Open until Saturday 17th July 2010.
He drinks his soup in rapid spoonfuls. Although he makes no excessive gestures, although he holds his spoon quite properly and swallows the liquid without making any noise, he seems to display, in this modest task, a disproportionate level of energy and zest. It would be difficult to specify exactly what way he is neglecting some essential rule, at what particular point he is lacking in discretion.
Avoiding any noticeable defect, his behaviour nevertheless does not pass unnoticed. And, by contrast, it accentuates the fact that A… has just completed the same operation without having seemed to move – but without attracting any attention, on the other hand, by an abnormal immobility. It takes a glance at her empty though stained plate to discover that she has not neglected to serve herself.
Memory succeeds, moreover, in reconstituting several movements of her right hand and her lips, several comings and goings of the spoon between the plate and her mouth, which might be considered as significant.
To be still more certain, it is enough to ask her if she doesn’t think the cook has made the soup too salty.
“Oh no”, she answers, “You have to eat salt so as not to sweat.”
Which, on reflection, does not prove beyond a doubt that she tasted the soup today.
Chris Bird, B. 1971, Birmingham; Ian Evans, B. 1982, Glasgow; Alec Steadman, B. 1983, Sidcup, and all based London, UK. The Hut Project is an artist collective formed in 2005. Evans and Steadman completed their BAs in Sonic Art and Fine Art respectively in 2005, while Bird graduated BA Fine Art in 2006, all at Middlesex University, London. Evans also has a PGDip in Contemporary Art History from Goldsmiths College, London (2007). Recent shows include BolteLang, Switzerland and ICA, London, as well as international group shows.
Passage taken from ‘Jealousy’ by Alain Robbe-Grillet, published by Les Editions Minuit, Paris in 1957.
Following this exhibition there will be a series of Punctuation Programmes before the gallery closes for the summer.
Limoncello
www.thehutproject.co.uk/giles.html
