Reece's Ballroom Visit: traces of time and people

17/03/17

I have finally visited the site! After all these months I have finally had an opportunity to visit the ballroom. I had no particular plans of what I might do whilst there, I just wanted to visit the space and see the traces of history and time in it, whilst it is in early stages of development and not a lot has been removed or changed. 

On the day I met one of the builders who have shown me round the site. I had to wear protective boots and helmet and sign health and safety form to visit the place. I have been following the site from November, from researching the history of the building, to talking to architect and getting some plans sent to me of how the space will look like at the end of completion. 

The ballroom was on third floor, however the special sprung floor which was especially made for dancing was already removed. However, I have found one page of newspaper dated back to 1961 which was amazing. 

Removed sprung floor

Found newspaper page from 1961

Found newspaper page from 1961

The newspaper was all in holes and has yellowed over time. It was an amazing find. It has been lying there since that time, untouched in this abandoned space. The feeling of the space was as though everything was frozen in time. In some places you could also see the work that the builders started to do, such as slowly stripping the space clean. 

The whole visit was like a tour of findings made by the builders throughout them being there. I kept asking if anything interesting or strange has been found whilst working inside. Apparently what has been found by the builders were the names of people who built the building, found behind different materials. Also writings on different surfaces, which was a way to communicate between each other. 

Writing made by a builder who was helping
 to build the building from years back

What was very interesting to find for myself was that this way of communication between builders was still present to this day. When I was walking alongside a wall I saw that the builders currently at work also used communication through writing on the wall. 

Writings made by current builders

You could see traces of different people in the spaces, from different years. I felt as though I was on an archaeology mission searching for these traces whilst I could. There was so much information around me to take in. 

How much drinks were back then

I have always have been interested in traces of people in spaces, observing what is happening around me. Recently me and my friend Eryn Gross have experimented with this. At Zuhause, a gallery space in Liverpool, we have observed people and what was happening in the gallery and documented them through writing on stickers, sticking them in the space were we observed it. We have also logged in the time of the happening. Another experiment was to write our observations by text to each other. This triggered more questions to each other which led to more observations. Although throughout the time we looked distracted by looking at our phones, we were present and observed the smallest of details. We observed things such as movements, behaviours and position of people in space. This piece was called "Subtley". 

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In terms of creating a piece of work out of this experience, it might be interesting to focus on traces of people in space and see where it would lead me. Also I have been wanting to create an interesting experience in a space through writing on the wall. No verbal communication but only through writing. 

~Ev

  

The Last Bell

Our degree show will begin on the 25^th May 2017. This led me to explore the date more closely in terms of its importance around the world, and to see if I can create a piece of work not for the degree show but out of it, linking my work more closely to real life.

I found one interesting ceremony that I remember being part of when I was younger. In Russia and post-Soviet countries like Latvia, where I was born, there is a tradition that happens every year on the first day of school and on the last day of school. The first day of school is always the 1^st September. On the day everybody dresses smart and brings flowers to their teachers. Also on the day the youngest are led by the last years in line. Then a bell is rung by the first year to symbolize the beginning of the new school year.

This was my first day of school in Latvia 1st September 2002 at Rigas 71. Vidusskola.

The Last Bell (in Russian: Последний звонок) is a traditional ceremony celebration which is carried out just after all the studies are finished. The date usually falls on 25^th May. I began to look into the tradition and also the bell, whether it was a simple bell or a special bell that was used every year in both of the occasions. I began to think about the bell I began school with and whether it was still used to this day. I wondered if I could use this bell to create a small performative moment with. I became very intrigued in creating a piece for the degree show that is very close to real life and has some personal connection to myself. Creating the right situation and time for the simple piece to occur, joining past and present in one simple moment.

To find out more about the bell used for the ceremonies I rang the school to talk to a couple of teachers about it. I was very nervous to ring because I had to talk in Russian which I was scared might be rough in some places. However, it went great and I have found out information I needed. I have found out that the school has a collection of different bells given to them as gifts from different places. One of them was a bell with interesting engravings, given to the school as a gift from a Russian monastery. All the bells are hand held bells, unique with interesting history. As I really wanted to find the bell I started the studies with, they have promised to find out which one was used.

The idea that I have for the degree show, is on the day of the opening which will be 25^th May, to be in Latvia and ring the bell for 30 seconds, that was used when I started school. The art is in the moment, seen as simple but was created to fit the situation. The process of research, communicating with the school, flying there and anticipating the moment is also part of the art. It’s about feeling, journey and finalization in the form of this small gesture. It not only focuses on my learning journey from primary school to university, but also creates an interesting atmosphere and experience for people in the show, in a different place.

This is potentially a piece that joins the two spaces together, creating different atmospheres and feeling in space. Throughout the last year of study, I have been questioning gallery spaces as well as their connection to life outside of it. My dissertation also focused on the in-between of life and art. This peace consisting of an intense moment, I believe to be an outcome of this research I have done and the desire to bring my art closer to life.

I don’t want to create a piece of work that will exist in the degree show, I want to create a piece of work that exists in real life first, but has connection to the degree show as well. I am still unsure whether I will transmit the sound to the degree show at the time of ringing the bell, so the sound is present in the space. Or whether I have a sign in the degree show saying that at a particular time somewhere in Latvia a bell will be rung, so the people will know that it is happening but will not be able to hear it. Both ideas appeal to me, I will have to just experiment and see what works best. In terms of any visual information, I think it is not necessary. I feel the sound or the absence of the sound is enough, the work is in the moment.

~Ev