"Tellings Tales" - After the visit

Once upon a time, in a land not really far away, at the V&A, they ( a bunch of European designers, mainly from Netherlands) were Telling Tales...

http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/telling-tales/

The first random words that came into my mind on entering the gallery and seeing the work; especially the work exposed at the entrance (three televisions showing sequences of images), were: Mystical, Anxiety, Witch and Blair Witch Project.
Ingoing the exhibition is really like visiting another dimension, another world. It is surprising at first.
Discovering each room (The Forest Glade, The Enchanted Castle and Heaven and Hell) produce its own reaction, the first room is quite peaceful; birds singing, large tree shadows and a high ceiling. The second room seems more magical, this part made me thing about Narnia. The last part is clearly disturbing it feels as if they would be a diabolic presence in the room.

The piece of work I have chosen in the first section is The Honeycomb Vase by Thomas Gabzil Libertiny.
Amazing and Impressed are the two terms that came into my mind. The only fact that the bees build the honey comb around a metal frame in the vase’s shape is incredible and the idea and audacity is impressing.

In the second room, I liked the Pyramids of Makkum, Studio Job. Wobbly and Don’t be clumsy! Be careful! I could be the one to make it fall! Sentences that I have heard in the past as I have a history of clumsiness. Old fashion is also a term that I think suits this piece for its painted details in blue and its stencils.

In the last room I liked The High Tea Pot by Weiki Somers made out of a pig skull, my thoughts were: Disturbing, Dreadful, Evil and Be sick.


The interesting thing about the display is the main hallway, that leads us through the two frist sections, that split when entering the Heaven and Hell section. I understand the split as the different ways you could take to heaven or hell.

I also found each “world” to have its very own display which felt different in each room. The trees shadows on the walls put forward a very dark impression but put together with the birds singing it adds a charming and magical feel to it.

In the second room, the mirrored wall and pattern wall paper gave me cold thoughts; that room made me think of Narnia and its snow queen.

The last section is all in black and red and the objects can be looked at through some kind of windows. I think that this display is the most original and really translate a ambience that fits the theme. The Heaven and Hell or life and death theme is something that we cannot entirely understand and that is sometimes hard to talk about; looking at the work through those holes doesn’t let you see it entirely, it made me thing of the unclear part of life and death.

I think that what inspires me for my table theatre is the fact that every object has its own space with more space around it and that they were presented in three groups, classified by what the made you feel, an atmosphere.

Discussion on two titles of objects that were presented at the Telling Tales exhibition
Sensory Deprivation Skull
Joep Van Lieshout,1963 (2007)
“Psychoanalysis is an exploration of dreams, memories and the unconscious. This sensory deprivation chamber provides an environment for introspection and meditation: a space to get inside your head.”
I looked up at the words: sensory and deprivation, what does each word means on their own and what do they mean when they are associated?
Sensory: involving or derived from the senses; diverted word: sensorial
Deprivation: act of depriving someone of food or money or rights; synonyms: privation and loss
By looking at these meaning I would interpret “sensory deprivation” as a privation of any of the five senses which are: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste.

A place where you can’t see, you can’t hear, you can’t touch or feel, you can’t taste and you can’t smell.
The word skull is especially appropriate as the sensory deprivation space is made to think and reflect; an activity that we do with our brain that is protected by our skull.
By entering the Sensory Deprivation Skull, we enter our brain. By not experimenting any of our fives sense we allow ourselves to really reflect and think without any distraction.
This title caught my interest because in a city like London where everything is so busy, I like the idea of having a Sensory Deprivation Skull to escape from the outside world.


“Napoléon à Trotinette” Console – “Napoleon on his scooter” Console
Vincent Dubourg (2007)
When I read this title, an image of a 18th Century guy in a soldier uniform, a white curly wig and a triangle hat on a scooter, speeding up the street, came into my mind. It is such an innocent picture and I like to imagine that this history hero had moment like this, pure moment of childlike spontaneity.
A console by its definition (a small table fixed to a wall or designed to stand against a wall or an ornamental scroll-shaped bracket (especially one used to support a wall fixture), is a piece of furniture used as a display.
This title is very amusing as both terms “Napoléon à Trotinette” and Console can be conceivable on their own context but put together there is no reasonable representation of it; unless the console is a sculpture in itself.

I really liked the Pyramids of Makkum Tulip Vase collection, the one by Jurgen Bey made in 2008.

