Salamèche

The film’s title focuses on irresponsibility rather than responsibility. If we stop holding something up, through choice or necessity, are we responsible if gravity, time, or some other force then destroys it?
– Hamish MacPherson

A figure drops a series of objects found throughout a domestic space. Each shot returns us to an identical situation: a woman holding up an object, and then releasing it from her hands to allow gravity to pull it to the ground. The objects and backgrounds vary, but the only meaningful change is in how long it takes for her to let go. This simple proposition develops into a game of timing, with a linger sense of suspense and threat.

It’s Out of Our Hands embraces the pleasures of open-handedness, irresponsibility and destruction – even at the risk of dropping things on one’s toes. We made it over the course of an afternoon, in which we really should have been doing marketing for a different performance. To avoid this admin, we decided that people turning up or not was simply out of our control.

This simple work has long been considered a fan favourite. We think it’s the best way to quickly get to know our practice. It bagged us an exhibition in Germany.

Video: First presented in 2019 at GRAFT, a group exhibition at The Harris Museum (Preston) curated by Garth Gratrix for UKNA.

Created with the support of Sue and Imi Maufe.

Hamish McPherson has written about the work here.