Journey to the Lower World

This film artwork was made in Liverpool by the London-born artist Marcus Coates. It was filmed on the Sheil Park estate in Linosa Close, a tower block awaiting demolition. Coates worked with the residents as part of a residency programme for artists called Further Up In The Air. The residents asked Coates to answer a question for them: “Do we have a protector for this site? What is it?” The artist used his training as a Shaman to contact animal spirits in the ‘Lower World’ in the hope of finding an answer. The film records the shamanic ritual he performs and the residents’ responses. In the film the artist wears a stag's antlers and skin. Coates’ work looks at the relationship between the natural world and society. Birds feature frequently in his artworks. Recently, as here, he has acted as a ‘problem solver’ in consultations with a variety of clients.