Our degree show will
begin on the 25th 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 1st 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 25th 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 25th
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
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