Anna Lucas
Here and Your Here
30 June - 19 August 2007
FACT is proud to present new commissioned work filmed in London, the Middle East and Peru
INTRODUCTION
Continuing FACT’s commitment to commissioning outstanding new work in moving image and new media, Londonbased artist Anna Lucas was commissioned to make three major new works for her solo exhibition, which are
presented here for the very first time.
Lucas’ distinct ability to transform seemingly unspectacular moments into those of epic profundity, combined with
her astute awareness of the politicality of film and video and use of carefully orchestrated soundscapes position her
as one of the most interesting artists working with moving image today.
The first of the new works commissioned for this exhibition, Atlantic Botanic, was filmed in London and became the
precursor to Kaff Mariam, shot in various parts of the Middle East, and Uña de Gato, filmed in Peru. This new body of
work explores the social, scientific and spiritual subcultures surrounding a number of exotic plants traded in Brixton
Markets, and traced back to their countries of origin. They are presented alongside Lucas’ oldest work in film San
Cristobal, shot in Barcelona in 1992.
In Gallery 1, Lucas’ juxtaposition of mesmerising landscapes is punctuated with subtle political inflections, the
occasional shot of a border fence, or the measuring of territory in the disputed West Bank in Kaff Mariam, for
instance. And even in the vast, remote locations of the desert and rainforest, small symbols of globalisation can still
be seen: a blue IKEA bag, carrying the possessions of a seventy year-old goat herder as she wanders through the
Sinai desert; an Amazonian guide wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Nestlé slogan; or a trademark McDonalds
logo on the back of a factory worker’s clothes as he bundles Uña de Gato bark in Pucallpa.
Filmed during a period of political unrest, increasing scientific discovery and ecological awareness, the works in
this exhibition present poignant reflections of the remedial potential of nature. While the US government and
pharmaceutical companies invest in the study of indigenous plant knowledge in environmentally sensitive areas
such as the Amazon rainforest, as botanic research is used to track climate change, and while Bedouins use plants
such as the Kaff Mariam to increase fertility, Lucas’ timely investigations highlight the hidden significance of local
knowledge against a backdrop of global concern.
Karen Allen
Curator (Moving Image)
Kaff Mariam Image courtesy of the artist
Gallery 1
Gallery 1 presents two of the new works, Kaff Mariam and Uña
de Gato, which document Lucas’ journeys overseas to find the
home of two rare plants. Both are sold in Brixton markets,
and are associated with numerous medicinal, spiritual and
superstitious beliefs.
Kaff Mariam
Kaff Mariam translates as Hand of Mary, and can be found in
the deserts of the Middle East. It is an ancient plant - also
known as the Rose of Jericho - whose dry bud can survive
many years, until enough rain falls and it blooms again.
A Creole belief is that it also brings new life when given water
on a Tuesday or Friday and accompanied by a prayer. Lucas’
search for the plant growing wild leads her through the Holy
Land from the Palestinian West Bank, into Israel and finally
the Sinai desert in Egypt, with a Bedouin goat herder.
The opening scene takes us on a slow descent by cable car
from the site of the last temptation of Christ, into Jericho, the
oldest and lowest city in the world, on the shores of the rapidly
shrinking Dead Sea. The artist is hosted with cups of tea in
every location from a mechanics yard and a sweet shop to the
sandy deserts of Sinai.
Gallery 2
Atlantic Botanic
The precursor to Kaff Mariam and Uña de Gato showing in
Gallery 1, Atlantic Botanic is a two-screen work that juxtaposes
images of London’s Brixton Markets on one screen with the
austere interiors of the South London Botanical Institute on the
other. A seemingly choreographed sequence of events, Lucas’
careful synchronisation of sound and image subtly presents
notions of cultural history and exchange.
This incredible journey is directed by various word of mouth
accounts of where the Kaff Mariam can be found, and uncovers
the elusive plant’s extraordinary ability to track climate change
and increase fertility.
Uña de Gato
Lucas’ expedition to find the Uña de Gato plant takes us by boat
into the Amazon rainforest, and between the regions of Lima,
Pucallpa and Satipo in Peru. Otherwise known as Cats Claw, the
plant is named after the curly thorns it uses to hang from its
host. Its natural properties are believed to boost the immune
system and current research is investigating the herb’s ability
to treat illnesses such as cancer and AIDS.
Atlantic Botanic Image courtesy of the artist
The artist’s deliberate choice of 16mm film, and reference to
time throughout (for example, the intermittent ticking of a clock,
or the final scene involving the ultimate closure and abandonment of both locations), offers a thoughtful reflection of two
dying breeds of institutions in the face of contemporary digital
and scientific technologies and global, consumer culture.
It was originally in Brixton markets where Lucas found the Kaff
Mariam and Uña de Gato plants, providing the impetus to trace
them back to their respective native environments in the Middle
East and Peru.
