Of Other Spaces: Where Does Gesture Become Event? Chapter One,
Cooper Gallery

This exhibition included works by Rose Finn-Kelcey, Alexis Hunter and Monica Ross, three of the women with whom I have been ‘in dialogue,’ during the last few years:

http://annebeanarchive.com/2015-night-chant/

The presence of particular works of theirs in the exhibition, which have been resonant for me over decades, enabled me to continue these dialogues with an added layer. This chance inclusion of works that were especially evocative for me re-opened early conversations with Rose on the divided self, discussions on feminism and the erotic with Alexis and engagements with Monica on human rights and freedom of thought ‘unmindful of bounds.’

The catalogue entry for the exhibition reads:

 Anne Bean will present three new works from her ongoing series of works exploring her relationships with five of her artist contemporaries who recently passed away. Bean intends for these works to be a ‘femage,’ with rather than for these five women, with whom, over time, she had discussed art/life strategies and negotiations. Three of these artists, Alexis Hunter, Rose Finn-Kelcey and Monica Ross are featured in Of Other Spaces and their works will be in dialogue with Bean’s new sculptural installations. In addition, Bean will premiere a new live performance at the 12-Hour Action Group on Saturday 3 December, REACH.

In the performance, REACH, I wrote the entire poem of Hadewijch, a 13th-century poet and mystic, in mirror writing on hand mirrors and gave them to the audience with a torch each so that the poem could be re-created as combined projected reflections on the walls and ceiling.

“All things
are too small
to hold me,
I am so vast

In the Infinite
I reach
for the Uncreated

I have
touched it,
it undoes me
wider than wide

Everything else
Is too narrow

You know this well,
you who are also there”

This performance continued the dialogues with women across times in both the physical and metaphysical sense of reflection, mirroring, projecting, collaborating and responding – reaching for the uncreated.