09 Dec 2008

Iniva's 2008 window commission for Rivington Place

Yoca Muta: A Tale of Two Suns is Iniva's second window commission for the vast, street-facing window of Rivington Place – the David Adjaye designed home of Autograph and Iniva in Shoreditch, London.

In A Tale of Two Suns, Yoca Muta uses folklore to explore the human encounter with rural landscape and nature. Iniva's commission will see the modern glazed façade of Rivington Place transformed into a byōbu – a Japanese folding screen traditionally featuring nature-themed sceneries and landscapes – illustrating a folktale from Sabah State in Malaysian Borneo.

The folktale, also known as 'A Tale of Two Suns', speaks of a time when the 'heat generated by the two suns riding in the sky' was so severe 'it took a woman's life'. After being struck by a dart from her husband's blowpipe, the second sun became a moon and the heat eased. In the window commission, two different phases of the tale's narrative - before and after - are simulated by changing the scenery on the eve of the Winter Solstice on 19 December.

Yoca Muta explores the idea of nature as a screen onto which we project our desires and longings. Using artifice and theatrical devices, she explores how Man's relationship with nature has changed, and wonders if any natural landscape or ecosystem remains unaffected by humans. Yoca Muta's use of clay and polystyrene exemplifies the theatricality of her construction and she describes them as being 'flexible, fluid and primitive but with an artificial texture of their own.'

Rivington Place's window becomes a theatre set as Yoca Muta creates a sense of depth by using layers of moveable objects such as a mountain, a tree and sun - suspended and floor-based – to illustrate the folktale. The reflective surface of the window places the viewer and the surrounding buildings on Rivington Street within the dynamic composition.

Produced by Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) and curated by Melanie Keen


Yoca Muta

Yoca Muta graduated in 2008 with a BA Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Her work can also be seen as part of the Bloomberg New Contemporaries at Rochelle School, London between 6 December 2008 and 1 February 2009.

The Window Commission

Rivington Place window commission is produced annually by Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) and offers a showcase for an emerging artist in the expansive front window of award winning Rivington Place, the home of Autograph and Iniva in East London. The vast window overlooks Rivington Street in the busy Shoreditch Triangle and can be seen throughout the festive season, offering an alternative 'seasons greetings' window to those seen in London at this time of year.