29 January 2008
29 January to 3 February
Winter Garden, Eastbourne
Towner Offsite is pleased to present a new installation by artist Helen Maurer.
Set Dance has been made in response to the Winter Garden, drawing on the varying activities that have taken place there. From its original use as both a roller-skating rink and a winter garden it has gone on to host dances; flower shows; conferences and theatrical productions.
After visiting the space, Maurer recognised that certain themes seemed to overlap and that the theme of rotation was present in several forms, the ‘turn around’ of events; roller-skating and ballroom dancing, flowers from button-holes, flower shows and its use as a garden.
Maurer states, ‘I wanted to use things connected to the space for the show, I started to wonder what would happen if items left over from different events were to come together during this time, for example how an overhead projector from a conference might interact with a mirror from backstage.’
Set Dance combines these objects; a mirror rotates in the centre of the ballroom reflecting light. A reflection passes though transparent flowers that cast slow moving shadows across screens. A single flower becomes a pair in the reflected light; they appear to dance together as they travel around the space.
In the entrance hall, compact mirrors are placed on revolving occasional tables, projecting an image onto the ceiling. The objects dance to an original looped music score made from found objects, combining the sounds of a broken music box, singing glasses and field recordings.
The props used have been brought from second hand shops to reinforce the idea of rotation, things coming together in a space for the period of the show and then leaving again to be part of a new life elsewhere. Maurer sees this time as a chance for the building to rest from its usual activities as though asleep with fragments of past events floating in and out.
Set Dance is the first of four projects which make up Towner Offsite, a series of artist interventions across Eastbourne town centre, celebrating the lead up to the opening of The Towner’s new home, Summer 2008.
The opening times for the Installation from 29 January to 3 Feb 2008 are:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: 12pm – 5pm
Admission Free
