Single channel video (23:00) or 5-channel video installation
Commissioned as part of the Artist in Residence program at the National Gallery, London.
Responding to depictions of Saint Sebastian in the National Gallery, scenes from Derek Jarman’s Sebastiane (1976) are re-staged in the galleries with a “mis-cast” ensemble of British actors of mixed Asian descent and diverse genders speaking in Latin. By placing Jarman’s anachronistic vision alongside historic paintings of the National Gallery, the work generates temporal collisions that examine the representation of martyrdom across centuries, highlighting its enduring and complex resonance in the present.
Trailer and documentation of installation (01:34) (to be added soon)
Shown as a short film in the museum’s theatre, and as a 5-channel video installation amongst the paintings in several galleries.
Documentation of two highlights from a performance evening at the National Gallery (02:12) (to be added soon)
The performances extended the film into the live, spatial realm of the museum: a “pas de deux” by twin offshoots of the St Sebastians/art historian protagonist, and a cine-concert — a live score devised by the film’s composer for strings (viola, mandolin, guitar, double bass, hurdy-gurdy). Bowing and plucking the strings sustained a sonic tension throughout the evening, echoing St Sebastian’s fate with bows and arrows.