28/8/2015 0 Comments City MeditationThe following is an exert from a brief write-up on a project from last year that became a successful exhibition and a turning point in my practice and my appreciation for performance and sound "My most recent work was ‘City Meditation’ which stemmed from an interlocal collaborative project called #3CityLink and was exhibited in the Lanchester Gallery in the centre of Coventry. It was an important project for myself because I really pushed my practice to a new level. The piece began as 30 minutes daily meditation in the gallery window in an effort to create an indirect dialogue with the passers-by whilst opening my beliefs to the public and observing their reactions. It became a huge part of my practice, spreading awareness of minority Buddhist culture and the stereotypes and responses it gets from today’s society. This is a strong example of how my practice connects with people on a personal level and aims to impart knowledge and understanding on its viewer.
The final exhibit was a multi-disciplinary installation including projected video, written notes and sound via headphones with a 30 minute performance of myself meditating on opening night. I chose this combination because to an extent it engages everyone who passes as a performance tends to warrant more attention than an inanimate piece and evidences how personal this project was to myself and others with similar lifestyles. However, my work does not aim to shock or intimidate and so the headphones and notes were an open invitation to gain insight into my practice; further proving the way people respond differently to cultures they do not understand because (as seen on the video footage of my performance) some are much more open to these intuitions than others."
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Armed with little knowledge of what to expect but a polite (if uncertain), "Het spijt me. Ik sprek Engels.?" I hit the streets for a bit of photographic exploration. I soon realised this little Northern town is anything but dull with the bright colours of markets and fairground persuading me into the centre. An area signified by the intricate towers of impressive cathedrals that stand guard at each end, flanked by rows upon rows of bikes, a metal congregation gathered for the cathedral's long cancelled service.
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