Prof. Michael Trapp and Dr Gen Doy tell us about their ‘King’s Artists’ project, and its connections with Modern Classicisms and The Classical Now exhibition…
“‘Layers & Echoes’, the King’s Artists project affiliated to Modern Classicisms, is now nearing conclusion. Over the last eleven months, the Strand Lane ‘Roman’ Bath has seen a spoof exhibition, audio installations, live song, experiments with water sounds, and ventures in well-dressing, all masterminded by Gen Doy to tease out the layers of association and historical fantasy that have built up around this supposed survival of Roman antiquity into the modern world.
A special highlight were the video and sound installations in the Bath last April (coinciding with The Classical Now exhibition, as well as the Festival of the Association for Art History). Under the titles Wholly Water and Mare Nostrum, Gen and collaborating artist Lynn Dennison opened up the acoustic and atmospheric properties of the space and its imaginative relationship to the enduring lure of the classical. ‘Beautiful’, ‘thought-provoking’, ‘intriguing and profound’, and ‘lovely, especially the monstrous fish’, were some comments left by visitors.
But it’s not over just yet. An exhibition of works by all of this year’s crop of King’s Artists, which opens at Bush House on 23 October and runs until 15 December, will include art from the Bath residency re-worked for a gallery context. Michael Trapp will represent the Bath team at a panel discussion at Bush House on the evening of 12 November. Gen and Michael also invite you all to an ‘event’ in the Bath on 26 November from 5.30-7 pm at the Bath in Strand Lane, with a dark but not gloomy show of images linked, sometimes rather loosely, to the King’s Bath and other classical bathing imaginings. See you there!”
Further information will be published on the King’s Culture website.
Please send email enquiries to Michael Trapp directly.
Photos: Lynn Dennison, Rosanna McNamara & Michael Trapp
