Fair City is only UK date for art display
Video installation features beach and hammock
The fun of the beachhas been brought to Perth, with the opening of a new contemporary art exhibition.
‘Virtual Walls/Real Walls’ by Dutch video artist Madelon Hooykaas has been set up in Perth Concert Hall, and features a double hammock to watch the beach, and mountain scenes on a video screen.
The exhibition, which is Madelon’s first solo UK art piece, opened in the Gannochy auditorium on Monday, May 14.
The opening day preview included an exclusive live performance by Madelon, and a panel discussion with Horsecross Arts’ interim chief executive Mike Griffiths by candlelight. There was also a selection of her latest films on the big cinema screen, introduced by the exhibition’s co-curators Laura Leuzzi and Iliyana Nedkova.
Landscape and nature, as well as water and light, memory, mindfulness, loss and abstraction are some of the themes Madelon explores in her installation.
Co-curator Laura said: “We met Madelon Hooykaas and hosted her first exploratory visit of Perth in the sweltering summer of 2017. It was the summer when the ‘tourism-phobia’ was sweeping across some of the most popular European destinations, including Venice, Amsterdam and Barcelona.
“We felt that this attempt, through contemporary art, to stimulate the public debate that aggressively polarises residents and tourists, was mostly needed.”
The launch this week also sees the publication of the latest edition of “Read More”, Horsecross Arts’ online journal for critical writing. The journal features two new essays on Madelon’s work and research into the city walls of Perth by artist Tabitha McKechnie.
Iliyana, who is also creative director for contemporary art at the concert hall, explained: “Perth was once the most fortified city in Scotland and, in fact, the only remaining section of the old Perth city wall is believed to sit on Albert Close,just across the street from Perth Concert Hall.
“This was one of the curatorial imperatives for us to bring Madelon Hooykaas’ live performance “Virtual Walls/Real Walls” to Perth as the only UK destination following its successful tour to Venice, Amsterdam and Berlin.”
The film exhibition will be on at Perth Concert Hall’s Threshold artspace until Thursday, July 26. During its time in the Fair City, a number of guided curators’ tours and talks over coffee and croissants will also be held on selected Wednesdays at 11.30am or 5pm.
Iliyana Nedkova and Laura Leuzzi pose in the hammock