Shenanigans Bar 'Altered Image'

29/03/17

As a group who have been close throughout the year we decided to have a show somewhere outside of university. Lauren McCullough proposed that we should show at her bar where she works as a barmaid. It is an Irish pub called Shenanigans, a quirky little place full of character. I particularly enjoyed the walls that were covered in newspaper from different years, possibly yellowed over time when smoking was still allowed inside. Also the place was covered in framed old photographs, posters and covers. I absolutely loved the atmosphere there. Behind the bar there was even a door to the cellar, a small hole in the floor right where staff were walking to get the drinks, they had to jump over the hole to get to the other side. It's quite funny! 

Newspaper as wallpaper

The team

Osian Fletcher setting up his piece

Peri Simonsen setting up

Around the time of thinking what I might show in the pub I was still exploring ideas for the ballroom I visited and the documentations I have created. The experience in the ballroom had an effect on my decision of what I have shown in the pub. The Reece's ballroom itself had a pub so I decided to make a link between spaces by altering music in the pub. Changing the music to 60s music, mainly ballroom music. I wanted to alter the atmosphere in the space, change the mood and see how people react. A small alteration in space. Another link I made between the two places is the newspaper used on the walls of the pub and the old 1961 newspaper I have found in the ballroom. It felt right to bring my experience of the ballroom and my findings into this space.

On the day as a group we spent at least 6 hours in the pub, feeling its atmosphere and discussing what might go where. Overall there were 2 video pieces, poster coasters, print, 2 performances, altered music, stickers, installation piece. When people started to arrive I enjoyed how the atmosphere was relaxed, it was a pub first and a show second. I really liked how it was in real life rather than a gallery. Everybody had drinks and enjoyed themselves. People who knew there was a show were searching for it as there were so much on the walls, especially framed photographs, little quirky bits and bobs. It was hard to find our work in some places, however I think that made it even better, because the existing collection of different things became part of the show. It means our work has dissolved in the everyday of the pub, breathing and growing in it as one. 

I couldn't help but create a small recording of the pub, here it is:

At the end of the video you can see I begin to move to the music, whilst holding the camera, creating an interesting experience of the place for the viewer through the screen. An interesting documentation. If the sprung floor in Reece's Ballroom was still up, I would have created something with this in mind. Maybe documented the space by asking a ballroom dancer to dance with the camera attached, capturing the beauty of the ballroom around. 

~ Ev