Joanna Karolini

Unprivileged Highs and Lows’- Joanna Karolini
Opening: Monday, 22.February 2010, 6-8pm (with background sound radiation by Christian Cherene)

Refurbishment- what is going on in PS²: the floorboards ripped up, exposed rafters, sawdust, the usual mess if you have builders in.
At a closer look, the destruction happens quite orderly: the floor panels are carefully placed against the white walls, the floor layers are exposed in sections. The work of a specialist firm of building conservationist or archeologists?
Joanna Karolini, who works in film and installation, is the fourth artist in the series ‘sounding out space’, a multidisciplinary exploration of the 23sqm PS² space.
In ‘Unprivileged Highs and Lows’, she investigates with a historic and artistic curiosity, what’s underneath the floor of the art space.
She peels off the layers and uncovers materials placed upon each other, serving different functions and tastes of a building dating back to 1870.
‘I am particularly interested in the floor. It carries the heaviest but silent evidence of weight. Unseen and un-noticed, traces are left by artists, artworks and audiences using the gallery. It’s my canvas... I will re-negotiate the gallery’s own architecture and function, focusing mainly on the architecture of traces left by the cultural activities, on/in/under the floor.’ (J.Karolini)

These traces do not only excite your own imagination of people and the use of the space in the past, this site specific project exposes a material beauty which refers back to the current use of the space for art.
This is the 4th in the series of ‘sounding out space', a series of explorative projects around aspects of space (architectural, emotional, historical, practical…). The 23m² of project space with its public exposure to the street is the object of investigation with a wide range of multidisciplinary approaches; artists, musician, choreographer, a cat, interior designer, spiritualistic medium, refurbishment people, tenants... All projects are recorded and documented by Fiona Larkin.
Projects in the 'sounding out space' series:
(1) Matt Green: 'Present place', 2008 www.pssquared.org/sounding%20out%20space.php
(2) Kathy Graham: 'Portraits', 2009 www.pssquared.org/KathyGraham2.php
(3)Tobias Sternberg: 'Yourself from the outside', 2009 www.pssquared.org/TobiasSternberg.php

Opening times: Wed- Sat: 1 - 5pm
Late Night Art: 04 March, 6 - 9pm
Special site-entrance accompanied by the artist: Monday 8th and 15th March, 5.30 – 6.30pm
‘Unprivileged Highs and Lows’ continuous till 20 March 2010

PS²is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland; Late Night Art is funded by Belfast City Council.
For more information see www.pssquared.org/J.Karolini.php or contact 07733457772 / pssquared@btconnect.com