The Vernacular History of the Golden Rhubarb

Bosse & Baum Gallery 2017

Supported by Arts Council England

images Damian Griffiths & Oskar Proctor

Text by Oren Margolis

Performers: Joel O'Donoghue, Lorea Burge, Andrew Gardiner

The Vernacular History of the Golden Rhubarb was an immersive installation of sculpture, performance and moving image exploring the fetishism of anthropological objects. Theatrically transforming the gallery space and conjuring up a space reminiscent of a Roman courtyard which also served as a platform for live events and participatory experiences. The project was drawn out research undertaken during a year long residency at the British School at Rome (2012-13). The sculptures were imagined from a catalogue of bizarre stories and absurd rituals surrounding artefacts gathered from historians and archaeologists and ancient and contemporary guidebooks. A series of gifs were made from social media footage taken during a performance workshop within the exhibition.