Opening Event: Thursday 7 September, 6-9pm
Friday 8 and Friday 15 September, 2-7pm
Saturday 9 and Saturday 16 September, 12-6pm
Silently Sounding Sand is a new installation of sculptural works by Dallas Seitz that uses the history of the sand bag as a starting point to create new surrealist forms. During World War II sandbags, or soft armour as they became known, were used to protect civilian structures including churches, stained glass windows, monuments and statuary. Easily transported, inexpensive, and structurally sound, the sandbag has become a visual marker of both disaster and protection.
Sandbags are commonly used in belfry floors to provide a sound barrier to change the sound of the ringing bells. They have the effect of reducing the “harshness” because the sandbag tends to absorb the higher notes more than the lower ones. This shift changes the overall composition of the bell toll, and provides a softer call to prayer for local residents.
Churches witness both the introduction of life and the passing of life. During times of war or natural disaster, churches become a beacon of hope as well as temporary shelters and medical safe houses.
The church of St John on Bethnal Green, designed by Sir John Soane, explores all the senses: spiritual, physical, visual, olfactory and auditory. Seitz’s new anthropomorphic sculptures respond to St John’s belfry, and reflect his interest in the history and politics of a space. Seitz has previously worked on projects inspired by The Yuma Territorial Prison, Titan 2 Missile Silo, The British Museum, the Arizona dessert and his hometown in Alberta, Canada. His work employs a language of materials, along with both personal stories and myths, to create new visual interactions.
More information about Dallas and his work here
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