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1/6/2007

Johanna Billing

Collective Gallery, Edinburgh

This is How We Walk on the Moon

The Collective Gallery is delighted to present the first solo exhibition in Scotland by Swedish artist Johanna Billing, a new film commission set on the Firth of Forth with it's iconic bridges. The film was made by the artist collaborating with five local people and incorporates a special events program of live music sessions.

Johanna Billing spent over a year working with the Collective's One Mile programme, including living in Edinburgh in October 2006. Her work is beginning to gain major international success. This is an amazing opportunity to see one of visual arts rising stars interaction with Edinburgh and it's people.

Johanna Billing tends to stage people in her films, often collectively, engaged in activities that demand great concentration: recordings in sound studios, dance rehearsals, the tension before diving into the water.

This new video centres on the ocean and the experience of sailing. Impressed by the contradiction of Edinburghs proximity to the North Sea and the lack of awareness of the majority of the population to this, Billing invited a group of local musicians on a sailing trip. Events unroll from the preparations on land through to the journey under the Firth of Forth Rail Bridge to taking down the sails: the instructor's calm directions, the students' first awkward steps in unknown territory. And the commensurate soundtrack: "This is How we Walk on the Moon," a song from the 1980s by experimental New York- based musician Arthur Russell, in an interpretation rendered by Billing and her collaborators using voice and string instruments.

Against the backdrop of the constantly changing weather - storms, rain, sun - progress slowly becomes visible.

For the presentation in the gallery Billing also uses handmade benches, stage and screen to tie the slightly pedagogic style of the video to the persistently present physical performance - meant more as an observation of the learning process rather than as sailing instruction.

Alongside the film screening Billing has invited one of the musician/sailors Emily Roff aka Tracer Trails to produce a series of musical performances free and open to the public. On Wednesday evenings 8 -10pm for the duration of the exhibition the Gallery will become a venue featuring bands such as Wounded Knee and Rain Cloud.

For further information on the music events:
http://www.myspace.com/tracertrails

Collective Gallery
22-28 Cockburn Street - Edinburgh

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