FEATURE CREATURE
Performance, Film, Video & Sound Installation
Feature Creature at Tate Modern was commissioned for World Book Day 2002 by the London Libraries Development Agency in partnership with the British Airways London Eye. Funded through an Arts & Business Award.
BBC News said of the Feature Creature:
"Among the most spectacular events to be staged in the UK was the mounting of a giant helium filled model at London's Tate Modern museum."
Feature Creature was specially designed for the soaring space of the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.
Inspired by this extraordinary space, CiCi Blumstein and Christopher Hornzee-Jones designed an aerial sculpture composed of 5 huge flying mobiles, animated from the ground by dance artists.
From the original design of helium inflatables by Christopher Hornzee-Jones, to rehearsals at Fabrica art gallery, Brighton ...
... to an all-day performance in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, with the participation of more than 400 school children and seen by over 10.000 visitors to the galleries.
Feature Creature embodies and subtly transforms the movements, ambient sounds and moods of audience and space over time, opening up human perspectives and resonances within the surrounding architecture. Throughout the performance, the audience are free to dance with the Feature Creature ...
The Feature Creature's movement & design concept evolved from my on-going practice of two dance forms, Butoh and Contact Improvisation. In this project, I wanted to bring together the inner contemplation and intensity of Butoh with the playful exploration and openness of Contact Improvisation.
Micro cameras and radio microphones attached to the Feature Creature captured images and sounds directly into a live-mixed, interactive sound & video installation by Testcard. On the same day, a second film crew filmed children in workshops with authors as they rode in the pods at the London Eye [part of the Reading Revolution event]. This footage was then brought back to Tate Modern and mixed in with the live video & sound installation.
More than 10,000 visitors saw the Feature Creature performance at Tate Modern ...
... and over 450 school children interacted with it on the day.
CiCi Blumstein collecting sound samples of children's voices for live mixing.
Feature Creature
Performance & installation - credits
Conceived, directed & produced: CiCi Blumstein
Creature Design: Christopher Hornzee-Jones & CiCi Blumstein
Sound & Video Artists: Testcard featuring Lepke B.
Performers: CiCi Blumstein, Lindsey Butcher, Heike Feldpausch, Christopher Hornzee-Jones, Gina Kawecka, Ireen Kurvers, Annie Pui Ling Lok, Anima Schmitz-Salue
Production Assistant: Stuart McMullan
Project Manager at LLDA: Natasha Innocent, Reader Development Project Manager
Project Manager at Books for Students: David Lindley, Director, Marketing for Libraries
Thanks to: Anne Sarrag
Feature Creature Film CD - credits
Directed & produced: CiCi Blumstein
Camera crew: Chris Baldy, Denham Dulake, Steve Kennedy, Elena Klaudis
For more information please email: cici@ciciblumstein.com