Olivia Bellas's Blog

I can see you

05Jan12

Yesterday, I was at the Tate Britain and stunned by the architecture, felt like being in an oversized wedding cake. The artwork usually blurs into one conveyor belt of canvas for me but the ‘video at the end’ literally sucked me down the hall. – Mark Wallinger – Threshold to the Kingdom: a screen installation in a circular room and soothing music alongside. We see streams of people exiting the arrivals airport gate in slo mo. That vulnerable point when you expose yourself to a new audience – maybe you’re looking for someone that hasn’t yet arrived, maybe you’ve found them but you’re planning an escape.

This moment, when you think no one’s looking, or at least you can’t see anyone looking – scanning your raw emotions. I was recently part of the cast of You Me Bum Bum Train - a rollercoaster experience for the audience where you are thrown into random situations you likely have never experienced before. Every 3 mins, a new ‘passenger’ would come into our scene – my job was to shine a spotlight right in their face so they were blinded and couldn’t see the cast & crew that were standing a couple of metres away from them. In turn, we could see it all. The adrenalin, the need to perform, the fear, the sweating. This was no video, this was live and it made me feel a bit filthy. I think I liked it.
So I felt I was cheating all these zombie types, zapping something out of them eachtime but also I just couldn’t quite believe they couldn’t see me. I was about 12 when I went on an ID Parade at a police station to catch some crims – same thing there. So they really can’t see me behind this one way glass? It’s even more bizarre to be so close to someone whose done you wrong, see them twitching, wondering if they can feel your own eyes boring into them. (Video Identity Parades are now it). But at this point as in the YMBBT, they know they are being watched, it’s why they’re in that set up.

Then there’s the thrill of them not knowing you are watching at all, in a live context, you’re really close up, whilst you are able to jump in and see as much as possible. Ideally, they are just going about their business and don’t know you’re right there, looking…Behaviourally, there would be no change in them. I’ve imagined this for a few years and flipping in and out of this state reminds me of the ‘re-do’ in ep3 of Black Mirror. Glazed eyes and no drugs in sight.

Yes, this does all sound very voyeuristic and manipulative. Maybe it’s best to speak to the powers man in Misfits and go invisible – be done with it.

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Tags: black mirror, blinded, c4, id, identity parade, invisible, mark wallinger, misfits, passenger, powers, spotlight, tate, tate britain, thamesmead, threshold to the kingdom, video identity parades, ymbbt, you me bum bum train

December was about…

31Dec11

Gifts.

Thanks Mr Guppy for hanging out with us for 8 months.
Can’t believe you had to make a sharp exit on the last day of the year.
You are resting well in a front garden in Rotherhithe.

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Hand Jobs

12Dec11

I get repetitive strain injury from typing like a nutter for my work. I’m embarrassed about it and try and give my hands a rest now again.

But, I do not get the evil twinges from knitting. Or selling cheese down the market.

So these wintery months, I am once again stepping aside from Mrs MacBook and getting physical – taking on good old fashioned hand jobs. Setting up the market stalls, preparing samplers in the fresh air all day, talking to excited cheese lovers. And then I’ll pop home and get the 15 inch needles out, the chunky yarn and go for it like the clappers.

Yes, it does sound idealistic and yes I will be bored of this scenario come January.

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What does a Minister of Culture look like? Artochrat – A technical term

02Dec11

Last week, Peru and Brazil met to discuss and update their cultural cooperation agreement – ready for the big signing in March 2012.

I follow with interest as I believe I need to work in Rio for the Olympics 2016. Discussions around broadcasting more South American audiovisual material and highlighting historical and indigenous cultural collaborations are underway. What I was most struck by are the Ministers of Culture from these countries, both coming into government in the last few months.

The Peruvian Susana Baca - fighting racism as a primary objective and with a singing rather than a political history, has come under attack. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/30/peru-susana-baca-political-stage

The Brazilian Ana Maria Buarque de Hollanda - singer, actress, director of cultural institutions and producer of art works has replaced the much loved Gilberto Gil from Lula’s successful government (another musician turned politician).