I like it because of the originality of the idea and the fact I feel something very personal. I love the blue ink detail on it, it is very authentic and makes me thing about my grand mother who paints on ceramics since I was a little girl.

The story of these designs is that the took the Tulip vase collection from the Royal Tickelaar Makkum firm, the oldest ceramic firm in Netherlands and redesigned them.

Rough Guide Brixton - an object from the shop

Wigs - beauty suppliers on Atlantic Rd.

Made of real human or synthetic hair.

It is presented on dummies heads and has many different styles ( curly, long, short, straight, black brown, red...)

My keywords:

Diversity - unusual - window shopping - changes - consummation

I think that wigs displayed that way are a speciality from a multi-cultural neighbourhood. I would not imagine it in Harrods presented this way as it is probably a taboo. In the case of an art gallery, it would depend on the context of the exhibition.

Rough Guide Brixton - a painting from the street

Painting on a door (underground art) - artwork by smockingsraygun.com

It is graffiti drawing on a wooden door belonging to the pub next door, The Prince.

The picture represents the face of a woman with an afro hait style, big loop earrings, heavy make-up and drinking a martini with the olive inside.

My keywords:

Appropriate - underground - party - cocktail - James Bond

This piece of art could suit any context, an art gallery, a market stall, Harrods, the street as art is neutral, it all depends on personal taste and the atmosphere that want to be created.

Rough Guide Brixton - an object from the market stalls

Dried Fish - a speciality from Sierra Leone. It is a whole fish ( from head to tail) grilled on the BBQ and dried afterwards. It looks burnt (beiges, browns, black and greys)

when I look at them I think:

Fire! - strange - tradition - tasty?

Seeing those fishes in Brixton is not surprising as it is an Afro-Caribbean area and there are many shop selling food.

If it would be sold in Harrods for instance I am sure that people would be very surprised but at the same time interested.

In an art gallery it could be easily considered as a fine art piece.

Rough Guide Brixton

The Rough Guide - exploring Brixton

Brixton is located on the south side of the river Thames, the south west of London.
It is the unofficial capital of the British African-Caribbean community.
I like to say that there is no place like Brixton; some other areas like Peckham (SE 15) or Elephant and castle (SE17) can be compared with it as they are also important African- Caribbean neighbourhood but the feeling of Brixton Electric Avenue and the indoor market is nowhere else to be found.
I think it has a lot to do with Brixton history and the fact it has been in the centre of some important moment that marked London history. It has been in the middle of many innovations.

First of all, the building of many council houses, after that Brixton was bombed during World War II, in response to the severe housing crisis that was happening in London; many immigrants from the West Indies settled in Brixton.
Brixton was at the front of the stage during the Brixton riots in April 1981 when the police placed in a “stop and search” policy that allowed policemen to stop anyone on the street and search them without giving any reasons and in September 2005 after the shooting of a Black woman, Dorothy Cherry Grace and several other black people shooting, it was gentrification and provoking violent reactions in the community.

In 1999 Brixton was the victim of a bombing after neo Nazi D.Copeland but a bomb near Iceland , Electric Avenue.

Brixton is sometimes considered as a dangerous place. In the mid 90’s Brixton was one of the most dangerous place in Britain with Coldharbour lane holding the statistics of three shootings per week.
But for me it is all consequential as everyone chooses where and when to be in certain places. Locals describe Brixton as a very open minded area.
It has acquired, with time, a respect from all the Londoners for the African- Caribbean culture.


What can you see when you visit Brixton:
Market stalls: Fresh meat, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables, many products and food from the Caribbean, African countries and South American countries like plantain, yum (yuca), different soft drinks and savoury snacks.
Music stalls: reggae and gospel
Textile and fabric shop, as well as cloths stands a lot of them of African fabrics)
Beauty suppliers shop: wigs, shampoo, hair extension, nails…

The main attraction in Brixton is the market but there is also Brockwell Park close by with the Lido and many sport facilities; It is huge and very close to the centre of Brixton. Brixton night life is also famous with the Brixton Academy and Fridge.

As said before, Brixton is reputed to be an Afro-Caribbean area but there are also people from South America ( Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador) and some people from India that works in the Fabric and beauty suppliers shops and there are also many students and European people as it is a cheap area to live and it has a great atmosphere and is very well located.

What I personally liked about Brixton is the relaxed and outgoing atmosphere, the reggae music in the street, the bargains, the action on the street there are many things to see and look at.