Today was the last day of residency in Wigan; the private view was very busy which was surprising for us since we didn’t really expect a huge amount but perhaps when there aren’t many organisations with things of this nature going on anyone who is even remotely interested comes through. As always, fun to hear what people thought of the work and to talk it over with people who come to it with a slightly different historical, political, cultural backgrounds; fresh perspectives for all. One of the sand castles did get a foot through it, not something we were at all surprised or upset about, but something we would’ve like to see! Generally, it was a great experience and something that we would love to be able to do again. Photos should be up shortly and below is a little piece of writing we knocked up for the press release.
An abandoned radio murmurs from the corner of the room, scattering hushed conversation into the space. Several voices can be heard all discussing the same court case in a post-match-analysis style, similar to what one would usually hear after a football game. This is one of the subtle interventions acting as a vessel to tell (and/or retell) a story, all collectively fitting into an overarching narrative where fictions and realities collide, attempting to explore The Old Courts and Wigan as a whole. In the same room, carpeting the floor, are 63 sandcastles representing recommended pubs and bars. Sand being employed here to reflect the unique properties which contribute to something that on the outside may appear uniform. Distributed around the building there can be found various mementos of a 2007 gig by a band by the name of ‘The Left Book Club’, a title inspired by the publisher of George Orwell’s Road to Wigan Pier. The left over posters and CDs act as a memory, objects made for an event in the future but now exist in the past. In the same vein as The Old Courts specialising in tribute bands, this fabricated ephemerae acknowledges all which have come before it. It’s about thinking about the idea of disclosure, and giving the spectator space to imagine their own thing, rather than giving them everything on a silver plate.
We also made the spontaneous decision to make a film when we destroyed the sandcastles. We each took turns to destroy a castle in a different way, making it appear like some sort of game was taking place, but the rules never really becoming clear.
