Saturday 28 September 2013

FLAT OUT TO THE FINISH....

With so much going on over the past week there was no time for blogging, so here are the edited highlights....

Monday: Gallery is stripped out and made ready for hanging of next exhibition. Work to be returned is packaged and boxes measured up for those piece staying to join our collection. By some fluke of sheer good fortune the three plasma screens installed for first exhibition are to be used for the second and can stay in place. This saves a lot of time which in turn can be devoted to the biggest task of the day, The dismantling of Erick's humongous installation - The Black Spirit. It took almost two months to construct but only a couple of hours to take down. While it seemed wrong to be dismantling something that had taken so much time and effort to construct. The back room was required for a new projection work, so unfortunately it had to go. The Black Spirit now waits in storage while we work out the most economic way to ship it back over Mexico. With everything now ready in the gallery it is arranged with Agi and Marie to meet next morning at 10 am to begin installing their work

Tuesday: 10 am arrive at gallery.
10.30 am Marie arrives but with out any discs as they are still being burnt to disc.
11.30. Agi phones to say she has just woken up
11.35 Go for dinner.
12.15 pick up boxes and last two round wooden disc for Agi from ken the joiner in Dufftown
12.45. Marie has got both discs for the two channel video burn so try them out in machine... some problems with screen display width.
1.00 Pick up Yunyao and his work, install in gallery
2.30. Agi arrives  begins to unwrap her work.
2.55. Agi kicks cup of  tea over gallery floor...
2.57. Agi mops gallery floor.


2.30. Worked out display problems of plasmas. Marie has projection work on disc so begin to set up projector in back room.
4.20. Install shelf for Agi's round paintings and books
4.45. Go home.
4.55. Read email from Erick telling me the small bundle of wood we shipped for him to continue work with has been rejected at customs. Options seem to be it can either be destroyed or returned to the UK

Wednesday: Jungho photos finally arrive back from the printing lab. Drop them off at the Still Life framers in Aberlour and collect Marie's collage works. By end of the day (10.30 pm) everything is in place bar Jungho's framed works.

Erick writes to tell me customs have changed their mind and the wood has arrived at his gallery !

Thursday: Opening day. Cut Jungho's hair.



Anna from our global PR agency arrived with Ross of Recite films to capture last interviews with artists. Collected and installed Jungho's photos, cleared last tools and what not from gallery, set up the drinks table, Picked up ice....

There is always that worry on the day that no one will bother coming. And having the opening on a Thursday rather than the normal Friday was adding extra spice to the stress chilli. In the end it was a nice gathering including a car load from the Scottish Sculpture workshop over the hills in Lumsden.

Afterwards we retired to Junghos house where the kitchen was invaded by that crack Chinese/Taiwnese ninja cookery team, The Flying Knives Trio.


Friday: Today was Yunyao's last day. After a quick 'see you later' lunch at Agi's Yunyao's three months were up.




The journey to the airport was, as often is the case, a reflective one. Remembering things that have happened, the places visited, the new friends made, over the past twelve weeks. These memories says Yunyao will now continue influence him as he prepares for his post residency exhibition to be held in Beijing mid November. One bonus photo opportunity for Yunyao was a quick stop off at Harthill Castle to drop off the hired glass ware from the night before.



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