Urban locations are highly complex spaces, existing at multiple levels formed by historical, geographical, economical, political and social actions. These do not exist as static constructs, but rather each level is continuously in flux, whilst overlapping, conflicting and adjoining with those other layers which together comprise the urban environment.*
Linear Shift was a collaborative project between Lauren Healey and Taryn Edmonds, resulting in the production of a immersive audio-visual installation.
Using the site of the former Wallsend Maritime Research Centre as a paradigm where multiple layers of time co-exist in the same space, the work brings together observations from this site together with the surrounding riverside landscape. Part of the industrial landscape that characterised Newcastle for much of the last century, the site is now in a state of transition – caught in a moment of economic uncertainty, it hovers in a limbo before its intended transformation into a contemporary riverside business park. A story that resonates with many post-industrial cities across the country, Linear Shift is a snapshot in the history of this place – a precarious moment that is both significant yet unremarkable.
Presented as a sculptural video and surround sound installation, the work combines techniques drawn from the artists’ backgrounds in documentary film and still photography. Whilst this approach to the visuals keeps the eye detached and observational, a highly choreographed soundscape playfully animates the film beyond the screen and introduces alternative narratives to the audience.
Screenings & exhibitions:
Section Documents / Documentaries at Rencontres Internationales, Haus der Kulturn der Welt, Berlin : 27th June 2013, 13:00 – 23:00
Altered Spaces 1, Globe Gallery, Newcastle, UK. 12th April – 18th May 2013.
CYCLE “DOCUMENTS/DOCUMENTAIRES” at Rencontres Internationales, Salle Jean Grémillon, Palais de Tokyo, Paris: 5th December 2012 15:00 – 23:00
Tema: Arkitektur 2 programme at 31st Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Sweden; 25th and 27th October 2012
Sonica Screenings programme, as part of Sonica: 10th November 2012 at CCA, Glasgow. Further information here.
* Robert Brown, Mapping the Unmappable, Knowing the Unknowable, Nyhedsavisen Public Interfaces, 2012
Linear Shift was funded by Arts Council England via Grants for the Arts, and also gratefully supported by partners Newcastle University, Culture Lab & Blyth Valley Arts.
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