IC Visual Lab
ICVL / 2022-2023
Producers: Fergus Thomas (Artist and project manager), Alejandro Acin (Art Director) & Isaac Blease (Curator)
Contributors: ELKCO (Fabrication), Matt Wright, Janire Nájera, Rhys Davies, Elizabeth Tomlin, Gareth Machin, Dr David Hale, Sally Williams, Father Mark Owen, Kevin Eadon-Davies, David Barnes and Sebastian Bruno
In collaboration with: St. Turdors Church, University of the South Wales and CULTVR
Supported by: Arts Council of Wales and Cwm a Mynydd Rural Development Programme for Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent through the Welsh Government's Rural Communities Rural Development Programme 2014-2020
‘The Faculty Divine’ by Fergus Thomas displayed in two acts a series of large-scale photographic works made in the Sirhowy Valley, within the historic space of St Tudors Church (Mynyddislwyn). Firstly as a site-specific installation at St.Tudors Church in Caerphilly and later at CULTVR Gallery in Cardiff, the installation includes Fergus Thomas’ photographs, Islywn’s writting, a video piece and additional archival artefacts forming a poetic, sociological investigation into the region grappling with its historic, cultural and religious realities. The work employs a mixture of atmospheric, lyrical and allusive images, which play on both the shadow and light that envelop the natural and urban forms so intrinsic to the South Wales area.
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