EXP:two

Dark Arches

October Sixth 2006

This was a pretty special night.  EXP24 took over an empty arch under Leeds city rail station for Light Night Leeds 2006.  This non-traditional venue allowed freedom to arrange seating and technical space exactly as we wanted.  We envisioned a relaxed environment where the space was just as much a feature of the night as the films and performances.

As well as the central screen we set up five monitors in a semi circle at the far end of the arch, which provided the only illumination in the space.  We grouped beanbags for seating within this semicircle, so that the audience would get a sense of being totally surrounded by moving images and sound.

We created the programme with the intention of choosing films that would intersect and interact with the space, to draw attention to the environment as well as the work on show. 

The first film was a B/W super 8 mediation on an open window by Mike Rollo (Canada), followed by Robin Kiteley’s (UK) ‘[Boys Beware] Beware Boys’, a hilarious re-working of a B/W 1950’s ‘educational’ video on stranger danger.

The programme continued with abstract super 8 films and video by members of EXP24 and Chris Hall (UK).  Our friends at Slack Video in Hull provided us with the synaesthetic ‘Comosmograph’ by Andrew Quinn (UK) and the dark and brooding ‘Uth’ by Gary McKeown.

An immersive and unnerving performance using five monitors and the main screen by Dave Lynch (EXP24) kicked off the second section, followed by Jennifer Proctor’s (USA) hand-painted super 8 take on ‘Alternative Forms of Energy’.  ‘No Surrender Urkelon’ by Andrew Reid (UK) re-edited low budget sci-fi footage to an experimental electronic soundtrack, and ‘Arrow of Time’ by Arturo Menchaca (USA) revealed the arch to be a strobing gateway into another dimension.

The final extended break ‘with EXP24 TV’ gave the audience a chance to view film/video loops shown on the monitors by Andrew Reid (UK) and members of EXP24, and a 16mm/mannequin installation ‘Madonna & Child’ by Joanna Byrne (EXP24).

Chris Hall (UK) then presented ‘Breakdown’ (pictured) a special live performance using two super 8 projectors, slides and improvised sound.  The next film was ‘Bathroom’, a beautiful piece of dreamlike shadow-play created and projected by Roger Holroyd (UK).  Martha Jurksaitis (EXP24) projected her own re-worked found footage/sound film ‘Bleach Holiday’.  A definite highlight of the night was ‘All Cats Are Grey’, and strange and ethereal piece of feline filmmaking by Freya (EXP24).

The night ended with ‘U.BI.QUI.NONE.’, a video/live music performance by Will Lamont and Simon McCorry (UK) investigating snapshots and memory.

With thanks to Light Night Leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University, Lumen