Concept and curation by Samantha Chester

Critical Path Associate Artist (2015–2016)

Body of Ideas was a programme that looked at notions of the body and how they are being reflected back in society, in art and in dance. In 2016 Body of Ideas encapsulated a two-day provocation and FORUM: THE FUTURE BODY (Sun 11 Dec, 11am–1pm), as well as a week-long workshop with Antony Hamilton (21–25 November 2016) exploring — The Body as a system that fails.

The investigation was guided by four provocations underpinning Chester’s interests as part of her Churchill Fellowship in 2014 and her subsequent research from 2015:

• The Body as an Idea
• The Body as an act of Impossibility
• The Body as a system that fails
• The Body as a Dilemma

Invited artists Lee Wilson, Angela Goh, Tim Darbyshire and Frances Barbe worked with participants exploring some thoughts on these provocations from the perspective of their current practices. They engaged with the themes in an act of play, in an act of violence, in an act of exploration, in an act of curiosity. PARTICIPANTS: Amelia Ducker, Anthony Skuse, Diane Busuttil, Geraldine Balcazaar, Julia Cotton, Julie Anne Long, Kate Sherman, Leeke Griffith, Matt Cornell, Rob McCredie, Ryuchi Fujimura, Shannon Ryan, Teresa Izzard and Tim Green. 

As part of the LAB Samantha created a Photo essay featuring the images from photographer Lucy Parakhina lucyparakhina.com and designed by Rhys Morris of Righteye Creative
Check it out here: BODY OF IDEAS PHOTO ESSAY

It was a time of choreography,
where bodies in space,
bodies in connection,
bodies in understanding
were paramount
were assembled
for a short while