about the project
this experimental video is a progression of a collaborative project between writer, performer and director, lindiwe matshikiza (south africa), and visual artist, flora parrott (uk). their exchange has taken place entirely over long distance, via email, skype and whatsapp, and had a first public showing as part of ‘i’m in the bath on all fours’: a 3-phase visual art exhibition and interspersed series of talks, performances, workshops and screenings curated by well projects, margate, and parrott. in each phase of ‘i’m in the bath on all fours’ a pair of artists, artist groups or researchers were invited to collaborate and expand upon notions of the subaqueous, engaging with the nature of water, embodied experience and the deep dark in relation to community and commonality.
in its current iteration, ‘i’m in the bath on all fours’ is part of sonia’s boyce’s ‘in the castle of my skin’, previously exhibited at eastside gallery, birmingham, and due to exhibit at middlesbrough institute of modern art (mima) in june 2021.
for the project on ima, parrott and matshikiza have returned to a piece of their original source material, a youtube video taken at the aach spring in germany by one of the members of the cave diving club, stephan schild. the video shows footage of divers entering the cave system and navigating the dark, sediment rich waters, eventually finding the cave loach. returning to this video, this time with the audio developed by matshikiza, has been an opportunity to revisit the core themes of the project and to find new connections and rhythms with which to continue thinking.
the artists would like to thank joachim kreiselmaier and stephan schild for their assistance in the development of this video work.