Gallery44's 'In The Living Room' Blurs Artist-Audience Boundaries
In Primrose Hill, London, Gallery44 presented 'In The Living Room,' a collaborative performance by artists Betty C Fan and Hannah Dowling. The event unfolded in three segments: a cozy dinner featuring fragments written by guests, a movement through the gallery and garden accompanied by Fan’s sculptural instruments and Dowling’s live writing, and a sharing of collective experiences. The audience's involvement was pivotal, dissolving the lines between artists and spectators. Designed specifically for the intimate atmosphere of Gallery44, the project underscores its dedication to personal interactions. Fan and Dowling, who first connected at the Royal College of Art, nurtured their partnership through discussions in local pubs and the poetry group Prose Party, with improvisation at the performance's core.
Key facts
- Gallery44 is located in a restored Primrose Hill townhouse in London.
- The performance 'In The Living Room' was conceived by Betty C Fan and Hannah Dowling.
- The event included a dinner where guests wrote down words and reflections that became part of the artwork.
- Fan builds sculptural instruments by hand that produce resonant acoustic soundscapes.
- Dowling responds through live writing and poetry during the performance.
- The collaboration began through conversations at a local pub and their joint membership in the poetry collective Prose Party.
- Fan and Dowling met at the Royal College of Art but became friends after graduating.
- Gallerist Jino Murad first encountered an earlier iteration of the performance and was moved by it.
- Audience contributions were displayed in the gallery alongside Fan's sculptures and Dowling's framed writings.
- The performance is designed to resist reduction to an image or recording, emphasizing live presence.
Entities
Artists
- Betty C Fan
- Hannah Dowling
- Jino Murad
Institutions
- Gallery44
- Royal College of Art
- Prose Party
- Whitewall
Locations
- Primrose Hill
- London
- United Kingdom