Vestigial Loss

In his publication On the Origin of Species (1859) Charles Darwin referred to the vestigial organs of our anatomy and their role in the theory of evolution. Like wisdom teeth and the appendix, what was once necessary for survival, now merely exists as a reminder of what has been lost. With the death of loved ones, the traces left behind are persistent. Vestigial Loss explores how death can influence the understanding and sanity of what remains.

This is a exhibition of thoughts from a recent residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris.

Showing at DEAF Space, 56 Woods Street, Darwin, NT

5-27 June, 2009 (opening Friday 5 June, 6pm)

Michael Kimball Writes Your Life Story (on a postcard)

Michael has written my life story and posted it today on his blog. I was very detailed with my answers to his questions, so it's curious what parts of my life he chose to use for his project.

See what you think --------------------------------------------->
#171 Hayley West: The Build Up

welcome home

more verlan - the art of parisian slang

métro = tromé/trom
truc = keutru = stuff
cigarette = garetci/garo
gentil = tigen = friendly
enervé = vénèr = angry
moche = cheum = ugly
mater = téma = to check out someone
vas-y = zyva = come on!
carrot = rotca = being deceived by someone

Tidy Town (Paris)

verlan - the art of parisian slang

verlan is l'envers (opposite) cut up and reversed
words learnt so far:
l'herbe = beuh = pot
mec = keum = guy
femme = meuf = chick
chien = niche = stupid looking dog (i made that one up)
actually, it's ienche

wave pool anticipation

Anula, NT
October 2008

exist in 08

exist in 08 is a set of Live Art explorations, collaborations, installations, performances and forums held at five sites across Queensland. Go to the website for details - i'm in the performance dvd program -
exist in 08

Me and my Gold Nugget (after Holterman)

Jean Belette's cottage
Hill End, NSW
Artist in-Residence program through the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
April-May 2008

CAN - the book

This book is a collection of images from an artist in-residence experience at 'Lost Generation Space' Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2008. The images are from the performance/installation for 'Bangun – Abandon Project' (Feb. 1-2-3) and around the abandoned buildings site. CAN transforms the forgotten into the precious. Years of fallen, dirty debris are carefully wrapped for the audience to take away as a souvenir of an abandoned piece of KL history. The souvenirs and myself are protected from further deterioration by plastic, fruity tablecloths.

you can buy it from lulu.com

CAN - the performance

it's a bit fuzzy, but here's a video link:

CAN - a research project


I'll try and upload a better quality one....

Bangun - Abandon Project

the space before i moved in:

Bangun - Abandon Project

During my residency at Lost Generation Space (KL, Malaysia), i will be participating in this project - click here for updates - Lost Generation Space

Bangun – Abandon Project is an installation and performance project by 25 artists from Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and the UK, responding to the large abandoned site situated at the end of Lorong Permai.






Dates of exhibition: Friday 1st, Saturday 2nd, Sunday 3rd February, 2008
Opening times: 4.30pm-7pm
Opening night - Saturday 2nd February After the last group has come back from the site, a discussion about the project will take place back at Lost Generation Space from 7.30pm-8pm. From 8pm till late, the opening will continue.
How it works: Please come to Lost Generation first, from there a volunteer will escort a group up to the site. BYO torch, umbrella and wear sensible shoes. Entry is by donation.
Address: Lost Generation Space, 11 Lorong Permai, off Jalan Syed Putra, Robson Heights, 50460, Kuala Lumpur.

Artist Talk at Lost Generation

Saturday January 5, 2008 (8pm)

each night

in my venice apartment i am taking photos of my washing drying, i have no tv or internet...

interpositions - performance art

See performances that happened during the Darwin Festival 2007:
24 HR Art performance events



Exchange Stall (Hayley West) - photos taken by Juliana Yasin

First performance: 11th August Parap Market 10am-12noon
Second performance: 16th August Mindil Beach Markets 5-8pm

Tunnel - self portrait

Tunnel – self portrait is part of a series that focuses on the notion of stranger in a strange place; the challenges and outcomes of spending time in new and foreign lands. I am interested in exploring concepts of disengagement from place and self, and the notion of homesickness, and familiarity.

photograph type c
Togart Contemporary Art Award, Parliament House, Darwin
10 July-1 August, 2007

The Landlord

24 HR Art - NT Centre for Contemporary Art
The Box Set March 2007

The Landlord is a project exploring memory, memorial and the attempt to forget: A found photograph, with a deliberate ‘cut-out’ of an expelled individual, and a corresponding sculptural form mirroring the missing face.

