time to talk (Unearthing Project / Tate Exchange)

Here they are, images of the pilot event of Unearthing at Tate Modern on January 25^th, a collaboration between myself and The People’s Bureau in partnership with Tate Modern and Stave Hill Ecological Park.

Strangers holding hands while plaster, then dental alginate - safer apparently, health and safety gone mad if you ask me! - is poured into them. For the time it took for the plaster/alginate to set, these couples were committed to each other and engaged in conversation, prompted by short text read to them addressing issues around regeneration and foundation of the city. The cast were kept as mementoes of these conversations, together with notes written by the participants in response to the converstaions and activity.

time to talk

A few photos taken when Eva Sajovic and Corinne Silva paid me a visit in my old studio in New Cross, wanting help with casting Jaffa oranges for a project they are working on in Jordan. While the moulds were setting, Eva and I joined and cupped our hands for Corinne to pour plaster in. 

The plaster started to set and heat up while we stood still and faced each other. When it started cooling was an indicator it was set and we released our hands.

During the time it took for this to happen, roughly 15minutes, we discussed the possibility doing this as an activity for the pilot event at Tate Exchange of Unearthing, a collaborative project between The People’s Bureau and me. Strangers would commit to holding hands while waiting for the mould to set, prompting conversations that would be recorded. Off now to find the images of the actual event...