Line 2014 – Sheffield - Topolcany
G.O.D. - Z.A.S. (Gain or Loss - Zisk Alebo Strata)
Being a stranger in an imagined foreign place/space was the conceptual starting point for Bloc artists David Jones, Susanne Palzer and Kirsteen Hardie. An interest that arose between the artists in dialogue was that of visualizing somewhere before you go there. The place you go to is of course always different to what you imagined, whether it be a hotel room or the streets of a town. But we are interested in the fantasy place inside our minds. This journey of process opens other related possibilities; virtual space, the possibility of different “adventure” scenarios and imagined characters, of the digital back into the physical and of the problems of communication. The title “Game of Doom” refers to the ever present problem of meaning being corrupted during the process of communication, and in the context of Regular Line 2014: translation; it is doomed.
David Jones has made paintings of unpopulated, seemingly virtual spaces with nothing between the sky and the horizon but walls and the gaps between them - a giant maze, they beckon the viewer to explore this terrain with their own imagination, hoping perhaps to meet other characters. At times this architectural landscape appears to have been abandoned and a new one started resulting in a pile up of mutating architectural forms. The walls that create possibilities also have the potential to block them. Gain or loss.
Susanne Palzer's journey of process took her from an imagined dialogue with a long lost Slovak pen friend (who she ironically lost touch with because of the fall of the Berlin wall) to creating a site specific installation that plays with the lexicon and format of adventure game language. Virtually travelling from the past to the present she records correspondence between the three artists regarding this project and draws on ground plans of Nastupiste 1-12. A feeling of loss may be heightened as Palzer then abstracts and translates all communication into pseudo code script and visual signs. But within the adventure game the code holds powerful dialogue capabilities. “Broken Tree” is an empty container for all possible scenarios of communication and encounters of cultural exchange.
Kirsteen Hardie explores the stereotype of Brits abroad in search of clubbing hedonism with “Typica;”. By using David and Susanne as actors in her performance and dressing them in uniforms which she has created via her fashion outlet Syd and Mallory, she situates her theme within the context of G.O.D.-Z.A.S. As a stereotype the “Brit abroad” works because it’s true often enough to be recognisable, but there are enough exceptions for it to be funny and, above all, provocative. “Brits abroad” is the ultimate “typical” construction: a caricature, a mannequin that challenges us to think about how we view ourselves – and others – whether we’re Brits (abroad) or not. “Typica;” promises fun, fashion and performance exploring the stereotype we all love to hate.
David Jones is a painter and sculptor based in Sheffield. His recent work explores a period from his 70’s childhood when he lived in Arabia; “The strangeness of arriving in a place that was still being built, the surreal expanses of concrete foundations for houses, shops, hospitals etc. that would one day form a town, huge billboards on roads next to a wasteland advertising airline companies with images of avian aggression in the logo, and trippy, neon flashing adverts for soft drinks on the TV with their analogue synth jingles that crudely anticipated the electronic dance music that would come years later.” David explores the subliminal effect of media on our cognition. In his work he alludes to billboards, logos and computer games and also refers to the "real" environmental elements of landscape and interior design and regards his work as a synthesis of an inner and outer world.
Susanne Palzer is a cross-disciplinary artist, researcher and performer based in Sheffield, UK. Her process-based work is analytical, often site-specific and incorporates her own individual work as well as collaborations with other artists and contributions to other artists’ projects. Her current practice is an investigation into the fusion of digital technology and physical performance. Since 2012 Susanne Palzer has been curating the performance events OPENPLATFORM/RAP(s)-TwT. in collaboration with media artist Jake Harries. She is a studio holder at Bloc Studios.
Kirsteen Hardie is a fashion design and fashion performance artist based in Sheffield, UK. Her work is humorous and simplistic. Kirsteen uses all disciplines to produce her garments, taking reference from art, film and trashy television. Her fun loving approach to fashion and garment production gives an original design in her boutique interiors as well as in her clothing brand, Syd & Mallory’s Emporium, Sheffield.
