VITRINE presents a new performance by British artist Tim Etchells for the first edition of Performance Exchange, a new dispersed platform for performance art in commercial galleries happening over 9–11 July 2021. Etchells new performance work 'Now That I Am Here I Am Ready To Leave' (2021) involves a single performer, a mobile speaker system and a microphone. The performer wheels their kit into place and circles around or within the audience, before announcing fragments of a speech into public space, different parts of the text going in different directions.
Etchells has described his approach as exploring contradictory aspects of language in playful and poetic ways. He is drawn both to the speed, clarity and vividness with which language communicates narrative, image and ideas, and at the same time to its amazing propensity to create a rich field of uncertainty and ambiguity.
'Now That I Am Here I Am Ready To Leave' is performed outside in the public square, with social-distancing between a gathered standing audience. As the piece develops the performer plays with their proximity to the ‘audience’, to surrounding architecture and infrastructure, and to movement within and around the public space. In this process the performance explores the idea of ’saying something in public’ (an announcement or personal statement) but also the matter of ‘looking for the right place to say something’ or ‘wanting to tell something to the whole world, passing the information in all possible directions…’
Performed by Seke Chimutengwende
Approximately 20 minutes
'Now That I Am Here I Am Ready To Leave' is presented on Bermondsey Square by VITRINE as part of Performance Exchange. Performance Exchange is a new dispersed platform for performance art in commercial galleries. Hosted in venues across London over a single weekend 9th-11th July 2021 each participating gallery will present a performance from an artist they represent. Alongside the presentation of the works themselves, Performance Exchange has worked with the artists and galleries in the programme to research and produce detailed digital documents that will highlight a direct link from the live work shown to its acquisition.
Further information here
VITRINE's presentation of 'Now That I Am Here I Am Ready To Leave' has further support from Team London Bridge.
Performance Exchange CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. Performance Exchange acquisition documents are made possible thanks to support from Art Fund. Performance Exchange public talks are kindly supported by Arts Council England.