Host was created as part of the Desire Lines Pavilion at PASE Platform, Venice. The starting point for the work was a consideration of the conflicted emotions involved in visiting Venice - the strange mixture of excitement at visiting a must-see cultural destination and the sense of guilt associated with being part of a tourism industry that is destroying the very place you are visiting. This led us through a series of associated thoughts - the complex lifecycles of parasites; the nature of our relationships to the Saints and celebrities through whom we channel our desires; what it is to make a sincere apology according to the best guidance to be found online.
The result of all of this seemed quite obvious. We should form a fake band, performing cover versions of songs which address some of the questions raised and make a Venice-inspired music video for each. This work is housed within a structure inspired in part by the sacred spaces in Venice - at once a shrine, confessional and performance space.
Our live performance should be considered a celebration of, an expression of our concerns for, and an apology to Venice.
The result of all of this seemed quite obvious. We should form a fake band, performing cover versions of songs which address some of the questions raised and make a Venice-inspired music video for each. This work is housed within a structure inspired in part by the sacred spaces in Venice - at once a shrine, confessional and performance space.
Our live performance should be considered a celebration of, an expression of our concerns for, and an apology to Venice.
