Edward Thomasson, Chisenhale Gallery

In his first solo exhibition at Chisenhale Gallery, Edward Thomasson debuts a new film that explores the collective experience of storytelling.

The Artist

Edward Thomasson’s exhibition at the Chisenhale Gallery might be his first major solo show but he is an artist who has all the right credentials for future success. Having been awarded the inaugural Nina Stewart Artist Residency at the South London Gallery in 2011, receiving critical acclaim since, Thomasson is certainly one to watch. 

The Exhibition

This show sees the premiere of The Present Tense: a fictional film piece set on a building site that is caught in a “cycle of urban demolition and construction”. Thomasson developed the work during his eighteen-month Create Residency at the Chisenhale Gallery, a period during which he collaborated with a group of amateur performers from East London. The project originally spawned a play that was first presented in July 2013. Titled Between You and Me, it featured music by composer and sound artist Soosan Lolovar who has also created the soundtrack for this new video work at Chisenhale.

Critical View

Through live art Thomasson’s work explores the degree to which performativity is entrenched in everyday life. Everything from the unspoken rules of the workplace to team building exercises have been used as a starting point for his projects. The Present Tense is exemplary of his approach;  drawing from musical theatre Thomasson is interested in placing amateur and profesional performers outside of a theatrical environment. He looks at how we collectively understand our environment through the act of storytelling and develops a powerful engagement with the audience through this medium.