| Gregg SMITH |
The loose narrative follows the progress of a young man who has arrived in a small provincial town in order to present his application for a job there. The job at hand entails the overseeing of the redevelopment of a piece of land. Agriculture has declined in the area and some would like to see the land used more profitably, through the construction of a dormitory suburb for a nearby city. In order to expedite such a project, however, someone has to be in charge of its management, who would tolerate some fairly unorthodox procedures. The young man is considered up to the task. It soon becomes evident that the area physically affects its inhabitants. A rhythmic force and sporadic moves charge their bodies, during everyday activities. Nevertheless, these movements are never noticed or remarked upon. Gregg Smith is originally from Cape Town. He obtained a degree from the Michaelis School of Fine Arts in Cape Town, and after having studied at the National Studio of Contemporary Arts in Fresnoy, he has since, put on art projects and theatre in South Africa and abroad, blending performance, painting and art in public space. His work has recently been shown in different places: Biennale of Dakar, Musée de Jeu de Paume, the Rotterdam Film Festival, etc. Among other remarkable projects in the domain of art in public places, we have "The Lovephones" (Cape Town, 2000) and "The Lovephones in London" (London, é//&), "The Long Street Baths Mural Project (Cape Town, 1994-98), and his project coming to Cape Town "very Real Time". Recently , the Contemporary Art Space of Castille in Spain commissioned a new work for the exhibition "Our Hospitality" directed by Rodrigo Alonso. Artist statement List of exhibition, filmography... |
