“NAVIGATING THE PUBLIC SPACE: ANTICIPATION, PROCESS & PRESENCE” 2015
As part of her residency Leah’s performance project ‘Navigating The Public Space’ 2015, took place in three different locations forming a triangle around the Talbot gallery, in doing so bringing art into the public space.
Part 1: Anticipation, Connolly Station, 11:00am – 11:30am, 20 February 2015 Facebook event page
Part 2: Process, Eileen McLoughlin Park – 11:00am, 10 April 2015 Facebook event page
Part 3: Presence, Store Street – 11:00am, 9 May 2015 Facebook event page
Viewers were invited to engage with the performances ongoing conversation during 2015.
The performance series was in collaboration with three contemporary Irish performance artists Amanda Coogan, Dominic Thorpe and Ciara McKeon, who mentored and worked with Leah exploring the theme of negotiating a public space. Each performance was choreographed to respond to the space and is realised through specific materials and actions. The project recognised the sense of division felt within our society, an aspect mirrored by the separation felt between performer and viewer. Leah’s work aimed to bridge the gap between the two through creating a relationship with the audience. The diverse and multi cultural location of Dublin 1 added to the development of Leah’s previous performances, as she reached out and embraced a new audience.
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The nature of performance art is ephemeral, no two performances are the same, the outcome and the audience’s reaction is uncertain in this sense the artist is exposed and vulnerable. This sense of anticipation was tackled by Leah in her first performance of the series, ‘Navigating the public space: Anticipation’ (mentored by Amanda Coogan). The performances took place on Friday the 20th of February 2015 in Connolly Station. This performance responded to the anticipation that both performer and commuter experience while being in a waiting state.
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The Second Performance of the series, Navigating The Public Space: ‘Process’ Took place at 11am on Friday the 10th of April 2015, in Liberty Park Dublin 1 (Next to Lab Gallery). This performance was informed through discussion with Dominic Thorpe. A series of actions were used to formulate a process that would help the performer deal with anxiety, at the same time the chalk material was transformed from the first performance into an object that would be used in the final performance.
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The third and final performance ‘Presence’, which was informed through discussions with Ciara McKeon, was performed on the 29th of May 2015 outside Store Street Garda Station, Dublin 1. Leah used the curtain, the public space and chalk to create a piece that dealt with the power of presence and the passing on of responsibility. The object, thats’ contents was formed in Connolly Station and moulded in the Eileen McLouglin Park was transformed into a tool that allows the public to take ownership of it. This performance referenced the passing on of the responsibility of art making outside of the gallery.
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Leah Smith 