Immersive art pt.2 (a)
Watch | Bringing embodied ecology to environmental history
Well, hello Autumn! Summer feels decidedly over. Yet I am still reflecting on a solstice happening in the midst of heat waves last season, which was such a fascinating and intensive period of creative R&D that I still feel like I am only just coming up for air, not quite ready for Autumn but here she be, anyway!
In my last post I started to ponder on what qualities of ‘immersive art’ are important to my practice, concluding:
the best immersive experiences are not those that momentarily distract us from the real world, but somehow deepen our presence within it. Being honest about the space. Tuning into the body. Allowing room to breathe, reflect, slowly open to the experience.
In June, I had the opportunity to experiment with this through a live performance held at Orleans House Gallery, London, inspired by Melting Metropolis. Stand of the Sun explores our relationship to the Sun and furthered my integration of an embodied ecology framework into public engagement for Melting Metropolis researchers who are looking at urban heat islands in London, Paris, New York and Port of Spain.
I am really happy to now be able to share a behind-the-scenes documentary by Hannah Earl that covers the process of first making the sculpture My Body is a Sundial, and then, around solstice, inviting academics, creatives and public to bring the questions raised and held by the sculpture to life. I hope you enjoy, and wishing you all a cosy transition into Autumn!
B