Giving Soul - Film Animations by Six Leading Artists for WOMAD Festival

Jeni Walwin was the curator for this programme and worked with Tammy Bedford on the delivery of the project for the 2011 Festival at Charlton Park, Wiltshire.

William Kentridge, still from Tide Table, 2003

Sebastian Buerkner, Realms Pin, 2008, film still

Melanie Jackson, A Global Positioning System, film still 2006
courtesy the artist and Matt's Gallery London
David Shrigley The Door (film still) 2007
courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery London

The word "animation" derives from the Latin anima – the "animating principle", the vital force inside every living creature. It follows then that "animation" would be the technique of giving "soul" to inanimate objects, drawings and images, hence the title for this project.

Using sea containers as viewing stations for the work of six artists (Edwina Ashton, Sebastian Buerkner, Simon Faithfull, Melanie Jackson, William Kentridge and David Shrigley) the film installations explored a variety of themes ranging from humour and club culture, to global politics, ecology, and the environment.

In addition, Simon Faithfull was the WOMAD artist-in-residence, bringing his recently developed iPhone app to the site.  In a dedicated sea container a table-top version of the specially drawn site-map featured print-outs on small stands of the 22 drawings Faithfull made around the site throughout the weekend. A6 postcards of each drawing were available for festival-goers to send to friends and family across the world.

Commissioned by World in the Park, for the WOMAD Festival
Launched : 29-31 July 2011

Links:
www.womad.org
www.worksprojects.co.uk/artists/edwina-ashton
www.sebastianbuerkner.com
www.simonfaithfull.org
www.melaniejackson.net
www.mariangoodman.com/artists/william-kentridge
www.davidshrigley.com