Wonderland Festival
The Sensational Silver City
Graeme Roger
- Aberdeen City Centre
Overview
The Sensational Silver City
‘THE SENSATIONAL SILVER CITY’ is a film and sound installation that pays homage to this theatrical event by filming a cross section of the North-east community underwater and suspended in time. A sound design for the work created with composer Lucie Treacher accompanies the work which features the voices of an Aberdeen chorus to create a new ethereal and theatrical artwork.
The inspiration behind the project is based on when the world-famous magician and escapologist Harry Houdini dove into Aberdeen harbour whilst in chains in 1909. A large crowd gathered during a storm to witness him handcuffed and chained and then dropping into the sea from a tugboat within the breakwater of the navigation Channel. There are many references to his ‘notorious manacled dives’ and the level of drama was high as he spent a minute and a half in the murky depths before resurfacing and coming ashore at Fittie. Many people believed Houdini had superhuman powers, he was a headline grabbing, public celebrity sensation.
Houdini is further connected to Aberdeen through one of his great inspirations, John Henry Anderson, ‘Wizard of the North’ who is buried in St Nicholas Graveyard in Aberdeen city centre. Houdini was born in the year that Anderson died and Anderson was one of the first great showman and was said to be the first conjurer to produce rabbits from a hat. Houdini arranged for the upkeep of Anderson grave that had fallen into disrepair.
Important information
Location: 87/89 Union Street
Time: 11am–8pm
Price
Free Entry
About the Artist
Graeme Roger is a visual artist working across film, public art, performance, photography, installation & theatre. All his projects are collaborative in nature with other artists, musicians, directors and the wider community. Recent projects include the Northern Lights Festival with Lyth Arts Centre, lead artist with Grampian Hospital Arts Trust and project partner in the Moray Culture Collective program. Over the past year he has created multiple public art projection events putting communities at the core of the work that is produced.
About Wonderland
Explore our much-loved city and see it as never before through art, dance and sound installations, all in unusual places and spaces across the city with live music, theatre and family events in our magical Wonder Hoose venue in Marischal Quad. – see the programme for full details.
Leave everything to the imagination and most of all, enjoy your weekend in Wonderland.
We’d love to see your photos of your Wonderland experience – tag us on social over the weekend #wonderlandaberdeen