Revolutions 06-09: Hold Your Ground, Vivid Projects
Date uploaded: May 8, 2013
Vivid Projects
Revolutions 06-09: Hold Your Ground
09 - 25 May (open Thu-Sat, 12-5pm)
Launch Fri 10th May, 6-8pm
Join artists Karen Mirza and Brad Butler on Friday 10 May, 6-8pm for the launch of Hold Your Ground, an exhibition and cultural presentation featuring a major new film by these Jarman Award 2012 nominees alongside songs, interviews and street art from artists, filmmakers and activists in Cairo.
Central to the exhibition is Mirza and Butler's Deep State, scripted in collaboration with author China Miéville. Deep State germinated from Mirza and Butler’s experiences in Cairo prior to the occupation of Tahrir Square, at a time when it seemed impossible to speak about resistance. The film presents a vivid montage of newly filmed and archive footage; the graphic images of police violence during recent street protests and historically momentous demonstrations contrasts with the fictional elements, shown from the perspective of a time traveler.
The riot language says: 'Hold your ground, Egyptian!' - China Miéville
Accompanying Deep State in the exhibition is a film document of performance by The Choir Project. Founded in May 2010 by artist and theatre director Salam Yousry the project invites members of the public with little or no background in music or performance arts to participate in weeklong workshops, during which lyrics are collectively written and turned into songs for public performance. The Choir is open to everyone and workshops have been held in Alexandria, Amman, Beirut, London, Munich, Berlin, Paris and Istanbul.
Deep State is closely informed by the revolutionary processes on going in Egypt, and by close collaboration with the Cairo media collective Mosireen. Both this film, and The Choir Project performance are framed by the voices of Egyptian citizens and activists and the art of the streets, captured from extensive grassroots research undertaken by Ruth Daniel for In Place of War. Through setting these many voices in close proximity, Hold Your Ground explores the language of resistance and re-thinks the act of protest as a cultural gesture owned by no one, and visible to all.
Hold Your Ground runs Thursday 09 - Saturday 25 May 2013. Opening hours are Thursday to Saturday, 12-5pm. Admission free.
EVENTS
Friday 10 May, 6-8pm - Launch Event
Friday 17 May, 6-8pm - Late Opening as part of Digbeth's first ART AFTER HOURS event featuring The Choir Project
Saturday 18 May, 2pm - Artist Talk with Karen Mirza & Brad Butler
This exhibition has been funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England with the support of The Choir Project and In Place of War (IPOW). IPOW is a project based within the University of Manchester that researches creativity in sites of armed conflict. All interview and visual materials for IPOW courtesy Ruth Daniel. The Choir Project presentation is commissioned from Director Salam Yousry for this exhibition.
Vivid Projects, 16 Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley St, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5RS.
