Leaving a small gap I use the fan again to direct them through into the second space still watching them, dancing and holding the fan up high. I can feel that the batteries in my fan are fading and I am worried that the power is going to die. I continue holding up my fan at the front of the room until the last person is seated. The lights go off and I operate the electrical screen then play the plane video. I could feel the audience were unsettled, but what do I expect I have just led them into a small dark room and the door has been shut behind them. As the music kicks in and the video goes into reverse I can sense some relief in the audience and myself. I wasn’t happy with the quality of the video for lots of reasons such as the scale should have been bigger, it looked pixelated and too bright. However sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got and apart from these minor details technically it went well.
Rachel Marsden has reviewed the event: http://rachelmarsdenwords.wordpress.com/2011/04/22…
I received the dreaded email from Emerge Leeds, which starts by saying: I am afraid to have to tell you that your proposal has not been selected. We were overwhelmed with a very high standard of application…Then joy, later receiving a response from Surface gallery in Nottingham: Congratulations! Your video has been selected…I am really pleased that my video ‘Magician’ will be shown at Surface shorts (http://www.surfacegallery.org/index.php/whats_on/s…). This video was originally part of an installation, however I felt the work was strong enough as a piece in it’s own right. Surface will be having a screening night of selected videos and artist talks on the same day as the Chongqing Studio Symposium so I am trying to find out if I have time to do both as one is in the day, the other in the evening. So one out of three isn’t bad, still waiting to hear back from New Contemporaries although they rarely select artists from institutions outside of London. I have been thinking about putting together an application to fund a new project, as I am getting a bit fed up waiting to see the right opportunities come up for my work. Really gutted to hear about the Greenroom getting their funding cut and worry about what live art events will be left for emerging artists. Live art micro events are really important for artists like myself to make and develop new work. However I also want to make my own projects happen which are bigger pieces that can develop over a period of time. Although my proposal for Emerge Leeds was unsuccessful I could still make this project happen. Although I am torn between this project and another piece which would involve doing a residency on the free buses in Manchester.
This week I have been developing a performance which will be shown at the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, Chongqing Residency Symposium. The details are as follows:
Recent Chongqing residency artists Nina Chua and Jessica Longmore will be hosting symposium on 21 April 11-5pm, looking into past experiences from UK and international artists who have taken part in the 501 Artspace Residency in Chongqing China. Reflecting upon their experience of both the culture and local art scene, the symposium will take the form of a mixture of talks, performances and open debate.
Bookings can be made for the event via eventbrite: http://chongqing-symposium.eventbrite.com
I made an initial rece of the space a couple of weeks ago and I am trying to refine the piece. How will the piece start? How do I create transitions between spaces? I don’t want to overshadow the video at the end, so I need a gradual flow and build towards the end. Do I need to consider my performance wardrobe? What you wear can help command and focus an audience towards the performer. Working in the shop we all wear black, we are instantly recognisable, certain assumptions are made of what we know and do. My main worries are moving the mobile wall divides smoothly and operating the media equipment. I really don’t want that awkward feeling you get when the DVD doesn’t work or the projection is set on the wrong aspect ratio. The general feel of the piece has to be smooth and appear effortless. Throughout the performance I intend not to speak although I will use physical gestures and use props. I just received a message mate fan, which I plan to use to direct people through the space. I have no idea how the technology works but I love the effect of the brightly lit text moving around the fan, it’s really mesmerizing much more exciting than a life jacket.
