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When we first went into the redundant church of St. John the Divine we often talked about the newly re-purposed Turbine Hall at Tate Modern because the space was so vast. At that time we were Bend In The River and Slumgothic had not yet arrived. Then one day a submission arrived from Claudia containing a publication from a photographic project she had done in the Turbine Hall. She was interested in the space in art and museum spaces. When we talked about our old church as a space with potential to become an art space she was very excited. Over a number of trips she took many very beautiful photographs in the cold dusty silence. She also carefully harvested all the old photographs that the retreating Church of England had left scattered across the floor.
The residency resulted in two simultaneous exhibitions that co-incided with West Lindsey Churches Festival. Two video pieces, xxx and "St John the Divine 174' x 57'5", were shown at the church , together with a less formal piece "St John's Sightings" on a small monitor in the old kitchen. Videos, including the Turbine hall project, were shown at Bend In The River's gallery in the exhibition "1..2 : one two infinity", together with a number of square photographs.
St John's Sightings was unusual for Claudia because it was full of people and people talking. It heralded a whole new phase in her life and work because shortly after she gave birth to twins (how appropriate given the title of the BITR show!). Oscar and Felix have played a big part in the evolution of her work ever since - now it is space AND people. Abandoned St John's was all about space but x-church is all about space AND people. Claudia is now a member of SARC.
March-May 2006
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