| Type: | Exhibition | | Exhibition date: | 30/06/07 - 19/08/07 | | Description: | Continuing FACT’s commitment to commissioning outstanding new work in moving image and new media, London-
based artist Anna Lucas was commissioned to make three major new works for her solo exhibition, which are
presented here for the very first time.
Lucas’ distinct ability to transform seemingly unspectacular moments into those of epic profundity, combined with
her astute awareness of the politicality of film and video and use of carefully orchestrated soundscapes position her
as one of the most interesting artists working with moving image today.
The first of the new works commissioned for this exhibition, AtlanticBotanic, was filmed in London and became the
precursor to Kaff Mariam, shot in various parts of the Middle East, and Uña de Gato, filmed in Peru. This new body of
work explores the social, scientific and spiritual subcultures surrounding a number of exotic plants traded in Brixton
Markets, and traced back to their countries of origin. They are presented alongside Lucas’ oldest work in film San
Cristobal, shot in Barcelona in 1992.
In Gallery 1, Lucas’ juxtaposition of mesmerising landscapes is punctuated with subtle political inflections, the
occasional shot of a border fence, or the measuring of territory in the disputed West Bank in Kaff Mariam, for
instance. And even in the vast, remote locations of the desert and rainforest, small symbols of globalisation can still
be seen: a blue IKEA bag, carrying the possessions of a seventy year-old goat herder as she wanders through the
Sinai desert; an Amazonian guide wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Nestlé slogan; or a trademark McDonalds
logo on the back of a factory worker’s clothes as he bundles Uña de Gato bark in Pucallpa.
Filmed during a period of political unrest, increasing scientific discovery and ecological awareness, the works in
this exhibition present poignant reflections of the remedial potential of nature. While the US government and
pharmaceutical companies invest in the study of indigenous plant knowledge in environmentally sensitive areas
such as the Amazon rainforest, as botanic research is used to track climate change, and while Bedouins use plants
such as the Kaff Mariam to increase fertility, Lucas’ timely investigations highlight the hidden significance of local
knowledge against a backdrop of global concern.
| | Description Source: | FACT gallery guide. Text written by Karen Allen, Curator. | | Description Source Date: | 2007 |
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