Speaking The Land is an exciting ‘lens and story-based work’ created by Dundee-based international visual artists Dalziel + Scullion. Their work is exhibited at the Midsteeple, High Street, Dumfries from 6th to 26th November, admission free.

Matthew Dalziel and Louise Scullion, who have been selected for important national and international exhibitions including the British Art Show and the Venice Biennale, have created Speaking The Land, a work in three short films looking at the landscape of Dumfries and Galloway, working with writers Robin Lloyd-Jones, Jay Griffiths and John Burnside. The idea was to create a work which would look at the absence of a type of ‘narrative’ from the landscape. Once, the act of storytelling was meshed to deeply embedded ways of understanding a locality and its relationship with people. Louise Scullion said, “The land itself was the primary mnemonic for stories: it became a vessel to store knowledge or wisdom of ways to live on the land”.

Matthew Dalziel said, “It’s been an opportunity to do something we haven’t done before, and connect voice to landscape, working with three exciting writers. I’ve also really enjoyed the enormous variety of landscape here in Dumfries and Galloway”.

In August of this year Matthew and Louise filmed in three locations: at the Watters of Minnoch, Loch Dee and Glen Trool. They then worked with the writers to create the language that would inhabit the films. The location of each film is represented by their phonetic alphabet – Minnoch [‘mlncx]; Trool [‘trul]; Dee [‘di:]

‘Through these stories, these places keep us alive
through these stories we keep these places alive’.

The response from audiences visiting the exhibition so far has been dramatic – ‘it’s like the closeness you feel if you lie in the grass and watch a flower’; ‘just beautiful’; ‘a wonderful, almost hypnotic experience’.

Speaking The Land was commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage, in partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association, and with support from Leader for Homecoming on your Doorstep.

Public Art Officer Jan Hogarth for DGAA said, “I’m absolutely thrilled that Matthew and Louise are creating new work inspired by our region’s stunning landscape. It’s a real honour that artists of such high calibre and genuine passion for the land have responded to our invitation to work here.”

This exhibition builds on the growing reputation of this region as the home of environmental art, a reputation sustained by the partnership between DGAA, SNH and the Forestry Commission.

Area Manager for SNH, Chris Miles said, “The landscapes here are etched with human activity over time. We hope this work will stimulate people to look at their landscapes, to think about the stories behind them and gain a greater appreciation for one of the area’s greatest natural resources”.

n Dumfries & Galloway the Homecoming programme Homecoming on your Doorstep – Dumfries & Galloway Celebrates is being delivered through a public, private and third sector partnership consisting of Dumfries & Galloway Council, Visit Scotland, Leader, Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association and business sponsorship from AMD Contract Services, The Aston Hotel, Dumfries, and Arts and Business New Arts Sponsorship Scheme.

For more information visit: www.homecomingonyourdoorstep.com www.homecomingscotland2009.com

Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association
Gracefield Arts Centre
Edinburgh Road
Dumfries,
DG1 1JQ
Tel: 01387 253383
Fax: 01387 253303

http://www.dgaa.net/