One hundred helium balloons have arrived for my latest work, which takes place on Sunday, July 24th, 2011 at Cathays Cemetery. 2pm-4pm. It will be great to see you there. After the short action is performed there will be light refreshments and lots of cake to enjoy. Come and celebrate this brave girls life with me.
Hope to see you there.
Please follow the below link to BBC iPlayer to listen to the radio discussion about my latest project In Memory of Balloon Girl. It was exciting in the Radio Cymru studio, and I really enjoyed the interview. Its a Welsh language interview, but feel free to listen, Im about 45 minutes into the programme.
Mae’r rhaglen yn Cymraeg, felly dwy’n awgrymu bod pobl sy’n gallu darllen y neges yma yn gwrando.
Mwynhewch x
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012mbrn/Nia_Roberts_22_07_2011/
Please note: this link will expire after 7 days
The images of the performance In Honour of Polly Garter, created specifically for the G39 closing event on July 2nd 2011 take you through a series of simple rituals I performed. The pictures were taken by Maura Hazelden, (aka Fflo Fflach), who happened to be observing the performance that day.
The piece began by myself sweeping and scrubbing the pavement in front of the gallery. The smell of the Dettol disinfectant used was intoxicating as I carried out this task. For me the connotations of motherhood, grazed knees and nursing are very strongly linked to the amber coloured disinfectant. After discarding the dirty water, I proceeded to hang a bunch of bright yellow roses above the threshold. Yellow roses are given as a sign of friendship, but more relevant to this work, are also given as a fond farewell. Early that morning I had used two urine sample pots to piss in. It was brightly coloured early morning pee, made stronger by the salty Chinese curry Id eaten the night before. Marked on the urine samples was “Hwyl Fawr G39’.
I blessed the doorstep by unscrewing the caps off the sample bottles, releasing the urine, and gestured to piss like the drunken men who regularly do this on a boozy Mill Lane night out.
The performance ended with me pulling my garter down which had the front door key on it, and opening the space for the crowd to enter.
G39’s threshold was officially blessed.
Myself, Richard Huw Morgan and John Rowley, will be taking part in Dawn Woolley’s new installation performance at Ffotogallery this coming Wednesday. It will be a real joy to work with these artist’s, and I will relish being part of Dawn’s creation. After experiencing her excellent G39 Installation performance for her if… exhibition, I have no doubt that it will truly be a visual pleasure.
I will be making a new site-specific performance, whcih takes place at Cathays Cemetery on Sunday July the 24th, 2011 at 2pm-4pm.
The performance will explore the tragic death of 14-year-old Louisa Maud Evans and the fear she must have felt in having to jump from the doomed balloon into the Bristol Channel.
This new live work forms Phase 1 of the memorial project. I hav commissioned a creative writer, a filmmaker and photographer to document and respond to the piece. The performance residue will then be collated and a film and publication launch will take place at St. David’s Hall in November 2011.
Please join me in honouring this brave girl. Refreshments will be available to enjoy at the end of the event.
This project has been fully funded by the Arts Council of Wales.
I will be flying the flag for Wales along side 34 other Artist's that have been selected to make work for Adain Avion. This project is curated by Marc Rees and is a Cultural Olympiad 2012 project for Wales. A silver, wingless airplane will be transformed into a mobile contemporary art space that will showcase visual and performing artist's around our nation.
My work will be included in the Swansea docking of the plane. I am working on a site-specific, socially engaging piece that will begin in the heart of the city, and will culminate in a new performance piece to take place inside the aircraft in June 2012.
