Project Description
Helen Pynor and Peta Clancy exhibition, The Body Is A Big Place November 2011, with sound by Gail Priest, curated by Lanfranco Aceti, Vince Dziekan and Christiane Paul for OCR’s Media Exhibition Platform (MEP). The online presentation of the project was linked to its exhibition at Performance Space, Sydney from 3 – 26 November 2011 curated by Bec Dean. The work explores the notion of exchange in the context of organ transplantation, including the fluidity between bodily boundaries inherent to the organ transplantation process, the ambiguous boundary between life and death, and the complex and multilayered responses reported by organ transplant recipients. LEA audiences will have the opportunity to gain background insight into the development of the project during a series of research residencies, view video documentation of the associated performances at Performance Space (featuring the reanimation of a pair of fresh pig hearts) and participate in an online forum to discuss issues and ideas raised by the work.
The Body is a Big Place was orignally commissioned by Performance Space, who are supported by the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments. The work is the result of a two-year collaborative research project between artists Peta Clancy and Helen Pynor who for many years have independently explored the intersection of art and medical processes through various forms of photographic, sculptural and installation practices. Their independent and collaborative practices include exhibitions, residencies and commissions in Australia, Asia and Europe. Collaborators in the project include Gail Priest (sound artist) and Professor John Headrick and Dr Jason Peart (Heart Foundation Research Centre, Griffith University, Queensland).
