the voyage | Art Rituals

by Yuliya V Krylova

My residency was one non-stop fun experience. Art in the Docks space allowed me to experiment in my artistic practices using different scales. I could perform and be visible at all stages of performance preparation. Window walls expose you from all angles and natural light brings sensory quality which artist can play with when creating. Large scale painting, sewing, dancing, film making and painting with visitors was just one unbelievable cycle of experimental artistic fun. Many local families inquired if I could run a painting workshop for their kids. In fact, some kids, asked directly if I could teach them how to draw because they were inspired by the work I was crating in the space. This shows that there is a demand in the local community for artistic workshops. There was a lot of positive feedback about the clothes I was creating using recycled coffee bean bags.  Creating in front of people and letting them see your process was challenging and liberating at the same time. I have chosen to collaborate with Stephen Guy who is part of our collective but could not fit his own residency due to being very busy with work. Every day of my residency he would bring an object he made, i.e. an automated toy, and I would create a movement or short film around it. 

I need to make a special note about collective painting I have managed to conduct under the rule of two people interacting around one artwork at the same time. The canvases were touched by professional artists as well as visitors who did not mind getting patins on their hands. Overall, in this time of pandemic restrain, we have managed to put some brave, colourful spark inside our new Arts in the Docks space