→ Watch the performance here
Word Weathers is an interactive durational writing performance that considers the radical nature of now-ness as a temporal state of atmospheric contingency bound by location, observation and critical reflection on the state of a biosphere in crisis. Over the course of 24 hours, a full rotation of the earth, on 21 June 2022 – the Winter/Summer solstice – we collaborate, write, read, image, sound, respond, edit, augment and supplement a single continuous text and mark-making performance visible to all event participants. This online performance writing exchange will include others situated around the globe to participate as guests to watch and record their weather. Our collective efforts will be to become weather: to mark the moment of transition from navigational, geographical and meteorological thought and the emergence of an extended dawn around the globe.
About the Host Artist-Writers
Julieanna Preston assembled an original group of five artistic researchers to develop the first collaborative, online, writing performance of Word Weathers in 2021. This core group have established practices in live art, sound art, installations and performative writing. They are drawn together by various expertise on weather, climate change and noticing as topics and processes at the forefront of contemporary thought and action. They share a curiosity around the spatiality of language and its material constitution to do more than represent. 30 or more artist-writers from around the world join in this live writing event at the time of their dawn.
Andy Lock
Andy Lock is an artist, researcher and educator. His work utilises the spoken-word, installation, photography, performance and situated writing to create speculative spaces which explore the experience of inhabiting sites and disclosing the presences repressed or denied therein. Andy’s work has been exhibited internationally, and published in several collections.
Julieanna Preston
Julieanna Preston speculates on the vitality of materials through durational site-situated live art, installations, videos, and performance writing. Recent works include breath-taking (2019, Denmark), RPM Hums (2018, NZ), Being Under Symphony (2019, USA), “You are embued with tolerance…” (2019, Architecture & Culture), “Road Care” (Jen Archer-Martin, 2020, Performance Care), “motor-mouthing” (2020, Voice and New Materialism), HARK (2021, Wellington).
Layne Waerea
Layne Waerea (Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Kahungunu, Pākehā) is an artist and educator interested in site-specific, socio-legal performance to video and photograph, and related performance writing and presentation. Recent work includes Māori Love Hotel (2020, Auckland), But what if someone wanted to sue a river? (2019, panel presentation AAANZ) and an ongoing participatory project – the chasing fog club (Est. 2014).
Mick Douglas
Mick Douglas is an artist and academic working across performance, art, social practice and performative writing. Recent work includes performance installations at MONA and The Performance Arcade Wellington, establishing ‘untitled station’ – a residential arts research place in the Australian Wimmera, and writings in journals Performance Research and JAR.