Also in Gallery 2 are carbon drawings on botanical archive
paper of the plants Lucas bought in Brixton Markets before her
search for them growing wild. This project formed part of
Lucas’ Wildcraft residency at South London Gallery, which culminated in 100,000 brown paper bags printed with images of
the drawings, and used by market traders in Autumn 2006.
Uña de Gato (detail) Image courtesy of the artist
The film captures a travelling salesman selling handfuls of
Uña de Gato sweets on the buses of Lima, and brings us to the
dense Amazon jungle where we are guided to the plant by a
local Ashaninka shaman and his teenage daughter.
Everyday scenes, such as the preparation of the plant for
transport to the Lima-based factories where it is transformed
into herbal medicines and confectionary, are also documented.
But Lucas’ gaze also records the image of a devastating illegal
wood trade in progress, as a family living in silver dome tents
aboard a raft of hardwood logs floats downstream.
San Cristobal
San Cristobal translates as St Christopher, the patron saint of
travellers, in Catalan. Lucas filmed this work in Super8 in 1992,
from her apartment window in Barcelona, where she lived as a
student. It is her earliest experiment with film, and captures the
activity of people passing St Christopher’s Chapel on one day
each year, to be blessed by a priest for safe onward travel for
the rest of the year.
The constant repetition of movement, including a priest cleansing
the way for travellers with holy water and a group of women
exchanging lucky heather in return for a donation, is mirrored by
the continual loop of the work, giving it a perpetual life of its own.
The piece also relates to other works in the exhibition, where
ideas of travel, exchange, faith and belief are among the
primary concerns of Lucas’ enquiry.
EXHIBITION WORKS LIST AND LOCATION OF GALLERIES
Gallery 2
1st Floor
Gallery 1 - Ground Floor
Kaff Mariam, 2007
23 minutes, High Definition Video
Uña de Gato, 2007
23 minutes, High Definition Video
Both commissioned by FACT in association with Film London
Artists' Moving Image Network and Arts Council England
Gallery 2 - First Floor
Atlantic Botanic, 2007
09 minutes, 16mm film transferred to DVD
Commissioned by FACT, with funding from Arts Council England
San Cristobal, 1992
01 minute, Super8 film transferred to DVD
Commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery, London and
Picture This, Bristol as part of Adrift, 2004.
Wildcraft, 2006
Carbon drawings on botanical archive paper and printed
paper bags
Commissioned by South London Gallery
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated
catalogue with texts by Claire Doherty and Francesco
Manacorda, due out in August
Related Screenings
To coincide with the exhibition SEEN
presents THIS DAY, a season of short
films and video works from the Middle East, curated by
Predrag Pajdic.
All screenings cert 18, £4.00 / £3.00 (Members & concs)
Reality Check
The Box 04 July 6.30pm
Reality Check takes stock of everyday concerns, such as love,
seduction, social manners and gossip. Artist Larissa Sansour will
be at the screening to discuss her work.
Media Lounge
Ground Floor
Gallery 1
Ground Floor
Replay
The Box 11 July 7.30pm
Replay examines the nature of memory and knowledge.
The screening will be introduced by Karen Allen.
Travellers’ Tales
The Box 18 July 6.30pm
Travellers’ Tales explores travel, migration, borders and checkpoints.
THIS DAY Curator Predrag Pajdic will introduce the screening.
Also at FACT:
The Bold Street Project
Michelle Wren, Katie Lips and tenantspin
Media Lounge, FREE Entry
Artist Choice Screening and In Conversation
The Box 15 August 6.30pm
Fata Morgana Dir Werner Herzog, 1971, 79 minutes
Exodus Dir Steve McQueen, 1992-97, 01 minute
Armed with only a car, a camera, and a small crew, Herzog trekked
across the Sahara Desert to create Fata Morgana (mirage); a search
for images of truth in the endless landscape from the Nile Valley
and Sudan to North Africa.
Also screening: Steve McQueen’s one-minute film Exodus, which
refers to both the Old Testament and to Bob Marley’s reggae song.
Anna Lucas will be here to discuss her work in relation to the films
with Karen Allen, FACT's Curator of Moving Image.
Please note that photography is not permitted in the galleries.
This gallery guide, and entry to the galleries at FACT is FREE. If you
would like to support the continuing work of FACT please place a donation
in the box in the foyer. Thank you!
We always welcome feedback, if you would like to comment on this
or any other FACT project please visit the comments box near the
Information Desk.
THIS DAY is supported by Arts Council England, the Henry Moore
Foundation, British Council, Visiting Arts and the Arts Club.
FACT gratefully acknowledges support from North West Vision.
FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), 88 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DQ www.fact.co.uk FACT Information (0151) 707 4450
Charity Registration No. 702781. Company limited by Guarantee Registration No. 2391543.