Curatorial Brief:

"Originally created during a period of heightened concern over surveillance in London, Francis Alÿs’s The Nightwatch follows a fox’s movement through the National Portrait Gallery via CCTV, amplifying tensions between freedom of movement and controlled space. With the film and research archives provided by ArtAngel, Scene Seen: Acting for Whom? invites audiences to question the power dynamics of seeing, being seen, and navigating invisible institutional structures. While physical surveillance has become normalised, new digital and political forms continue to shape contemporary life."

​​​

Practitioners:

H. M. Baker’s "BIG TIME" (2024) is presented across from a running clock, both mounted on poles connecting the floor to mezzanine ceiling, while carpet tiles sourced from Martin's Bank create a path between them in a new iteration of her past work titled "BIG SLEEP" (2024) presented in the Hangar Space at the Royal College of Art, exploring performative productivity within labour practices. The film alternates between rehearsal and final-cut footage in an office setting, interrogating the cyclical demands of corporate performance.

 

Donna Kim’s "Traces of Breath" (2025) performed on opening night encapsulates the tension between performativity and productivity, framing care as a mode of resistance. While Baker shows what it looks like to perform in institutions, Kim reveals how it feels. Audiences are invited to question the roles of actor and spectator throughout the exhibition. This relational gesture extends into a movement workshop orchestrated by the curatorial team.