Both women, both artists, both newbies, both going for it.

And in the UK we have Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport – Jeremy Hunt and Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries – Ed Vaizey.

Without even knowing much about them all, just looking at the websites shows a big contrast. And that’s how we make quick judgements these days, right? Noted: very different countries – very different people – and yes, it should all be about policies.

But maybe we’ve stepped into new territory – as with recently appointed technocrat European leaders. Is South America paving the way for the Artochrat?

Interested to see how the cultural agenda develops from one Olympic country to another. I’m following.

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November was about…

30Nov11

Art therapy. A round up of the great things I saw and are probably still on for a little while longer too:

London
Taryn Simons: A Living Man Declared Dead - at the Tate M beautifully catalogues the people she meets on her photographic travels. A video interview with her on the addictive Tate Shots.
“Twenty-four European rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859 for hunting purposes on an estate in Victoria. Within one hundred years the rabbit population exploded to half a billion. European rabbits have no natural predators in Australia. They compete with native wildlife, degrade land, and damage native plants and vegetation.”“Haigh’s chocolate Easter Bilby replaced Haigh’s Easter Bunny in 1993. Haigh’s stopped making chocolate bunnies and joined forces with the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia in an effort to counter the annual celebration of rabbits.”

Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall failed to impress which is surprising for a huge hovering strip of film. It’s all about laying around on the floor with everyone else though isn’t it? Eavesdropping on conversations and catching a few Z’s.

Thank you Gerhard Richter (Panorama), for making me realise what photo painting is. And the blur.

John Smith makes me laugh, makes me look and his current exhibition at PEER is a lovely soft entanglement of people and objects and a cheeky modern twist to the Girl Chewing Gum.

White Cube Bermondsey. My oh my. That is a spaceship of a gallery. Weirdly apple mac store it still has that exciting big space feeling. All staff were young, dressed in black, reading or whispering to eachother – I thought I was in an underground piece of theatre about to kick off.

Missed the Marilyn film at the Hackney Picture House because I was sucked into it’s 3rd floor bar. Move out of the way – Hackney Central has arrived.

Elsewhere
Ikon Gallery – Hello Birmingham! Nedko Solakov‘s wall writings are big and small and totally engrossing.

Nothing in the World but Youth – Turner Contemporary, Margate. Very fun and bursting with all things youth – a it too much, felt jam packeds and no space in between to wander BUT very impressed with Ron Mueck’s hyperreality sculptures.

GAME ON – Sao Paulo. I do believe this exhibition started it’s life at the Barbican. Video games to play at your hearts content. Heavy nostalgia.

And will finally make it to You me Bum Bum Train - as cast not audience. Gorilla costume packed and ready to go.

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Video Game Memories of a non Video Game Person

24Nov11

The GAME ON exhibition in Sao Paulo last week (previously at the Barbican) was a blast from the past. A 3 hour time limit to play as many of the games as you could, tracing games history on the consoles of the time and including the classics; pong, donky kong, pac man, lemmings, streetfighter, sonic. You know the score.

I reminisced over the things I had forgotten – wild joystick waving, tape loading, pressing all buttons at the same time to produce a crazy flying back flip kick that sent your opponent up in flames. A move that you could somehow never repeat.

I didn’t chose to grow up playing video games, my older brother had a heavy influence. And all my male cousins. But I did dip in and dipped out when I had the chance. So I’m not a ‘Girl Gamer‘ but I wonder if I did play video games these days, what would I go for? I’d like to think I’d be learning from a serious game or challenged by an interactive one - Heavy Rain?

But I realise I just belong with the world of Commodore 16‘s and Atari’s. Forever.
Grand Palais Gaming Exhibition is on NOW in Paris

Online Art of Gaming Short Films - brilliant.

LISTEN to VIDEO GAMES by Lana Del Rey – Joy Orbison remix

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