Process + Place: Mark Thompson, Semaphore

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Feb 12 – Mar 19, Sun-Thurs 12-5PM

40 years ago, Mark Thompson (AIR ’86) was part of the initial cohort of artists who laid the foundations for what would become Headlands Center for the Arts. To mark the close of its 40th year, Headlands invited Thompson back to create a new work in dialogue with the place and reflective of the passage of time – both at Headlands and in his own creative life.

Conceived of in response to the resonant qualities of the Gym, “Semaphore” harkens back to key works in Thompson’s oeuvre: “Immersion” (1973-76), and Thompson’s collaboration with dancer Joanna Haigood, “The keeping of bees is like the directing of sunshine” (1987) presented at Headlands. A lifelong beekeeper, both works included delicate, symbiotic relationships with living beehives.

Revisiting these iconic works, “Semaphore” brings the past to the present, and transforms Headlands’ Gym into a multi-sensory installation utilizing sound, video, architectural intervention, and beeswax. With its tight focus and abstracted interplay between human and swarm, Semaphore speaks to the cyclical nature of time and the possibilities of inter-species communication.

Presented by Headlands Center for the Arts

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