Overview

In the world of theatre, comedy and tragedy often share the same space. In the manner of a Shakespearean play or Burlesque theatre, these two elements were bought together through the exhibition A Comedy of Errors. Three artists from the UK were invited to undertake residencies at Artspace to explore the tragicomic aspects of their work. Using the gallery like a stage or film-set, installation and performance works blended Shakespearean antics with a touch of Tarantino, inviting us to laugh at events underpinned with macabre darkness.

Spartacus Chetwynd is known for her exuberant performances in which she re-enacts iconic scenes from literature, cinema and art using handmade costumes, choreography and elaborate stage sets. Chetwynd presented a performance during the opening night, incorporating grotesque humour and grand theatrics.

Craig Fisher juxtaposes violence with delicate stitch-work to create strangely beautiful works such as upholstered pools of blood and damask covered dynamite. His new installation presented a minefield of mini disasters waiting to happen.

Debra Swann‘s work transforms everyday materials into fantastical objects including Sellotape exoskeletons and faux taxidermy such as her curious Yeti skin rug. Swann presented relics from another world upon the stage of A Comedy of Errors.