Crop
Some never had a body to call their own before it was taken away
som aldri hadde en kropp de kunne kalle sin egen før den ble revet bort
ceux dont le corps d’emblée leur est arraché
note – “kropp” is pronounced “crop” = “body” in Norwegian.
“noen” = “some” (Norw.); close to French “nous” (“we“).
“oss” = “us” (Norw.) = pronounced French “os” (“bone“).
In the installation format, the /o/ are all whited out.
OVERVIEW
The text, the missing letter, the graphic pattern.
Text in emergency orange installed with whited out letter /o/. Every /o/ removed is kept as trace and recreated into an open pattern.
BACKGROUND
“Crop”, written in an interwoven trilingual syntax takes the form of a pattern-led litany to express the frequently violent impact of border-crossings, language-crossings for minority or differential status of all kinds. And the way we are each inhabited by this.
In bookform, it is preceded by “Cropper”, a short poetic autobiographic account on discovering my sexuality as minoritarian, and the decision to adopt English as a personal base for my writing & living. Pleasure and trauma. Working a way through.
REVIEWS
JOHN HANSARD GALLERY
Location: John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, UK
Date: 8 Sept -3 Nov 2018
Info: Large scale remake, facing civic square, emergency orange vinyl, pattern of gold /o/ on window, sound piece from Adam Parkinson: a drone of /o/…
Date: 2010
Info: Original set-up, part of solo show Midling English
Elements: Two sided wall. Also a dedicated quadrophonic soundroom. With reflective grey vinyl quote by Edouard Glissant
TATE MODERN | KHOJ ART CENTRE
Location: Tate Modern, London | Khoj Art Centre, New Delhi, India
Date: 12 July – 3 November 2013
Group show Word Sound Power
Date: 10 January – 8 February 2014
Elements: Installed audio and text “Crop”. Second pattern-led text piece, “Voice”
Link: Tate, Word Sound Power
Crop, Actoral, October 5, 2013, Montévidéo, Marseille