Year 3 Worcester University BA Fine Art

And yet my mask is powerful (2016) Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme

The gallery describes their work as:

Drawing on a visual and aural lexicon refined by Abbas and Abou-Rahme in their critically acclaimed project The Incidental Insurgents (2012-2015), And yet my mask is powerful offers an immersive experience conceived as a counterpoint to today’s all-pervasive imagery of crisis. In this piece, the artists use the site of trauma as a crucible, a place from which to imagine an alternative narrative, informed by the past but turned towards the future.This exhibition i was looking at the curation and how the videos and the various research and content was laid out along with the sculptures and artwork.

As you walk into to Gallery you are presented with a royal blue wall shrouded in research and various objects brought in from the spaces researched by the artists played out on tables in the centre of the room a backdrop of the artists thoughts and ideas. They have used this idea of the Sketch Book but dismantled it and curated it in a artistic manner but more in a way you would see it in a museum.

The first room had videos played over objects taken from nature the screens projected in corners of the room to give a more 3d approach maybe some link to the manner in which masks work over the face(?) I wasn’t to interested in the content or the artwork more the curation.

the 3rd room was a movie installation played over the same themes of the previous rooms. projected screens played over pieces of wood and temporary walls this was projected at 360 degrees on various walls.

John Wood and Paul Harrison Some things were recorded 1993-1998

The Gallery describes their work as:

In many of the short videos collected here, the artists are shown methodically working through a task in a series of bizarre experiments that almost seem designed to test their ability to keep a straight face. These constructed situations are captivating in their absurdity: there is a tension between the air of purpose Wood and Harrison bring to each gesture and the apparent absence of any purpose to these activities. Presented alongside the videos, drawings from the same period reveal parts of the thinking process as well as meticulous planning behind each of these works.The second exhibition was downstairs the content was more interesting to moe and I found that i was able to sit and watch the various film/performances for an hour.

there were two big screens adjacent to each other much like the one above the rest of the films were shown on smaller screens as seen to the right. these were placed on plinths.

Much like the first exhibition the research sketches were presented but these were more obvious pieces of art and were protected as this behind glass screens.

Both Exhibitions really help me draw to conclusions on how I may present a solo show next year in the studio and during the time from now to then I will look at practicing the layout of my exhibition. I must also consider the Curation ideas when it comes to performance and how I can transfer performances from the ‘real world’ to the studio/gallery space wether this through film or live.

Now what does Schrodinger’s Cat have to do with Urban Legends. The answer is not much. I am more interested in the concept of the box and the not knowing what is in the box. For me the tunnels or 5 mile tunnel is the box and the inside of the box. My cat is the the tunnel the unreachable theory or legend that I am not actually able to find at this moment! What is in that tunnel is also the Cat so many realities can be made to fit, and I suppose this is where the urban legend aspect of my practice come into play. The blank canvas to make a monster an urban legend.

Quantum Physics and Realities can be made to fit and can be seen throughout in urban legends for me anyway. The Box has two realities a reality where the cat lives and the reality where the cat dies the paradox is that of a cat that is neither dead or alive. Urban legends have two realities a real life scenario and a Chinese whispers scenario where the story is made. This produces the urban legend a paradox of truth and lies which sits in the unknown in-between. Where does the truth end and the lies begin?

I am interested in the incompressible nature of the two realities contained within the box and maybe the actual reality doesn’t need to be found only that of the stories and rumors what makes both Schrodinger’s cat and urban legends interesting.

I have decided to fabricate my own tunnels figuratively. I will do this by using my body in performance portraying the tunnel on my body as a vessel.

Someone who has a massive knowledge of the city of Worcester is the infirmary museums curator Mark. I happened to bump into him at the Museum and Art gallery’s opening of the Jermey Deller exhibition opening.

I posed the question of is there any urban legends in Worcester, he answered with tunnels and that of the 5 mile tunnel that runs from the cathedral to norton barracks which I later found was 2.5 mile as the crow would fly. which i suppose works as 5 mile there and back.

I later made a meeting with him where he supplied me with two books Forgotten Worcester and Worcester Remembered  by H A Leicester. he also gave me the locations where by I may enter the tunnels.

The Guild Hall

A Tattoo shop by Castle Walls Road

The Cathedral

Malpas Stallard (wine shop)

He also told me to visit the Guild Hall visitor centre as they could possibly give me some further information.

The Guild Hall has cells under the building itself. Speaking to the visitor centre advisor he said that the cells used to join up to the tunnels as they were used as access to the river to gain supplies, but these where now blocked off and filled with cerment.

The Tattoo shop was very interesting, in a tight small cellar they have access to one of the last remaining turrets in Worcester they had originally been in a shop further down which was now a beauty spa which had access to the tunnels. The owner of the shop allowed me to enter this tight space and film. I later visited their old shop but their tunnel had been filled in with concrete.

The Cathedral has a Cript under the building itself which did used to have tunnels I am yet to visit the cathedral but this will be one of my next steps.

Malpas Stallard has  tunnels under the building which is used as their wine store the owner allowed me to see the plans of the cellar/tunnels but would not allow me in as he ‘had to be carful not to allow people in who may be competitors.’ he was also alone. He also would not allow me to take an image of the plans of his tunnels. which was a shame and ended up being a bit of a dead end.

During my day one experience i filmed and asked the public 4 questions to get some leads.

1. Do you know of any urban legends in worcester?
2. Have you heard of the tunnels under the city?
3. what do you think happened in them?
4. What do you think happens in them now?

From the first and second questions I gained a few leads worth taking up.

• Norton barracks tunnel to Cathedral (which I had heard of)
• ST Peters church in Littleworth
• Wine shop on fish street (Malpas Stallard)
• Friar Street
• White Ladies Pub
• Tunnels on Malvern Hills
• Talbot in Barbourn (possible pub?)
• Whitley court tunnel to Cathedral

The third and fourth questions gave me a few sources to consider but were not so helpful some people were not from worcester but others said.

• Nothing
• Ghosts
• Filled in with Cement
• Used to transfer goods from river to city and/or cathedral
• to escape

I filmed these episodes at times as I will be making a Documentary in view to making a film.

Images taken from the filming thus far.