I am from Reykjavik
A woman builds a small house in a public space. Four strokes of paint sprayed on the asphalt form a square in the middle of the city. For seven straight hours, these marked boundaries will be the scene of an unusual encounter. Surrounded by plants, a framed family photo, a cup of tea ready to be made, and maybe some music, slowly and calmly, Sonia Hughes sets up a space for herself. I am from Reykjavik is part sculpture, part ceremony, part protest.
Where do you come from? What brings you here? What makes up your home? Simple as they may be, Sonia Hughes’ questions can seem almost impudent. Her performances, often involving some kind of participation, address identity through an open-ended, conversational approach. Poetic and unpretentious, her works are there to connect people.
About the artist
Sonia Hughes (Manchester)
A poet, performer, and activist, Sonia Hughes directly and unceremoniously tackles complex social and political questions with deceptively simple strategies.
Media Coverage
“There’s such beautiful synchronicity to this piece where happy little design accidents happen. A piece about home where someone builds a temporary structure.”
Josh Coates, Corridor8 (United Kingdom), 07-12-2022
“I am from Reykjavik asks what it means for somewhere to become home and through which actions this is formed — both from the inhabitant and from the public; what actions are allowed and not allowed, what conversations are had, where is help given and how tea is shared.”
Hannah Draper, Dance Art Journal (United Kingdom), 01-09-2022
“Hughes manages to be at once open and closed, serene and defiant. The installation is deceptively simple, its emotional power only becoming apparent when you take the time to sit with the house, with the artist, on the rainy promenade with cyclists and dog-walkers flickering through the space.”
Kerry Lane, The Skinny (United Kingdom), 25-08-2022
Interview
“My wish is for the public to witness the whole scene—these passersby, this woman who is me, this place… What I’m offering is to become a witness of the situation and of yourself in relationship to everything that is present, as in any work of art.”
Schedule
- Sat01Jun11 a.m.
- Sun02Jun11 a.m.
- Tue04Jun11 a.m.
Between the lake and the Calixa-Lavallée Cultural Centre
June 2: Morgan Park (Mercier−Hochelaga-Maisonneuve)
June 4: Forecourt of the Piscine Saint-Denis (Rosemont–La petite-Patrie)
Info
Parc Lafontaine Parc Morgan Parvis de la piscine Saint-DenisLength
7 h
