Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art presents Ana Gallardo: A place to live when we are old. A public art project with Ramiro Gallardo and Mario Gomez Casas, on view 9–15 July 2012.
Ana Gallardo, A place to live when we are old. Courtesy of Ana Gallardo, Ramiro Gallardo and Mario Gomez Casas, and Parasol unit, London. Photograph: Mario Gomez Casas
Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art presents A place to live when we are old, an inter-generational, dance-based piece by Argentinian artist Ana Gallardo, in collaboration with Ramiro Gallardo and Mario Gomez Casas. Bringing people of all ages together through dance, this week-long event at Bishops Square, in the heart of London’s Spitalfields, sees three mature, amateur dancers from Mexico offering demonstrations and lessons of danzón, a typical Mexican dance, to members of the public.
Building on the success of Kate Gilmore’s Walk the Line, the inaugural Parasol Public project staged in June 2011, Parasol unit is now presenting this participatory, site-specific project. A place to live when we are old premiered with great success at the 29th São Paolo Biennial in 2010. For its London debut, Ofelia Martinez Herrera, Concepcion Marvan Pale, and Lucio Romero Rojas, three dancers in their 70s, give presentations of danzón and encourage the public to join in. A place to live when we are old takes place on a purpose-built dance floor in Bishops Square with accompanying music, a site-specific wall drawing, and video projection that together create a dynamic social environment.
In Mexico City, where Ana Gallardo lived for many years, the artist absorbed the culture of danzón, popularly danced by senior people in the public squares. A place to live when we are old focuses on showcasing the sociological concerns surrounding age in modern society. For Gallardo, the project challenges the typically ‘unfavourable image of growing old, often associated with illness, financial constraints, and physical or mental decline.’ The project’s central themes of hope, community, and enjoyment play out through the shared experience of dance.
A place to live when we are old will feature in Big Dance 2012, a nationwide festival that promotes public involvement in a broad range of dance activities in a variety of unconventional places.
Groups and individuals of all ages are welcome. For further information and group bookings, please contact Lucy Britton at [email protected] or Nicola Pomery at [email protected].
This project is generously supported by: Arts Council England / Spitalfields / CONACULTA: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes/ Embassy of Mexico in the United Kingdom / Tower Hamlets Council – www.parasol-unit.org