Cohesion and Dislocation

Adham Faramawy's videos, presented by The Black Mariah at Triskel for Art Trail, are rooted in a deep interest in culture, mythology, allegory.  In 'Sons of Lacoon', which was also shown on opening night at the Savoy, Faramawy explores what it is that drives societies apart, what it is that dislocates a viewer.  This video is in his words "a microcosmic example of what you're experiencing all the time".   We as a society in the West are exposed to so many stimuli and take in information from multiple sources at once.  How is it possible to process all of that?  Does it have an effect on people's behaviour, or make people anti-social.  White noise and black sound have been shown to contribute to the kinds of anti-social behaviour shown on the screen, and certainly this video has a dislocating effect on the viewer.  'Horus' is based on the myth of the Egyptian God by the same name, on Isis and Osirus and Horus their son, and explores how this same story structure or narrative repeats itself through history, and affects newer narratives, for example Christianity.  Exploring the notion of truth, it suggests that truth can be one of many possible truths.  'Cartomancer' and 'Time Wave Zone' also use appropriation and remixing to make connections between many different kinds of theory and myth, and explore the reasons we represent and how we do it.

In some ways Guerrilla Gardening Workshop, led by Eva Maher, seeks to redress some of the issues, which Adham Faramawy makes explicit.  It is a communal, quiet project.  A group of sixteen people met up last Saturday to work together in improving the environment in which they live.  They discussed the ideas around guerilla gardening, whether it might be seen as an act of resistance, or as activist or political.  They engaged in visualisation exercises and then went walking around the area, seeking disused, unloved spaces to clean up and plant.  This project sought to reclaim ownership over the locality, the spaces we inhabit.  It sought to improve physically the surroundings we find ourselves in.  Moreover it suceeded in bringing people together with a shared ambition to belong in a locality, where community functions as a cohesive group.