Wednesday 16th April 2008, 6-7.30pm, PACE Studio 1
Rebecca French and Andrew Mottershead will talk about their practice, discussing their performances for camera, which have grown from their concept of ‘microperformance’.
Their SHOPS project uncovers and documents the communities formed by cities’ local shops. The artists have recently returned from Brazil, the first of a programme of international residencies involving performance, public artworks and collaboration, which will also visit cities in China, Turkey, Romania, Slovenia and the UK, culminating in an exhibition and publication at Site Gallery (Sheffield) in early 2009.
“… the strikingly beautiful photographic results … explore relations between cultural uniformity and individual identity.” Dominic Johnson, Frieze issue 97
“For once, it is art that actually achieves the popular ideal of raising your awareness of everyday life.” Mark Wilsher, Art Monthly
Biography
Rebecca French and Andrew Mottershead create live work that specifically explores ideas of human identity, physicality, interaction, social ritual and the everyday public and private realms in which they are played out. They have created and developed an approach called microperformance to invite people to engage complicitly in creative acts. Through the use of objects, instructions, maps, photographs and actions, they gently subvert sites and the way contemporary art is produced and received.
Recently, FrenchMottershead showed their interactive performative event Club Class at Tate Modern and Tate Liverpool, and their site-based photographic work Shops at EASTinternational 2007, Liverpool Biennial and Newlyn Art Gallery, Penzance. They were also Artists in Residence at the 2006 National Review of Live Art. Recent commissioners include Peckham Pier, Arnolfini, Arts Council England, Colchester Arts Centre and Finland’s ANTI Festival. They are current ‘Thinkers in Residence’ at the Live Art Development Agency.
http://shopsproject.blogspot.com
Invitees have been chosen for their potential interest across art-forms, and each will talk about their work/ research followed by a Q&A session. The next talk will be in Autumn 2008.
The talks are open to all and are free. However, we have limited seating which will be offered on a first come first served basis. It is advised that you arrive by 5.30pm to try to avoid disappointment. Once the venue is full we will have to turn you away.
Directions to the PACE building and more information about CEPA in general are available on the DMU website. Please follow these links:
PACE building, Centre for Excellence in Performance Arts, De Montfort University, Richmond Street, Leicester
www.dmu.ac.uk/aboutdmu/campuses/maps/leic_campus.jsp
Centre for Excellence in Performance Arts
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/cepa
If you have any access needs, or would like further information, please do contact Helena Goldwater on hgoldwater [at] dmu.ac.uk or 0116 250 6487.