The intriguing and interesting art experiences keep coming at Glastonbury this weekend. Indeed the world’s biggest music festival is not just serving up major works by Hank Willis Thomas, Marina Abramovic and Mark Wallinger but also a talking-point installation by the artist Jordan Watson, the man behind the influential Instagram feed known as Love Watts. Watson is presenting Terminal 1, “a re-purposed airport celebrating migration situated on Williams Green field”, says a press statement. The piece features performers acting as border force agents who ask “such outrageous questions”, says Watson. To gain entry, all British citizens must successfully answer a question from the UK government citizenship test, says an accompanying blurb. Some of the airport seats are also dotted with spikes, adding to the general discomfort.
“The project is really about serious issues within migration that need to be addressed,” Watson adds, striking a chord with festival goers focused on the issue ahead of the UK General Election on 4 July. So will the airport terminal be shown elsewhere post-Glastonbury? “It’s not just a pop-up, we want to continue showing it here.” If you’re on site, please check in… and check out via border control.
