Invisible Places

Where are they? In your head? In the real world?

Secret places, abstract worlds, indescribable emotions, unrecognisable places, places that few people ever see, places that people look at but never see, frightening places, beautiful places, ugly places, big places, small places, places you dream about, invisible places.

I asked young people in three different groups in the geographically dispersed Ardnamurchan villages of Glenuig, Kilchoan and Acharacle to video an invisible place. None of the groups knew what others were filming. Only I had an impression of the overall picture. I compiled the clips and made a representative selection editing three second segments intercut with black to the sound track of a buddhist prayer, “Kunrik” meaning all knowing. The work opens and closes with the sound of the fog horn at Ardnamurchan point, signals to the invisible, and the destruction of a tape of video footage. The rhythm of the edit reflects the chants and hand gestures of the monks. The end result is a meditative reflection on the invisible places of Ardnamurchan.

The soundtrack of Tashi Lhunpo monks performing Kunrik (all knowing) recorded live at the Sunart Centre, Strontian, August .2004. In Tibetan Buddhism, symbolism plays an important role in meditation and prayers. Kunrik is the name of a prayer of a Buddha. In this chant the monks, in ceremonial costumes, use hundreds of hand gestures of the 37 deities, each having a specific spiritual meaning. It is said that simply witnessing this practice prevents the audience members from taking rebirth in the lower realms. Tashi Lhunpo monks are specially trained in the art of hand symbolism.

Part of the New Dynamics artist in residence programme in the highlands of Scotland. new-dynamics.org

Credits

directed and edited by Simon Fildes

video clips filmed by

Glenuig- Calum, Sean, Aaron, Jacob, Kirsten, Simon
Kilchoan- Joshua, Nathan, Karen, Sarah, Hayden, Jacob, Peter
Acharacle- Robin, Aiden, Luke, Amy, Alan, JD

thanks to
Dot Lynas, Ali Macdonald, Peter McFarlane, Moira Fitzpatrick, Ann-Marie Clegg, Sheena Carmichael, Siobhan Gillespie, Peter Stace, Eoghan Carmichael, Alasdair Carmichael, Sue Cheadle, Nick Ascroft. Without who's support there would have been no project.

Thanks also to all the other young people of Acharacle, Glenuig and Kilchoan who got involved along the way who's presence was invaluable to the process.