WELCOME TO THE WORK OF ARTIST'S HILARY KNEALE AND ANN RAPSTOFF CONCERNING AN EXPLORATION OF WATER

Wednesday 31 October 2007

RETURN OF THE GO-BETWEEN'S - CONTINUUM FROM THE RHIEN/RHINE RETURN TO THE THAMES - 1ST NOVEMBER

The Go-Between's completed their intention by carrying water from the Rhine/Rhein to the Thames in Oxford on November 1st 2007. The return journey and mingling of the waters of both cities - in both cities brought with it a time of reflection concerning the work, its focus and possibilities for future actions. On the return journey we sat in adjoining seats with two people from England who were peace activists, who had for many years worked to highlight and make visible alternative possibilities to combat between nations in conflict. They created simple, peaceful actions that have become a mirror for societies to see themselves and reflect. As we carried our precious cargo of life giving waters across invisible boundaries, we mused on the subtle differences between countries constructed through human intervention. The rivers of Thames and Rhine/Rhein flow across borders created by human intervention, over millennia, merging with the salty waters of the collective sea. All waters once again beginning their transmogrification, becoming mist, cloud, steam, snow, rain and fog, soaking into and through the land and flowing towards the sea once more as rivers. Our action as Go-Between's carrying liquid in small delicate uncorked glass vials around our necks between Oxford and Bonn, accentuated the preciousness of the water that humanity seems to take so much for granted. The Go-Betweens have spoken since returning, of further actions of exchanging life giving waters, thinking about space, boundaries, being on the move and how we inhabit land. In remembrance that humans are carers of water; it is not ours, it is the ‘jewel’ most precious to all of life. photographer, Kay Sentance The Go-Betweens returned from their trip to Bonn, transporting water as fluid messengers from The Rhine/Rhein. The journey culminated in Oxford, where they deposited the water into The Thames. Witnesses were invited to walk and participate in the ritual and join The Go-Betweens in a silent walk, inviting communication through action and intention and overriding the need for oral communication. Through this ritual form of exchange and transfer, the artist’s see themselves as embodying their role of messenger as they Go-Between countries. These actions of ceremony, ritual, collection and exchange, explore how we honour water as a resource and raises questions concerning cross national connections, borders, space, place and language. The Go-Betweens invite you to witness this action. Join them at Magdalen Road Bridge, Oxford at 10.30am on Thursday November 1st, for a silent walk taking approximately one hour. 'The conversation of the gods!- I didn't resent or feel aggrieved because I couldn't understand it. I was the smallest of the planets, and I carried messages between them and I couldn't always understand that was in order, too; they were something in a foreign language - star talk' From The Go-Between LP Hartley

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The Go-Betweens have begun their journey

Hilary Kneale and Ann Rapstoff are artists who have collaborated on a number of projects since 2001. There current work entitled The Go-Between charts their journey between the cities of Oxford and Bonn, in which they explore journeys, walking, ritual and the exchange of water between The Thames and The Rhein/Rhine. The Go-Between was a developing project and part of ‘Umfeld-Inwelt’ (En-vironment, In-vironment) at The Frauenmuseum Bonn

Witnesses/participants were invited to join silent walks for the Oxford part of the Go-Between from Magdalen Bridge, Oxford at 14.00 on Friday, 19th October, 2007 <> To witness an action and ritual of collecting water. This continued with an overland journey to Germany and the dispersal of this water into the Rhein/Rhine in silence from the Frauenmuseum in Bonn; 14.30 on Friday October 26, 2007, Frauenmuseum, on Thursday November 1st, the The Go-Betweens returned overland to The Thames in Oxford to deposit the water from the Rhine and complete their journey.

Walk in silence with The Go-Betweens at any part of their journey, contact them here at the blog at anytime.

The Go-Between (Der Vermittler)

Hilary Kneale und Ann Rapstoff

Begleiten Sie die Künstlerinnen bei einem Gang vom Frauenmuseum, Aufbruch um 14.30 Uhr am Freitag, dem 26. Oktober (etwa 1 Std.)

Als Teil der aktuellen Ausstellung Umfeld < - > Inwelt im Frauenmuseum werden Hilary Kneale und Ann Rapstoff in Oxford beginnen. Sie werden Wasser von der Themse abfüllen, und dieses Wasser als flüssigen Boten über Land nach Bonn transportieren. Nach der Ankunft in Bonn werden sie das Wasser der Themse in zeremonieller Stille gegen Wasser des Rheins austauschen. Dadurch werden die Städte und ihre Einwohner Teil eines gegenseitigen Austausches von leblebensspendendem Wasser, unterstützt durch die Vermittler.

Die Einwohner von Oxford und Bonn sind eingeladen dem Ritual beizuwohnen, aufgefordert zu einladender Kommunikation durch Aktion und Intention und machen damit das Erfordernis nach mündlicher Kommunikation überflüssig. Die Arbeit endet, wenn sie nach Oxford zurückkehren und das Wasser des Rheins in die Themse einfüllen.

Interesting links

The Politics of water, on the world service; the US/Mexico border, Israel, Sweden/Russia/Baltic sea and Namibia

Enterchange performance and the environment


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