PQ 011_day five

As the programme on the morning of day five looked fairly empty and the weather looked damp, I decided to take advantage of the comfort of my free room upgrade and work on my overdue literature review and methodology. This productive session was in danger of taking over my day when a break in the weather forced me out into the city centre to return to visit the remaining 10 or so Intersection 'Boxes'. The architecture of these pavilions was somewhat less inspiring than the first visit a few days previously, perhaps something to do with the weather or general wear and tear - the ongoing plastering and repainting suggesting a poor choice of construction and detailing given that the buildings only needed to sustain 10 days of intensive public use. Once inside the 'black box' interiors this was soon forgotten as the theatrical experiences continued. The three standout installations were the total sensory deprivation of Brett Bailey's labyrinth (and then the chilling 'sculpture' when you found the middle), Ionoa Mona Popovici's 'Cosmic Harmony Club' - a miniature and realistic recreation of a techno-club where users were invited to become part of the installation, and Egon Tobias' 'Comment Dire' - where an interactive projection of an 'audience' watched and responded (laughed, yawned, cried) to your voice as you were invited onto a podium to give a speech / song / stand-up routine.

Just down from the Piazetta of the National Gallery was the site of the highly anticipated Third Act (Vltava) by Louise Ann Wilson and students. The crowds gathered at the bridge across to the Slovansky Island were disappointed to learn that the increased interest had led to a late ticketing policy for the event, but I was extremely fortunate to meet someone in the queue with a spare ticket. On the Island, viewers were greeted by a series of eerie living sculptures and vignettes, each of which told a story about someone (historic, fictional or recent) whose life was connected to the river. The audience were then presented with an unexpected surprise - a fleet of pedalos and other small boats was awaiting them (the ticketed policy suddenly became clear). Once on the water, your perception of the relationship between the city and river suddenly changed, though this feeling was interspersed with the surreal and ridiculousness of being part of a pedalo flotilla for the sake of art. However the return of the rain, along with further encounters with performances as we journeyed across the river, changed the atmosphere of the group. The sight of three women dragging themselves out of the water and clawing the muddy riverbank was a particularly poignant image. On a personal note, I was lucky to share a boat with Nigel Stewart (partner and collaborator of Louise Wilson), who I chatted to about Fissure (their last project in the Yorkshire Dales), architecture and northern humour, as well as receiving PhD advice and references.

Despite the soaking and the chill (or maybe because of it), this was group experience that will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to take part.