Culture Night 2009

PS², usually severely drowned with artist led urban art projects, opens its doors and shop windows for a light-hearted ‘Variety Show’ for culture night, a pick and mix & interact with the wild fringes of Belfast’s cultural life; from life music and performance to video-projections, cardboard sculpture and spontaneous happenings.

Performance and video artist Jonny Reding often centres his work around intimate, autobiographical experiences. With all its chaotic and surreal elements, the visual format and narrative frame in his short videos are formalized and detailed, resulting in a controlled personal expression. He uses visual clichés of pop videos as much as he refers to classical compositions in art history.

‘Gone with the wind’
8.58min- TV set

‘I Like Findhorn & Findhorn Likes Me- Or The Day After My Wife Left Me’

3.42min- projection

Music

Formed in 2008, the improv pop duo Jonathan Lesbian Seagul began making music with a loop station, some green maracas and a £10 keyboard; in their own words "as an adjunct to being shit at playing other instruments together". Every gig is different, with the music entirely improvised and the ever evolving songs overlapping with weird covers.

Popcorn

Corn Popcorn explodes from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn popping was originally discovered by Native Americans, but became popular as a snack food during the United States Great Depression, especially in movie theaters. Corn is able to pop because, unlike other grains, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy filling. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel untilan explosive pop results.

Cards

The mini archive of ‘invitation’ cards on display are produced for publicity, yet without commercial ambition. They draw on an old and popular ritual of cultural distribution. Printed on heavy card, the cards add gravity and duration to a fast revolving industry.