Watching

Common Groundwork Public Performance, Yinchuan, China

Oct 2024

Common Groundwork, an exchange programme funded by the British Council and Culture Ireland, provided the opportunity for five Bbeyond artists to make the cultural trip to Yinchuan, China. A busy week was spent learning about the area, the culture and local people ending with a public performance in a park on a bridge over the Yellow River.

During the visit we realised how few western visitors came to the area as we were stopped for photos everywhere we went. Sometimes we were asked to be in selfies, other times photos were just taken by locals, curious to see foreigners.

My performance was influenced by the level of surveillance obvious throughout the trip.

Artists involved: Rebecca Strain, Emma Brennan, Paul Moore, Bronagh Lawson and Zara Lyness.

Performance duration: 1 hr 30 mins

Documentation: Bronagh Lawson, Emma Brennan, Rebecca Strain

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One woman sitting at the side of a bridge waering a light coloured hat, dark coat and light trousers looking at a book with another woman standing in the background wearing a long stripy dress holding ribbons

Woman sitting on the ground at the side of a blue walled bridge threading line drawings of eyes onto a long reed

Three males chinese teenagers and artist holding drawings of eyes, posing for a selfie photo.
Photo credit: Bronagh Lawson

Woman sitting on the ground at the side of a bridge holding drawings of eyes strung on a long reed. photo credit: Rebecca Strain

One woman wearing a hat, dark coat and light coloured trousers sitting at the side of a bridge drawing eyes beside another woman dressed in black with red shoes, lying down with balloons sitting on her

Two women sitting and lying down at the side of a bridge with a small group of people watching them