‘the width of your arms unfolded’

Athanasios Argianas sculpture is a work where the physical object is integral to the sung performance. I caught the performance from above and from the balcony of the Barbican Exhibition Halls I had the added advantage of being able to enjoy the shadows drawn by this delicate and sophisticated metal construction and its performers. Later on closer inspection I found that loosely draped over and part of this sculpture was a long chain of flattened gold links, engraved with a poem titled: ‘The length of a Stand of Your Hair, of the Width of Your Arms Unfolded’, the lyrics of which were sung and performed.

Does one ever consider what might be the width of one’s collarbone or the with of one’s shoelace, or a sheet of the wingspan of a plane? I was delighted to be able to follow this performance and read the lyrics on the printed sheet available to visitors. For more about Athanasios Argianas work: http://tetraktysmag.com/2011/02/athanasios-argianas-of-the-length-of-your-arms-unfolded/is

This work can be experienced until 22. May at The Barbican Exhibition featuring Pioneers of the Downtown Scene in 1970 Gordon Matta Clark Laurie Anderson and Trisha Brown. Check out the Program of Events.

I am adding some of the lyric’s by Athanasios Argianas here:

Clockshower Gordon Matta-Clark

Clockshower Gordon Matta-Clark
1973, 13.50 min. color, silent 16mm film on video
In this film of one of his most daring performances , Matta-Clark climbed to the top of the Clocktower of a 13 storey building in New York and washed, shaved and brushed his teeth while suspended over the streets in front of the huge clockface.
Currently on show at the Barbican. www.barbican.org.uk is a great exhibition featuring Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown, Gordon Matta-Clark’s works. The three leading figures active in downtown Manhatten during the 1970 explored and developed new relationships to the urban environment. The exhibition includes live performances and I highly recommend to go and see it 3March-22May 2011.

Future of Beauty

Works by Miyake, Kawakubo and Yamamoto are presented alongside the next generation of Designers like Mintdesign , Jun Takahashi, and Junya Watanabe. I really enjoyed this well put together and informative show. On display are clothes expressing the stylistic expression and forms of Japan’s best designers over the last 30 years.