Jeni Walwin and Tammy Bedford who curate and produce WOMAD’s World of Art have commissioned a new piece of work from artist Neville Gabie. Gabie, the artist in residence at the Olympic Park from 2010-12, will be producing a unique and thought-provoking artwork called Experiments in Black and White at the festival.
The 3-part work for the festival is an exploration of four fundamental aspects of the natural world - ice, chalk, oil and air.
There will be five short films, one recently completed for this commission - all featuring the artist as a performer working with ice, chalk and oil in arduous, physical conditions which will heighten awareness of these vital natural elements.
Secondly there will be a live performance drawing where the artist will attach a large chalk boulder to a rope to create a linear drawing along the tarmac road that runs through the site. (at 11am to 12 noon - Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
Over the three and a half days of the festival 1,111 festival goers will be invited to fill a bag with their own breath. Participants will be asked to write their postal address and to suggest where this 'collective breath' might be released. It is a reminder that the invisible atmosphere and its ability to maintain health is as valuable as the very visible natural resources we consume. (at 10am to 7pm - Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
After the festival Neville Gabie will travel to one of the suggested locations, attach the pressurised vessel to a large, purpose-built sound instrument, release the air, and record the sound and action on film. Postcards with a photographic record of the event and a link to the website where the sound can be heard will then be posted to all contributors.
In addition there will be a variety of talks over the festival weekend programmed in conjunction with the University of Bristol Cabot Institute - a multidisciplinary research institute about living with environmental uncertainty.
For more information on Experiments in Black and White go to http://womad.co.uk/world-of-art
