Event

Papay Gyro Nights 2011: 1st International Contemporary Art Festival

14 Feb 2011 – 21 Feb 2011

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LAND ART - PAPA WESTRAY

Orkney, United Kingdom

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Travel Information

  • from Kirkwall, Orkney: Orkney Ferries - 1.5hrs, LoganAir - 15min
Directions via Google Maps Directions via Citymapper
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Curated by vanov & Chan

About

Experimental film and video, installation, performance, painting, architecture and storytelling. The idea of PAPAY GYRO NIGHTS Arts Festival has originated from the ancient Papay tradition of The Night of The Gyros (or Gryla, or Grylur as its know in other Nordic countries), which till the beginning of 20s century was celebrated on the island in the first full moon of February. Against as reconstructing what is gone and almost forgotten, we would like to reflect on the folktale, the island as well as interpretations of tradition and ritual through contemporary art, music, architecture and storytelling In February, when nights are long and weather can be vicious and only brave ones will dare to undertake a journey across the rough sea, the Island will be transformed into the art gallery, where works will be displayed in unconventional locations, changing perception of the timeless landscape. Selected works are overlayering landscape and stories, representing Ritual by themselves, or becoming tactile fragments of Ritual and exploring Tradition as a fluid creative process. All together the Festival is creating a new synthetic form, combining various medium into the MOVEMENT IN THE NIGHT WITH A FIRE, CHASE IN THE DARK, GOODBYE TO WINTER - into The Opera — The Night of The Gyros. As our island is not very big in size and it can be difficult to accommodate a big number of visitors - we do not want to create a big festival, but the great one, which will become a local event of international significance, where wider audience will be reached through all around the year programme and means of modern technology. Island is a special place where impossible assemblages are created by a blend of isolation, routine of the seasons, stories brought by travelers, strange objects washed on the shore — where history and folklore are personal creations as everyone and everyrock has got a name. …and every roadkill is amending eco-system. You have to as responsible here for you action as a time-traveler can be. Only our weather can keep the place in balance - bringing down, crumbling everything what is abandoned.

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