Output details

'Angelica'

‘Angelica’ examines what occurs when a structure is re-framed or displaced. It builds on long-term preoccupations: Theatre, narrative, scenes, sets, and vantage point – through sculpture, installation and film.

The project involves primary source research at the Museo Internazionale di Marionettes Antonio Pasqualino, Palermo, whose archival holdings range from the historical to contemporary, including rare C17 puppets and related source materials. The subject of the film-installation is Angelica, the sole female figure within Boiardo’s epic 15th century canto, Orlando Innamorato. Historically silent and passive, here she is given both voice and vision within a creative contemporary re-framing, the starting point of which was a comprehensive reading of these traditional Italian tales. Previous work was undertaken at MIMAP to produce The palace of Raw Dreams, a film installation using mini-HD cameras to capture theatrical performances from the perspective of the puppets. This work was commissioned by Canary Wharf and received over 58000 visitors.

Building on MIMAP’s history of artist collaboration, I worked closely with Sicilian puppeteers and two of the museum’s curators. Combining the sculptural and the filmic, the project proposes a new paradigm for perspective; one that simultaneously conflates and deconstructs audience, participant, and performer. Underlying elements of the film will be used to generate a sculptural structure built in situ (MIMAP) to house the projection.

‘Angelica’ was exhibited at MIMAP October, 2013, accompanied by a public programme and a publication about the work, including commissioned essays and high-quality print and design. The film was also screened in discussion at ‘Arte e Antropologica’, Quai Branly, Paris, November 2013 and an article about the research will be published in their magazine.

The output is presented via portfolio, which should be viewed in order to gain a proper understanding of the research.