16 mm, projection (looped) 2023
Duration 04:23
67 Laments is made in collaboration with the bird ringer and conservationist Brendan Shields during my residency at Hogchester Arts in West Dorset. At the time of filming, 67 birds were listed as endangered on the red list, in contrast to 36 listed in 1995 in the first report. Filming Brendan’s hands closely, the work documents a moment of prolonged contact between the human hand and different bird species during the ringing process. The piece reflects on the repeated movement of opening and closing the hand. As birds appear and disappear, the work offers space to consider the role the human hand plays in protecting, repairing, damaging and destroying what is close to it.
When editing I kept coming back to the loop, to this looping action of Brendan holding and letting go of the bird at the end of the ringing process.
When it loops and the bird appears again I’m reminded of magic shows where the magician makes something disappear and then reappear. After seeing many magic shows when I was young, I learnt to trust the magician to always bring that thing back. As I got older I learnt that some things disappear and don’t reappear, they go and stay gone.
Choreography and movement by Daisy May Kemp
2 screen digital projection
Duration 02:20 looped
67 Laments uses hand gestures to cast and enclose emptiness. The movements reflect and pause on 67 birds currently on the extinction list.
