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