Furies Collective
Furies Collective Present One Extended Meditation
A word does not start as a word – it is an end product which begins as an impulse, […] the word is a small visible portion of a gigantic unseen formation. [Peter Brook]
The artistic creative process is an act which relates to the intermediary process, by which the intangible is made tangible through an art form, or as Peter Brook suggests, a word. This is the culmination of a process which constitutes ‘a gigantic unseen formation’.
This premise formed part of the research which Maltese curator and creative Hannah Dowling carried out for her dissertation, for her B.A. (Hons.) in History of Art degree at the University of Malta. A few years later, Hannah found herself in an environment with likeminded creatives who were also driven by a similar notion. She met these artists during her time at the Royal College of Art in London, where she recently completed her MA in Curating Contemporary Art, and was supported by the Malta Arts Scholarship Scheme. Towards the end of the year-long programme, Hannah was invited by fellow student Margot Wilson, to join her newly-founded FURIES COLLECTIVE, which seeks to explore this creative act through acts of collaboration and meditation.
The FURIES COLLECTIVE comprises of nine female and non-binary artists, who are united by their shared interest in the creative act. The term ‘Furies’ stems from the verb iteration of the word Erinyes, meaning ‘to raise, stir, excite’. Therefore, the Collective approach every aspect of art as a verb and a portal of transformation, only possible with and through audience alchemy. Last month, they held their debut exhibition ONE EXTENDED MEDITATION at Copeland Gallery, London. Through experimental meditative practices, performance, and theatrical improvisation, this exhibition, which was on show from the 17-20 October 2024, aimed to underline the affective nature of the ‘impulse’ of creation. During the exhibition run, each artist offered different meditations towards their understanding of the creative act, where they sought to present art as an active force, always in the process of emerging, never static. Essentially, this radical and intimate exhibition was brought together through the affective curation of Hannah Dowling (MLT), whereby she aimed to create a space which carried the potential to engage transformative viewership.
From the politically adjacent installations of Maria Helena Toscano (VEN), Suni Mullen (USA), Athena Mothership (CHN) and Elinor Henry (UK); to the existentialist reflections of spatial awareness posed by Amanda Cornish (UK), Lujane Pagganwala (PAK) and Sara Emil Christova (BGR), and the trance based investigations of pre- and post-patriarchal dualism by the collective’s founder Margot Wilson (UK), the FURIES’ collective quest is envisioning a non-binary, non-polemic world. Through these creative acts, the multi-gallery space emerged as a hub of collaboration; where the artists worked individually and collectively on their own meditative acts, to orchestrate new ways of being. The poetry of these connections filled each room, reflecting how art can ‘raise, stir, and excite’, thus offering the space for introspection.
The show also consisted of an extensive live programme, where guest performers were invited to respond to the exhibition through improvised actions, further extending this meditation into the realm of performance. The programme featured performances by the FURIES, Tomás Eyzaguirre, Donna Kim, Bianco Li, Zhuyang Liu and Lil Soap. Moreover, this exhibition also unveiled collaborations with filmmaker Sung Hoon Song and photographer James Merrell, respectively showcasing a short film and series of photographs which capture the FURIES in action, and ultimately allude towards the next journey for the Collective.
