Do Buildings Have Memories? A six day durational piece at the De La Warr Pavilion with performances at 3.30pm and 7.30pm 28 September 2013. Clare Whistler Joanna Lawrence violin stillwhistler.wordpress.com www.clarewhistler.co.uk
I created many performances at the De La Warr Pavilion between 1997 and 2001 including On Fragile Stairs, Ariel Songs, Beautiful Cassandra, How to make the Water Sound, Stone, Mermaids, and Seachange. Thinking about the DLWP. I realised I was overwhelmed with memories, so my premise became, do buildings have memories? I asked collaborators who shared experiences there, to send me one ‘direction’ each. Each day I have been following these making movement, writing, having conversations, taking photographs and responding to the building. CW
Collaborators Caroline Collier: General Manager DLWP De La Warr Pavilion 1995–1999 Katie Tearle, Soprano: On Fragile Stairs, Seachange, Ariel Songs, Beautiful Cassandra, Mermaids Deirdre Gribbin, Composer: On Fragile Stairs, How to make the Water Sound, Stone Rowan Moore, Architecture Writer: Lecture and performance Victoria Rance, artist: Seachange, Bucolic Richard Davies, Photographer: On Fragile Stairs, Mermaids, Stone Jonathan Dove, Composer: Ariel Songs, Beautiful Cassandra Tamsin Currey, Designer: How to Make the Water Sound, Mermaids,
Directions Enter the building by the main entrance, turn left and walk up the stairs until you reach landing. Look out of all aspects of this window, that I think has no sea views, facing north (?) and think of the architect, exiled, and in Bexhill. Film this.
Walk down the stairs and remember the beauty of ‘On Fragile Stairs’ and perform three movements: Surprise Wistful Sitting Quickly ascending again
Close your eyes walk. From a cat bent over position walk towards the stairs stop continue stop longer continue stop longest (10 seconds) go up stairs to first spiral turn look back slowly 3 times. Open eyes on 3rd look then continue with eyes opened
Katie Tearle Caroline Collier
Deirdre Gribbin
Start at the top of the big stair and look out to sea. Descend the stair and leave the building, heading towards the beach Go as far as you can towards the sea, or into it, turn and look at the building, focusing on the stair where you started Consider the difference between the view of the sea with which you started and the view of the building with which you finished Rowan Moore
Before the day find a chalk pebble with a round hole in it about 1 inch across and hide it in the building. At 18.30 in the evening of 28th September run and retrieve it then go out onto the balcony where the cafe is, stand, face the sun, hold up the stone and calmly watch the sunset through it. You can take no photographs of the sun setting through it. If it is raining or cloudy still do it looking towards where the sun is setting. Careful with your eyes if it’s bright sunshine, blur them, or look through carefully with eyes half shut. You can stop at 18.45. Hide the pebble again. Victoria Rance
Do Buildings Have Memories? I would like you to walk to the beach searching for and picking up 10 flat pebbles as you go – when you reach the seashore I would like you to bounce the pebbles over the sea in the direction of France - if you make the pebbles bounce in total 25 times buy yourself and eat an ice cream or a stick of rock (whichever you prefer) - if not console yourself with a cup of tea (I will reimburse you at a later date). best Richard Davies
Facing North, perform your favourite movement from The Beautifull Cassandra (BC). Moving any distance south, and facing South, perform your favourite movement from The Walking Woman (not sure if that's what you called the piece – I called the music Vocalise for the Walking Woman – Katie sang it on the staircase) (VWW). Moving any distance east, and facing East, perform your favourite movement from Ariel (A). Moving any distance west, and facing West...... BC Moving etc North: A S: VWW E: BC W: A N: VWW S: BC E: A W: V
A six day durational piece at the De La Warr Pavilion with performances at 3.30pm and 7.30pm 28 September 2013. Clare Whistler
Jonathan Dove Tamsin Currey