Ayse Erkmen: Intervals

About

Interspersed throughout the 90-metre space Erkmen presents a series of scenic backdrops that are slowly lowered and raised by an automated fly system. Inspired by the backdrops typically found in the world of theatre, ballet and opera, Erkmen animates eleven large painted cloths of varying dimensions, themes and opacities in a random sequence, dividing the space and suggesting unexpected narratives as the backdrops move up and down. Responding to the Barbican as a leading venue for all the arts, Erkmen brings an element that is normally in the background to the forefront, as if these backdrops were performers in their own production