Taryn Simon to bring her seminal installation on mourning rites to London

Multidisciplinary artist Taryn Simon is set to bring her 2016 work, *An Occupation of Loss*, to London in April, an announcement made by the London-based arts organisation ArtAngel. This installation, originally showcased at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, involved professional mourners from approximately 30 countries performing their indigenous rituals of grief and lamentation. Many of these rites trace their origins back to pre-Christian and pre-Islamic eras. The original New York presentation featured nightly performances by these mourners within a series of 11 concrete towers, which were developed in collaboration with OMA. Simon's meticulous approach included documenting the extensive research, the process of securing appropriate visas for the performers to enter the United States, and the rehearsal phases. This comprehensive documentation was later compiled into a monograph published by Hatje Cantz the following year. The specifics of the upcoming London iteration are being kept largely under wraps to maintain an element of surprise for visitors. The chosen venue has been described only as 'a cavernous undiscovered space beneath Islington Green.' The artist has opted not to release exact details or architectural photographs prior to the opening. Instead of the OMA-designed towers, Simon is creating a new series of sculptures that will serve as enclosures for the mourners. These performers will come from 11 different countries, including Azerbaijan, China, Russia, and Venezuela. The scheduled recitations are expected to include Albanian laments, which are described as excavating 'uncried words,' Venezuelan rituals aimed at ensuring the soul's passage to the Milky Way, Greek laments that interweave narratives of life and the afterlife, and Yezidi performances recounting experiences of exile and displacement. Simon, who previously served as a Wallpaper* Guest Editor, explains that the project delves into 'the potential of this emotional space and vulnerability where individuals operate without artifice.' She expresses an interest in understanding 'the mechanics of it — even the ways it can be programmed or performed.' The artist further elaborates that the project examines 'how we mourn individually, nationally, globally – how organized religion, government or civic leadership guides and shapes mourning and how citizens are mobilized in those moments of loss.' The London performance signifies a form of homecoming for the project, as its genesis lies in a conversation between Simon and ArtAngel co-director Michael Morris in London six years prior. Morris highlights that 'the enactment of mourning in this ambitious new work for London sees Simon turn a found site into a sonic instrument for the performance of grief, measuring losses beyond language.' Given the current social and political climate in the United Kingdom, characterized by fracture and uncertainty, the themes of anxiety and catharsis explored in *An Occupation of Loss* are expected to resonate with contemporary audiences. *An Occupation of Loss* will be open to the public from 17 to 28 April, with the entrance located on Essex Road at the corner of Islington Green, London. Tickets for the installation are available through ArtAngel. #TarynSimon #ArtInstallation #MourningRites #LondonArt #ArtAngel #PerformanceArt #IslingtonGreen #CulturalPractices #Grief #TarynSimon #ArtInstallation #MourningRites #LondonArt #ArtAngel #PerformanceArt #IslingtonGreen #CulturalPractices #Grief

39 months ago

Read Full Article