3 in the morning

" Late November, I noticed the shadow of a flag projected onto a house by a sodium streetlamp. The shadow almost completely enveloped the front of the house, undulating in the wind, covering the windows.

​This image held me, grounded me, and for a moment kept me present.

I wondered what the rhythmic motion of the shadows must look like from within, how it would fill the window, the calming ebb and flow as it moved with the wind.

​There was something so striking about this huge shadow; how, despite its sheer enormity it had been stripped of all symbolism and existed only in its physicality."

From 10 - 20 December 2024, Charys undertook a residency in the PS² Project Space, experimenting with projections and structural configurations, integrating and reworking components from existing installations as part of her investigations into sustainability and flux. 

In the resulting installation, the presence of a flag is stripped of its political subtext, inviting us instead to meditate on the undulations of our daily existence. 

At street-level during daytime darkness hours, we are screening Charys' large-scale animation, 3 in the morning, which has been reimagined for an audience of passers-by.

About the artist: 

Charys Wilson is a studio holder at Flax, Belfast. She works predominantly in installation and 3D, with immersive or interactive qualities that bring elements of the outside in; exploring pathways of illusion, mimicry, with light and shadow. 

Charys' work is fuelled by the awareness of climate crisis and modern-day societies growing disconnection from nature. Her works are ephemeral worlds of light and spirit, redolent yet spare, using biodegradable and recycled materials. Creating domestic landscapes that contain only light and nature – a world that feels both lost to us and uncannily present. Visit Charys' website.

PS² is supported by Belfast City Council and The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and project funding from Belfast City Council