The Simplicity of Truth
Mark Storor exploring masculinity in new pop-up exhibition
Artist and theatre director Mark Storor creates an intimate reimagining of masculinity in his new pop-up exhibition The Simplicity of Truth, showcased in the FACT Connects space 12 May – 12 June. Located in the foyer at FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), the exhibition combines still and moving images with live performance, and includes both newly produced elements and previously unseen material from Storor’s celebrated 2015 work The Barometer of My Heart. The live performance element is inspired by The Barometer of My Heart, and will unfold within the space throughout the exhibition duration, developed and enacted by local men through a series of workshops led by former participants and assisted by Storor.
Storor has worked extensively with FACT’s award winning Veterans in Practice (VIP) programme, which aims to encourage local ex-servicemen and women to get involved in creative projects, and provides support for them to integrate with the wider community. VIP members participated in Storor’s project The Barometer of My Heart, which was produced through creative workshops with men in religious, military, sports and corporate settings, and men attending erectile dysfunction clinics. Public performances were produced based on the real conversations Storor had with the participants, bringing experiences previously kept in the shadows into the light, and exploring the rich diversity of male experience.
Veterans in Practice participant Jay Bell says: “The project as a whole was one of the most thought provoking pursuits I have ever been involved in and the discussions and my participation in it have irrevocably changed my perspective on masculinity, social stigmas and a host of other topics for the better. My inclusion in it has been an absolute privilege and its impact has begun a new and evolving concept for me of what life could and should be.”
The Simplicity of Truth is created by Mark Storor in collaboration with members of FACT’s Veterans in Practice programme, Everton in The Community, photographer Stephen King, filmmaker Chris Keenan, animator Babis Alexiadis, and with local men.
The exhibition is part of a special programme of pop-up exhibitions which is showcased this spring in the FACT Connects space, in the foyer at FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology). FACT Connects is a wide-ranging programme, which engages with members of the community, and allows FACT to connect even more with artists, musicians, and makers.