Two unique art projects in contrasting London settings are bringing attention to the everyday experience of weather, prompting us to think about how we define and communicate it. These projects, commissioned by Artangel, are captivating audiences through a combination of films, sound installations, and online events.
A Thousand Words for Weather: A Multilingual Exploration of the Elements
Imagine a dictionary dedicated solely to weather, but not just any dictionary – one that uses words from ten different languages to capture the nuances of weather experience. This is the concept behind “A Thousand Words for Weather,” a project conceived by the writer Jessica J. Lee.
The project brings together poets and translators from across the UK to create a rich tapestry of words for weather in English, Arabic, Bengali, Spanish, French, Polish, Urdu, Mandarin, Turkish, and German. Each word is then translated into the other languages, culminating in a thousand-word dictionary – a significant step toward building a shared language for our environment.
Sounding Out the Weather: A Sensory Experience in the Senate House Library
Composer and artist Claudia Molitor transforms this multilingual dictionary into a captivating sound installation within the historic Senate House Library. Spread across three floors, the installation creates a living soundscape that evolves in response to the weather outside.
Data from the UK Met Office is fed into a bespoke playback system designed by Peter Chilvers, breathing life into the dictionary’s words and creating an ever-changing symphony of weather sounds. This dynamic experience is complemented by an exhibition showcasing historical weather-related items from the library’s collection. The installation is open to the public from June 22, 2022, to March 25, 2023, offering a unique opportunity to experience weather in a new, multi-sensory way.
Weather Reports: Online Conversations and Artistic Responses
Throughout the installation’s duration, a series of online “weather reports” will be published, featuring insights from the artists involved in the project. These reports will be accompanied by online talks and conversations with invited artists and thinkers, further deepening our understanding of the multifaceted nature of weather.
FeiFei Zhou, a spatial and visual designer, is contributing her own unique interpretation of “A Thousand Words for Weather” by creating a dynamic, animated online dictionary. Her project will be published later in the year, adding another layer to this multifaceted exploration of weather.
From Cardboard Boxes to Climate Crisis: A Cat’s Perspective on Weather
Artist Abi Palmer shares her apartment with two Siberian forest cats, Lola Lola and Cha-u-Kao. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these cats became her companions, providing solace amidst a world in lockdown. With limited access to the outside world, Palmer brings the outdoors inside for her feline friends, transforming their living space into a sanctuary of smells and textures.
Palmer’s project, a series of four online films, explores the changing seasons through the lens of her cats. Each film features a cardboard box, representing a different season, filled with natural elements like pine, oak, sage, leaves, petrichor, and moss. The cats’ playful interactions within these boxes, captured on film, offer a unique perspective on the changing seasons and serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of nature in our lives.
Artangel: Connecting Art, Location, and Audiences
For the past three decades, Artangel has been a driving force in the art world, commissioning groundbreaking works from renowned artists and showcasing them in unexpected and often unconventional locations. Artangel’s projects have transcended traditional gallery settings, taking over palaces, terraced houses, abandoned villages, empty department stores, and even daytime television and late-night radio, creating unforgettable experiences for broad audiences.
Artangel’s impressive legacy includes landmark projects by artists like Matthew Barney, Jeremy Deller, PJ Harvey, Roni Horn, Cristina Iglesias, Miranda July, Mike Kelley, Michael Landy, Steve McQueen, Taryn Simon, and Rachel Whiteread, further solidifying its reputation as a leading force in contemporary art.
Through these two projects, Artangel continues to bridge the gap between art and everyday life, prompting us to look at the world around us with fresh eyes and consider the profound ways in which weather shapes our experiences. From the nuanced beauty of language to the playful curiosity of cats, these projects offer unique and moving perspectives on the everyday wonder of weather, reminding us of its essential role in shaping our world.
