Gloucester Cathedral

CATHEDRAL’S ARTIST IN RESIDENCE UNVEILS INSTALLATION
Motectum
Thursday 30 April – Sunday 31 May 2009
Opening times 10.00 - 17.00

Gloucester Cathedral’s artist-in-residence Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva marks the end of her year-long residency with an installation in the Cloister Garth (garden).

Central to her work is her desire to respond to a particular location, and for her forthcoming show at the Cathedral, she will present a sound installation consisting of 40 individual sounds, played by 40 speakers amongst newly planted native trees and shrubs.
The piece is inspired by the Cathedral’s musical heritage and uses the structure of Thomas Tallis’ (1505 - 1585) remarkable 40-voice Spem in Alium. The speakers will transmit recorded sounds consisting of a collection of existing bird songs and Gregorian chants by the Cathedral Choir, as well as live transmitted sounds from the Cloister Garth and from nearby Highnam Woods.
Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva is currently Artist in Residence in the Faculty of Media, Art & Communications at the University of Gloucestershire, and based at Gloucester Cathedral.
Each of the four sides of the cloisters represents one of the four main natural areas of the county of Gloucestershire - Forest of Dean, Severn Estuary and Vale, Cotswold Hills, and Cotswold Water Park - and its songs are from birds associated with that area.
In the Garth are planted native trees and shrubs to give good cover for the birds to enter, hide and feel safe. Bird feeders attract local birds and invite them to use the space. This sanctuary will remain and continue to evolve beyond the residency.
There will also be 40 small portrait heads made out of chickens’, pheasants’ and ducks’ heads. Their strange beauty and elevated status will draw attention to the ambivalence of our relationship with birds, whom we both protect and preserve as well as exploit.
The opening night‘s performance will confuse the discarded and the ceremonial in a gown made out of chicken skins.
Arts Council England, South West Executive Director, Chris Humphrey said:
'We are delighted to fund Elpida's artist residency at Gloucester Cathedral. Her innovative project, in this unusual setting, will reach new audiences who may not have previously experienced this kind of work.'
Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s year-long residency is supported by the University of Gloucestershire, Arts Council England South West, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester City Council and Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust.
Elpida Hadzi--Vasileva is an ArtSway Associate. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
Technical Audio support by Andrew Lansley, University of Gloucestershire and George Moorey, Gloucester

There will be two organised evening walks, meeting at Highnam Woods Nature Reserve car park at 7.45pm, on May 6 and 13. Join us for an unforgettable experience, hear the evening performance of a bird chorus that will include the most beautiful of songsters - the nightingale. For more information please visit www.elpihv.co.uk
Bird photos by kind permission of the North Cotswold Ornithological Society from their forthcoming book “Birds of the Cotswolds: A New Breeding Atlas”.
The Wildlife Sound Recording Society has provided all of the bird recordings that are being used in this exhibition. www.wildlife-sound.org