Paint, flowers, performance, fabric, film | In collaboration with Victoria Westerman
Salutations (2017) is an installation comprising two short films inspired by my time in Atina, Italy for the LUMEN residency, in particular, the natural surroundings and local legends. It was displayed at The Crypt Gallery in London as part of the LUMEN collective exhibition in January 2018.
Atina is said to have connections with the Roman god, Saturn. Exiled from Olympus by his son Jupiter, he fled to ancient Latium (modern-day Atina) where Janus, god of the sun, granted him refuge and gifted him part of the green and fertile land. Saturn taught the local rebellious tribes to build houses, cultivate the land and plant crops. They learned to live together as a civilised society and Saturn became known as the god of agriculture and fertility. The village's ancient coat of arms bears an image of Saturn as an old man with a sickle in his right hand and some sprigs of wheat in the left.
Two short, looped videos play simultaneously on adjacent walls. Each depicts a moving feminine form adorned with vibrant flowers amidst a woodland scene. In one film, a figure painted in yellow and orange performs a fast-paced, fiery 'yang' yoga sequence. The other shows a figure painted blue and purple performing a slow, meditative 'yin' yoga sequence. Both videos have the same natural backdrop, however, the former is in the daytime and the latter is at night. The rhythmic, repetitive dance explores the wild, cyclical aspects of both womanhood and the natural world, which are inherently exploited in a patriarchal 'civilised society'. Had Saturn been a woman, what would Atina be like today?
