Yu-Chen Wang presents a site-specific installation in respond to the Victoria Baths' history and its current architectural space. The project is based on the fictional story of Yu-Chen's new experiment of creating "A Last Drop" in order to re-fill the pool at Victoria Baths and ensure that the water will never dry up again.
The artist uses a story written by Bob Dickinson to contextualise the multi-layered visual narratives presented in a series of drawings, sculptures and a newly produced film work. This is in conjunction with her current residency at Chinese Arts Centre, as well as a 20-minute performance in collaboration with a Manchester-based theatre actress, filmmakers and artists which spans across both venues.
Limited edition hand-made publications are given out to the public. The performance is recorded by the members of MMU Media Lab and made into a 15-mins short film in collaboration with Bert Hunger and Simon Coleman. The film's premiere is at Cornerhouse in October 2011.
Yu-Chen Wang is interested in exploring the potential of assemblage and reinvention to construct a visual narrative that intertwines her drawings and objects, live acts, interior space of the residency studio and unique architectural features of Victoria Baths. The film features the character of the artist performed by an actress, stories about British industrial history told by storytellers and The Song of The Machines sung by a choir. In contrast to static artworks in the studio and the stillness of immense empty Baths, these performative movements function as temporal sculptures that animate the installation and both architectural spaces. |