ABC Cinema - Biennial

I have walked past this building on the corner for the past two years of living in Liverpool and never knew what was inside. I didn't know it was an old cinema that has been closed for years. ABC Cinema is a Grade II listed building in Art Deco style, opposite Lime Street. It first opened for the public in 1931. The last film shown there was in 1998, showing Casablanca.

ABC Cinema from outside

For the Biennial the ABC Cinema is open to the public, to see some of the work produced by artists that are exhibiting there. As mentioned in my previous post this year's Biennial is spaced over 22 venues holding around 42 artists ranging in disciplines, mediums and practices. The venues are ranging from polished gallery spaces to abandoned and unused buildings, public spaces and museums. So when i heard that some spaces that they used this year are abandoned and unused i was intrigued how the artists have engaged with such a unique space and i couldn't wait to see the space itself too.

As i entered into the space i was a bit disorientated due it being quite dark and badly lit to see my surroundings. I needed time for my eyes to adjust to the lighting and take in everything around me. It was a really different experience from a white cube gallery space. I didn't know where to look and how to behave in the space. The space itself was so beautiful and atmospheric that at some point i didn't look at the artwork in it but the beautiful characteristics of the space, such as the uneven flooring, the cold underground feel and the look of the space that has been frozen in time.

I moved around the space trying to figure out where the work is as the sculptures have blended really well to the surroundings. Suddenly a video started playing on the other side where the stage was. There was a stage on which i could see a big screen and a video playing. There were seats in front of the screen randomly spaced out and different from each other which i found was a nice touch. the seats were worn and old and really went well with the surroundings. The video itself was mostly coloured in purple, blue and pink. Tinted to create an atmosphere. There were figures in the video, acting and telling us some kind of a story. The artists collaborative work reflects on cinema history, philosophy and technological evolution. The video recounts a history of technology in reverse.

Exhibition view at ABC Cinema, Liverpool Biennial 2016. Photo: Jerry Hardman-Jones

The video piece was by Fabien Giraud and Raphaël Siboni. The video was called The Unmanned - 1922 - The Uncomputable, Season 1, Episode 4, 26 mins, 2014 (excert 7 mins).

Fabien Giraud and Raphaël Siboni, The Unmanned (1922 – The Uncomputable) (film still), 2016. Courtesy the artists

"The Unmanned includes an account of the Earth’s dismantling in 7242, the discovery of California by conquistadors in 1542, and, in 2045, the moment at which machine intelligence overtakes human intelligence. The most recent episode, 1922 – The Uncomputable, which reflects on Lewis Fry Richardson’s attempt to build a huge weather-forecast factory, has been commissioned for this year’s Biennial as part of the Flashback episode." - link

What i found the most interesting about this piece of work is its positioning in relation to the theme of the video and its surroundings. In that particular space on the stage. Having a screen on stage where history meets technology, past meets present. I like the collision of old and new and it is the perfect space for this particular video which focuses on technological evolution. The old historic cinema adds to the video and does not take away, they are balancing each other well in the space and work together to deliver information. If this same video would have been shown in a plain white cube it would have been more boring from my point of view and less interactive with the space and the audience which in my opinion is important. It would not have the same relationship with the space.

Another thing that i have notice in the space is the interaction between the artworks. When the video is playing the other artworks are not seen as they are in the dark and attention is on the video, when the video isn't playing the sculptures and the rest of the pieces are visible. They allow each other to breathe in the space and interact in the space in their own way.

Definitely a space to check out. Historic and beautiful with interesting art!

~ Ev