Men in the Wall

was a Capture commission exhibited as part of the Capture Touring exhibition 2004/05 – produced by Portland Green

MEN IN THE WALL
Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie
2003

Men in the Wall is a four-screen, 3-D stereoscopic installation. Each screen is inhabited by a man whose world is a tightly choreographed and scripted “independent depen-dance”. Their shared framed lives are a public quartet of private differences walking the fine line between comedy and tragedy, four absurd surreal fragmented histories. The Men in the Wall are Jeddi Bassan, Sebastian Gonzalez, Thomas Kampe, Scott Smith. You are provided with 3-D glasses and are free to move around, sit, stand, leave and return. Men in the Wall was supported by the Centre for Research and Development (Arts and Architecture) University of Brighton.

Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie have been collaborating for over 20 years choreographing and directing live performance and dance for camera. They have toured extensively throughout the UK and to international festivals performing works commissioned by The Royal Festival Hall, Gardner Arts Centre and The University of Surrey. Aggiss and Cowie’s film awards include; BBC Arts Council Dance for Camera, Capture and Taped Up. Their films include ‘Beethoven in Love’, ‘Sea of Heads’, ‘Hi Jinx’, ‘Motion Control’ and ‘Anarchic Variations’ and Men in the Wall’. ‘Motion Control’ won the Czech Crystal at the Prague Golden Film Festival 2002, Special Jury Golden Award at Houston World Filmfest 2003, Best Woman Film at Mediawaves Hungary 2003 and received a special mention for the Paula Citron Award at Moving Pictures Toronto. Liz Aggiss won the Bonnie Bird Choreography Award in 1994, received an Arts Council Dance Fellowship Award in 2003 and is Professor of Visual Performance at the University of Brighton.

A Capture commission

Capture (2001-2008) was an Arts Council England fund managed by PORTLAND GREENTM from 2004 until 2008. It commissioned original art works that challenged the concept of screen-based dance by exploring new relationships between dance and film, video, new media and installation. Applications were encouraged from both established and emerging artists practising in the fields of dance, film, video, new media, installation and other disciplines.