This never ending heatwave + Joan Jonas at Tate Modern Tanks, until the 5th of August.

London's green grass has gone yellow photo courtesy of the BBC

This never ending summer we have suddenly turned into California with dry yellow grass everywhere, see pic above.

I cannot recall in my lifetime a continuing heatwave like this in England. The Met Office has issued an Amber warning which they call the Mediterranean Melt Heatwave, telling people not to go outdoors! I am preparing for my first big installation and it is partly about global warming.

I have done weeks of going back and forth between different large DIY shops in order to source materials. I have noticed with the hot weather people are more friendly and talkative.

In the supermarket there are rows of empty shelves: no lettuce, avocados or tomatoes. I am careful with water, I don't use more then I need; they might put a hosepipe ban in place soon. In the street today I saw an elderly lady who had collapsed, with paramedics  attending to her. Buses were delayed, by mistake I took the wrong bus, there was no number at the front and I assumed it was the bus I usually take as it was in its position, I realised too late they had swapped, it took me two hours to get to the appointment, I arrived angry and deflated, and it's only Tuesday...

It's funny how in the heat people change. Also on the wrong bus was a man I normally see on my regular bus; he is usually very smartly dressed and composed. Now, for the first time, I saw him completely dishevelled, shirt wide open showing his bare chest, he sat inside the bus and took his shoes off, two people next to me did the same.. what a sight! I kept my trainers on and my shirt... I didn't want to cause an uproar! Still I understand them - the bus was an oven, acrylic seats, windows that barely opened to let any air in. Little sleep at night; the combination of heat and noise is not conducive to sleep - at least there are no mosquitos!

Video Installations by Joan Jonas photo by Mirta Imperatori

Anyway, I went to another exhibition at Tate Modern on the hottest day to take my mind of things. As always I had my bag checked by security going in. It was nice and cool inside Tate Modern is an island of peace. I started regaining my energy levels which had been a bit weighed down by my constant thinking about the deadlines. I viewed the multi screen video installations by Joan Jonas titled Reanimation and Wind in the Tanks; I didn't know what to expect. Joan Jonas is a leader in performance and video.

The piece, Reanimation, was inspired by Halldor Laxness' novel Under the Glacier, 1968. When you enter the room it is dark and there are several screens showing scenes of nature including mountains see pic above. This is a multisensory work, though not all embracing like the work of Pipilotti Rist.  

I could move close up to the screens or further away from them. Sound and images overlap but not in overwhelming way. Strangely enough I can't recall the sounds, I didn't realise there were any sounds but in the brochure it says a 'Yoing song'  was playing in the tradition of the Sami population of Norway, written and performed by Ande Somby with other pieces by Jason Moran. It shows the beauty of glaciers and the natural landscape which I found surprisingly relaxing, and which interact well with the images on the large screens. The videos were shot in Norway, on the the Lofaten Islands, and show the snow covered mountains under different light conditions, with images of seals, goats and fish. 

Installation by Joan Jonas photo by Mirta Imperatori

There is a sculptural unit set up on the floor opposite one screen, it is a crystal sculpture in action as its pieces move shimmering on the floor in all directions, see pic above. It has a physical, material quality to it; it spoke to me of a child's plaything and of the use of lights in the 1970's; this is counterbalanced by the images on the screen, a mix of ethereal, techy, and physical. The video is about the melting of glaciers, the artist reanimates with her own hands the melting process, showing how life is delicate and how complex is our relationship with nature. This particular piece is called Ice Drawing where she uses ink and ice, the ink spills onto a lean surface and the ice melts. This is a staged environment which interacts well with the images on the large screen.

I was taken aback by the high number of people taking photos of themselves within the work, then to post on Instagram.

Wind by Joan Jonas photo courtesy of Pinterest

Wind is a silent movie and is positioned separately in the space from the other screens so as to make you just focus on it alone, see pic above. It shows a beach on Long Island, filmed on a very cold day, it is a performative piece featuring the artist herself with another artist, Hollingworth, and another larger group in masks who are trying not to be overpowered by the strong winds; the way they move, trying to stay upright, gives playfulness to the piece, it is comical, it's like being part of a live theatre. Her work is influenced by Surrealism and Japanese Noh theatre and she has a keen interest in climate change which is reflected in the work.