On February 24, the opening party of VARES took place, the highlight of which was the exhibition of the very first resident, Alastair Howard. Read the text of the exhibition, the main character of which is a character peeled from the wall:
A building’s material construction is sometimes known as its fabric. Playing with this idea, Alastair’s installation peels back and dramatises these layers of building fabric, using techniques gained through his work in the theatre. At the centre of this scene is the character of the Rothound, inspired by real dogs trained to smell for rotting timber in historic buildings. Here, the Rothound is imagined as a mythical detective, discovering hidden histories in each construction layer. He is made from steam-bent plywood, like that used to clad the interior walls of the classrooms here in the 1960s. The hound is discovered behind a linen scrim, animated on a pulley system like those found on a theatre stage. An imprint of the original wood panelling has been made on the scrim, along with a fossil/a relic/the markings of a bird. A thermal image of the wall is projected at 1:1 scale, with the stove a glowing red. Throughout the room, plaster has fallen away to reveal the wattle and daub technique, as well as the structural logs behind.
Read More
