WATCHING A STRANGE THEATRE: OLD TIDEMILL GARDEN / 6 MAY 2017
OLD TIDEMILL GARDEN, LONDON
Watching a Strange Theatre was a video and sculpture installation that transferred some of the features of the remarkable place of the Old Tidemill Garden – a unique, collaboratively run community space in Deptford – into the vitrine-like gallery space of Deptford X Gallery.
The garden had become a principal theatre of vegetal appreciation, a thriving habitat for wildlife and human activities through its peculiar magic of tranquillity. A livestream from the Old Tidemill Garden was set up in the Deptford X Gallery which gave visitors the chance to see its active life in real time, granting the ability to observe while staying unnoticed. The images were screened throughout the night when the nocturnal wildlife comes into its own, the theatre playing host to unchoreographed activity. At the time of the exhition Deptford's wildlife haven had turned from a stage for natural processes like bloom and harvest, death and rebirth, into a scene of another existential drama regarding the garden's uncertain future; threatened as it was by a planned property development.
OLD TIDEMILL GARDEN, LONDON
Watching a Strange Theatre was a video and sculpture installation that transferred some of the features of the remarkable place of the Old Tidemill Garden – a unique, collaboratively run community space in Deptford – into the vitrine-like gallery space of Deptford X Gallery.
The garden had become a principal theatre of vegetal appreciation, a thriving habitat for wildlife and human activities through its peculiar magic of tranquillity. A livestream from the Old Tidemill Garden was set up in the Deptford X Gallery which gave visitors the chance to see its active life in real time, granting the ability to observe while staying unnoticed. The images were screened throughout the night when the nocturnal wildlife comes into its own, the theatre playing host to unchoreographed activity. At the time of the exhition Deptford's wildlife haven had turned from a stage for natural processes like bloom and harvest, death and rebirth, into a scene of another existential drama regarding the garden's uncertain future; threatened as it was by a planned property development.
Lucie and Karolina were the recipients of the 2016 Deptford X Fringe award, in which they were chosen from around 80 projects to present a show in the Deptford X Gallery in spring 2017.
Sadly, since the exhibition and performance took place, and despite fierce opposition from the local community, the property development was granted permission to proceed and the community garden was demolished in 2019.
The open air festival in the Old Tidemill Garden hosted live performances by
Karolina Mikeskova & Lucie Kordacova,
Business Dudes,
Au bout l'eau,
Deptford Cinema and
food provided by Deptford People Project.
Curated by Karolina Mikeskova and Lucie Kordacova
Image by Lucie Kordacova
More about the garden: https://www.facebook.com/oldtidemillgarden/
