The Body Event: Language is a Flawed Medium
David Toop and John Latham
September 3 – 18, 2010
September 5, 8pm: “John Latham Films 1960 – 1971”, film presentation with an
introduction by Antony Hudek
Pro qm, Almstadtstr. 48-50, 10119 Berlin
Fri. / Sat. 11- 8 pm
Sunday 5.9 2-10 pm
In the context of “Unter dem Motto 2010”, Pro qm presents an exhibition and
event about the work of the British artist John Latham. “The Body Event:
Language is a Flawed Medium” is the third iteration of David Toop’s sound
work for computer and voice made with John Latham in 2004, two years before
the artist’s death. The sound work will be presented together with a
selection of documents and books.
On Sunday, September 5th, 8pm, a program of films by John Latham will be
screened and introduced by Antony Hudek (co-editor with Athanasios Velios of
“The Portable John Latham”). The films are part of a newly-issued DVD of
John Latham’s films co-published by LUX and Lisson Gallery, which
includes all the artist’s completed films as well as previously un-seen
performance documentations. The exhibition and event is co-organized with
Occasional Papers, London.
“The Body Event” was first presented at John Latham’s exhibition “God is
Great” at Lisson Gallery, London, in 2005. In 2009, the composition was
re-configured at Flat Time House, the artist’s former home in Peckham, South
London. Musician, writer and curator David Toop has followed John Latham’s
practice closely, from his first encounter with the artist’s work in 1968 to
becoming a member of Artist Placement Group in the 1970s and a privileged
interlocutor in Latham’s later years. Toop recently curated with Tony
Herrington an exhibition at Flat Time House entitled “Blow Up: Exploding
Sound and Noise (London to Brighton 1959-1969)”, and will be performing the
premiere of his score based on Latham’s theories, “FLAT TIME/sounding”, at
Whitechapel Gallery, London, on 5 September 2010.
John Latham (1921-2006) was one of the most significant British artists of
the second half of the twentieth-century – a pioneer in the fields of
experimental film, painting, sculpture, and performance. Most importantly in
his own eyes was the concept of Event Structures and Flat Time Theory, which
he saw as revolutionizing not merely art but science, philosophy and
governance.
photo: Walia; courtesy ‘Contemporary British Artists’, Bergstrom+Boyle Books
London, 1979
Occasional Papers