(sculpture made from my late mother's pillow cases, photograph found in Taipei, Taiwan)

a sentence?

i found this in a park many years ago.
i think it is a sentence, but what language i'm not sure.

Karaoke Bedlam in QLD

ah brisvegas, what a hoot! the APT, MAAP & IMA events and openings, the continous champagne with straws, the avocado sushi performance, the trains... endless amusement!

Dear Hayley,
Thank you for auditioning for the Australian youth choir. Unfortunately, at this time your application has been unsuccessful. We had an overwhelming response at auditions, and there were hundreds of high quality applicants, but unfortunately only one position was to be offered. Your performance was promising, and with continued practice, we believe that one day you will be one of the lucky children to tour with us. We would like to encourage you to audition with us again in the future, and keep in mind it is extremely rare for us to accept a child on first audition. Membership of the choir is a very competitive and challenging role, and unfortunately this time you were not quite up to scratch. Thank you, and good luck with all of your future endeavours.
Sincerely,
spat+loogie (on behalf of AYC)
www.spatnloogie.com

kieren & hayley

Watch This Space Inc. & DVAA Inc. - a Tour de Force!!

photos from 'Alternative Endings' BELOW.

Alternative Endings

an exhibition by Hayley West & Tobias Richardson
Watch This SPACE Inc. (Alice Springs) Sept 22 – Oct 13, 2006

Alternative Endings is a culmination of works created during the 2005-06 trip to Burma, and back home in Australia. The works recontectualise materials and experiences from this country.

photos by Kieren Sanderson

click here to see the HAPPY WORLD video
a film by Tobias Richardson & Hayley West

lobstar

Rozzi George and myself made site specific works with materials found in an old chinese restaurant in Parap which hasn't been operational for five years. the restaurant was called 'Tai Hung Tol' or 'High Death Toll' by the locals. It's now an occasional band venue called 'Kung Fu Sing'.
July 22,29 & August 5,12 - 2006

a taste

some favourites from the 3x3=6 collaboration/exchange
3x3=6 degrees of separation


week1day3


week2day2


week4day5

3x3=6 degrees of separation

photo by tara gilbee

3x3=6 degrees of separation
April Exchange -

An art exchange experiment project by 'the space in between' artist group. Artists Hayley West and Tara Gilbee are exchanging images for a month in order to explore the space in between. Each week loading an image for each other to work from and extract through 6 degrees of separation. At the end of the 6 days of extraction another image will be posted for the next cycle and then the process begins again.

*this work is part of an exhibition/exchange/forum at Allan's Walk ARI, Bendigo VIC (May 2006) and at Darwin Visual Arts Assoc.Inc. ARI, Darwin NT (May 2007)*

welcome to the cane toad

here's the link for the article i wrote on Tobias Richardson's exhibition at 24 Hr Art last year:
http://www.unmagazine.org/un/un7Tobias_supp.pdf

'one month ago we started to love each other. we find it hard to speak to each other. we don't declare our love openly. I don't know how you feel'

Plastic fans, text (found letter from Kalaw, Myanmar)
Gallery Sometimes - empty shop front, Smith Street Mall, Darwin CBD.
February 2006

fusion strength '05 - singapore/darwin

24 HR Art - NT Centre for Contemporary Art.
September 16 - October 22, 2005
A collaborative performance was executed on Saturday 24 September (then we went to my house to watch the AFL grand final!)

Fusion Strength aimed to explore collaboration as a tool for generating contemporary creative art projects. For two weeks the gallery became a chaotic experience: a workspace, a performance space, a studio, a lab and a gathering spot to interact, intervene, and perform in.

Curated by Juliana Yasin. Artists: Jason Lim (Sing), Lina Adams (Sing), Juliana Yasin (Sing), Lucas Ilhein (Syd), Elka Kerkhofs (Dwn), and Hayley West (Dwn).

Fusion Strength 2005