News

I have a solo show coming up in December at a new space in Clerkenwell, London called The Deleadus Gallery. I will be exhibiting work made during the Connecticut residency and the outcome of the residency at The Aberystwyth Arts Centre. It will be called Reader, I Married Him.

 

Last week I was awarded the Jerwood Opera Fellowship along with Jack Underwood, poet, and Elspeth Brooke, composer. We were one of five successful group applications from nearly a hundred. The fellowship, in conjunction with Aldeburgh music, gives us the opportunity to write, devise, design and produce a full length opera to be showcased in 24 months at the Britten-Peers School in Snape Maltings, Suffolk.

Theatre of Possibilities in conjunction with the Cy Twombly show at Tate Modern, finished at The Almeida last week to a great response.
I designed the sets and video. The Musical Director was Richard Bernas and the Director was Mike Ashman . Mezzo Soprano Sally Burgess performing Tancredi and Clorinda by Monterverdi, below:

 
 

 
Sadly the residency in CT, USA is nearly over. Much fun has been had and work made. Moments of cabin fever (literally in a cabin in the woods) and the need to escape to NY. See our blog:

See WIP images below:
 

 

Lucy Newman-Cleeve, Director of Man and Eve Gallery will be curating an evening of films to be shown at The Ritzy Cinema, Brixton, on April 29th. Unfortunately I won't be there, but some of my new work will. Showing alongside Sophie Clements and Sophy Rickett.

I am currently designing the set for a production of Stravinsky's opera The Rake's Progress - libretto by W.H. Auden. It will be performed by students from Trinity College of Music at Blackheath Hall, end of June. See Hockney's wonderful 1975 design below.

The Wallis Gallery are screening some of my work at their 'Making Mistakes' evening of performance events on April 5th. Come along. It promises to be intriguing...
www.thewallisgallery.eu

Man and Eve gallery will be screening a new piece of work on Tuesday 18th as part of their Walls Have Ears exhibition. The piece uses original music composed by John Barber. Unfortunately the screening room only seats thirty so it's by invitation only. www.manandeve.co.uk

 

I'm going to I-Park in Connecticut for a four-week residency. I will live and work within the artists' community, located in 450 acres of beautiful woodland. Let me know if you're in NYC late April or early June.

The Aberystwyth Arts Centre has just had a series of artists' studios designed and built by Heatherwick Studios see: www.heatherwick.com Part of the new art programme at the centre involves a series of three and six month residencies. I will be artist in residence from September to November this year.
Come and visit - please.

I have recently been invited to design a video set for two pieces by John Cage and a piece by Monteverdi for the Almeida Theatre's opera festival this summer. More details to follow. www.almeida.co.uk/opera

The Embassy are screening two new Rees pieces tomorrow evening (October 31st). Please join us if you're Scotland bound - (or already there, of course). at Edinburgh College of Art, Sculpture Court at 7pm. 0044 (0) 131 667 2808 www.embassygallery.co.uk

Just back from the final week of the residency in Suffolk. Pigbeast, a twelve minute opera, was performed on the final day.



 

Exhibiting in the Claremorris Open this year. The adjudicator is Ingrid Swenson and the Private view is next Saturday the 8th September for those of you anywhere near County Mayo, Ireland. Runs until 29th September inclusive.

'How We May Be' was a project at Tate Lightbox, Tate Britain for Late at Tate co-curated by me and some of the postgraduate students I work with at Chelsea: Andy Best, Zoe Darling and Nick Hornby. The showreel of images was in response to the photographic exhibition at Tate Britain 'How We Were'. The work was selected by the curators from applications made by postgraduate students at Chelsea College of Art and Design.

Back from Spain after 5 days in the sunshine.

Back last week from Aldeburgh, Suffolk after a week-long residency at Snape Maltings. Workshops run by Opera Director Stephen Langridge, Designer Ally Chitty and Composer Harrison Birstwhistle (AKA Sir Harry). A wonderful week of rigorous discussion, singing Roy Orbison, and drinking copious amounts.

Our team consists of: Bijan Sheibani, director, Jack Underwood, poet, Elspeth Brooke, composer and me. (See below). We will be devising a 12 minute opera to be performed at Snape Maltings in October. I think we have a singing pig...

Rosie (of the NYO) playing the harp behind an Anish Kapoor sculpture during the Tate Modern site-specific performance.

Sunday 22nd July sees a one-off performance of a newly devised piece of music by the National Youth Orchestra. The project is directed by composers Jan Hendrikse and Fraser Trainer. I will be making a video work in response to the musical score. The works will be performed and shown at Tate Modern, London.

Just back from Vara, Sweden, where I was Artistic Director on Share Music Sweden summer 2007. Amazing and hilarious, as ever. Our theme was 'silence' based on John Cages' various writings on the subject. Team: Jan Hendrikse, Veera Suvalo-Grimberg, Pelle Cello Helene Karabuda and Myriam Mazzoni.