Arriving at the Town Hall I cant believe the amount of equipment and furtniture that Hafsah has single handedly moved from the top floor studio to the sculpture Hall. We set to work creating blackout for the windows. By the time the work is set up the following day I am delighted with the result. Hafsah’s vision of a domestic transformation is complete, though she hasnt been able to try out the completed work till now. As a viewer I am transported to the participants living rooms whilst surrounded by the forefathers and the array of Capitalists with whose money Manchester was built. The range of subjects covered by the talking heads is wide and far reaching. Culture in its richest senses – the experience of all of us mediated by television and our own circumstances in relation to it… Cultural soup for the soul! Plus an old friend of mine, Craig, unbeknown to me has become a participant and his natural TV presence is so engaging and funny that I end up watching for ages. Back to the black out!
Logisticaly this is the trickiest piece to look after – needing to be switched on at 9 and then off and of course the heat generated by all those Tvs is quite significant! All were PT tested, I just hope they don’t fail…..all are old fashioned analogue Tvs and everyone is switching over to digital now so Hafsah had no trouble getting donations as technology and time moves on.
The last work to be installed is Andrew’s board game ‘The Connections” It looks like monopoly with all kinds of detailed and delicate playing pieces precariously balanced. Its shown in Hulme at the Zion Health and Resource centre. Tucked away in a corner of the reception. The game is a bit of a let down and so what you are left with is a slightly impenetrable and confusing but colourful conundrum….
