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.
