East London- First Thursday 5th February show

work in progress following site visit last wednesday for insideout/outsidein @ Life is Animated, 5th February 2009, part of East london's First Thursday,73A Regent studios, 8 Andrews Road, Hackney, E8 4QN. This photo-encounter invites you to sit inside a box with me oblivious to a studio full of people looking at art or just drinking.What we might just say or discover, or not, the awkwardness, the imposed. Trial variant of The Darkroom: what happens when the darkroom is not in a private location, it is in fact a cupboard, in the middle of a room,with a private view going on around it and live music and performance. bringing together two strangers within a box, to unearth/turn inside the contents of their pockets,and expose the objects to the act of photography. two people hiding themselves away from the hubub beyond, the cliche of the private view of the public facade you present, versus the private self that you may or may not expose inside the box. a very sketchy idea to start 2009...hmmmm a seed to plant and let grow a little :) time to explore the whole concept of 'box' and maybe some interplays on words.....

the theme of this month was very much artists that work with animation and participation. first thoughts were for projecting on the outside what was on the inside but am having trouble working out the concept involving a projection, and why I would want to go down that route when i never document the encounters due to their private nature.doh.but i always love the virtual versus actual. mobile phones again like The Darkroom, maybe this time a video of me with the participant? Durationally killing the black and white photo. how about me asking the participant what they think of the private view as a video? and this public reality then used internally to kill the image once talked about what's in our pockets? OR this mobile phone image is the only means to expose the image and then gone.

Projection- a fragmented reality projecting outwards? of me only? Perhaps this part is another event. my N96 does link up to a projector which is exciting.

test runs in situ on 25th january and 4th february. do i need another performer? run the event durationally 9-11pm? how will it feel being even closer to the participant than ever before; enhanced forced intimacy? these photos are of the lived in studio, room to be transformed for the event; cinematic screening, live performances, music.

other artists taking part;
Pia Borg screening her 10 min animated film (on loop) "Palimpsest"
Helen Schoene Performance and animation (7 mins, on twice 9pm and 10pm)
New Eakapong Rungruangkul: Filmed Performance/ Stills