Artists Statement - CoEXIST

Elise Darlow


Can the installation of a sculptural object be presented as a performative act? Can sculpture perform? Do the props used within performance take on object status when presented outside of their original context? 

In my studio practice I have been researching the disciplines of sculpture and performance respectively. By coming together with other artists to explore the seemingly incompatible emphasis on form and function, the richness of the investigation comes from mapping the territory between the two. 
For coexist, I present a series of items that attempt to address the questions outlined above. The status of these items, whether considered as props for performances or sculptural objects in their own right, remains undefined. By deliberately obscuring the purpose for which these items exist, the question of what happens when they attempt to coexist is raised. At set points during the exhibition these objects will be activated by myself and collaborating artist Lydia Heath. Every Saturday these objects will be used performatively to mark the journey between the two sites in various ways, as well as the journey the artist takes in the pursuit towards meaning.