Overview
Sriwhana Spong (New Zealand, lives and works in London) is interested in the relationship between the body and language. Her new film castle-crystal begins with the writings of the 16th century mystic St Teresa of Avila (the subject of feminist Julia Kristeva’s novel Teresa: My Love), whose book The Interior Castle imagines a castle-crystal, a fictional space that gives Teresa the courage to write. Spong is interested in how Teresa’s imaginary castle creates a free space for the imagination and discourse, and offers an image of a vast interiority, a space in which women can authorise their own speaking.
The idea of text as architecture or architecture as text, is further explored in relation to a 12th century Javanese poem, the Bhomāntaka, alongside the personal tale of a family bathroom. The film traces these intimate dwellings to consider fictional spaces as important sites for sparking visions of possible futures and future bodies.
Spong’s new work is accompanied by a special display of sculptures in the intimate neo-classical architecture of St. Bernard’s Well - open Thu—Sun, 12noon–5pm.
Commissioned with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Supported by the PLACE Programme, a partnership between Edinburgh Festivals, Scottish Government,
City of Edinburgh Council and Creative Scotland. With additional support from Creative New Zealand, Institut français d’Ecosse and Museums & Galleries Edinburgh.
When
25 July – 25 August
Daily, 10am—5pm
Where
Institut français d’Ecosse
West Parliament Square,
Edinburgh, EH1 1RF