The Briggait, Glasgow
May 19th, 2023
I was at the very impressive Briggait building in Glasgow’s Merchant City for a violin performance played by the delectable violinist Agnieszka Opiola who had joined up with Bing Chen to write ‘The Violin Making Story’ a three piece set of music that was to directly play immersed with a sculptural/installation work of art.
There was a high attendance in the huge space that after a journey or two had become studios for artists which is open to an art community who strive to make Glasgow’s promised arts into something pliable. This particular exhibition was a deep dedication looking specifically into paintings that attempt to translate the ephemeral relationship of music making it into tactile art.
Tactile art at the moment is a long running style in Glasgow that artists are helping the community into understanding its significance. The building is worth a visit even on a quiet day, its ceiling are of a height and width as to allude to great buildings of the past, metal and glass perpetrate with an exactness of style, an amazing space for many kinds of artistic invention.
The heady work strewn across the large floor, including, sculpture and painting all reflecting this greatest of relationships and so my work stepped into gear as the violin was picked up to perform these three pieces written for the exhibition at hand.
There were so many ideas in place and another striking comment was that the music ran backwards starting with After then Present then finishing on Before. As it was called ‘Violin Making Story’ it gave an appeal of looking at art through a process that both achieved structure and intuition and moulded it into a kind of experience that ever so softly drove a car of beauty, intrigue and tactile invention. Offering answers through a story of movement, sound and visual redemption.
The two performance rooms were the galleries either side of the door, they both have windows looking onto the street and glass walls on the inside, this set up was used very effectively for this seemingly rare performance.
Their collaboration of art, music and somewhat performance art took no time to look in depth into this story of mind and wood bending exactness, the time and how it relates, the skill and how it learns to love. The ideas being that practice itself is a just cause that helps explain things with a performance all were silent for.
The celebrated turnout was an insight into how modern artists collaborate in an incredibly positive environment, in the state of a high minded revelling that is a credit for the City where art is loved by many.
The violin is nothing less than magical, and in the hands of a master has an effect that contributes something quite beyond everyday life. Art and Music must be compared in an attempt join in unison of origin, culture and by blending the two thought of many colours are blown and flown into the air. Having come from the world of craft and skill the two put their proposition in the hands of these thought and in finery drew conclusion but also asked seemingly never ending questions up to look for answers, great and purposeful, knowledgeable and exemplary.
Daniel Donnelly
Mumble Music 