FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE RESIDENCY
2014
For Snapcat’s first project, Renae and Anna built two coracles - rudimentary one-person vessels. Once common on the rivers of Ireland and Wales, coracles were historically built from willow and animal skins, and were often used in pairs for fishing - two boats could pull a net between them. Tricky to control on the water, they can be carried on the back with relative ease, and have been found in various forms all over the world.
In the context of Snapcat’s work, these boats stood for companionship and survival; two bright, ungainly vessels bobbing side-by-side on choppy water. Delving into how-to manuals and online resources, Snapcat learned other skills necessary for survival: knot-tying, fire-building, handicrafts, and signalling messages through smoke, sunlight and semaphore. They began to paint collaboratively, and ate a lot of cake.
These investigations developed into The End of Things (boat, fire, flag, drum), a participatory performance / video installation work that was exhibited in HORIZON at Fremantle Arts Centre.
Snapcat’s residency at Fremantle Arts Centre was supported by the WA State Government, through the Department of Culture and the Arts.
