Commonwealth Suite featured two new Collective film commissions
from Jordan Baseman and Henna-Riikka Halonen. Both artists were commissioned to make new work related to the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh. The pool was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games at a time when Edinburgh was reimagining itself. The exhibition Commonwealth Suite marks the pools' closure for refurbishment in June 2009.
Jordan Baseman's film centred on an interview with Ian, a veteran gym user. The interview is a personal and intimate account of the connections between his life, with visits to the leisure complex. The narrative and visual elements both discombobulate and demonstrate themes of loss and regeneration.
Henna-Riikka Halonen filmed a re-interpretation of The Bathhouse, a 1930s Russian Constructivist play, which satirises state bureaucracy. Henna-Riikka used the parallels between the content, title and visual resemblance of 'The Bathhouse' theatre set to the Royal Commonwealth Pool's diving platforms as a starting point for her commission. Edinburgh Junior Diving Club members perform as actors on the diving platform in her theatrical short film.
Download the exhibition information here
Read about Commonwealth Suite in The List
Archive, Offsite, Events: Performance Diving Event, 22 May 2009, 6—8pm
This is an archived programme entry.
