Joāo Penalva, The White Nightingale

As part of ‘Thinking of the Outside’, João Penalva transformed a former Bristol market hall at St. Nicholas Markets into a cinema in which to show his spell-binding new film.

21 May – 3 July 2005

This work was produced from his forensic-like exploration of the bed of the River Avon, under Clifton Suspension Bridge. A beautiful and breath-taking piece of engineering, the bridge is an icon of Bristol’s cityscape and the subject of many stories and myths. Penalva’s dream-like journey draws on documentary footage and scientific exploration to become a mythical tale of quests and wonder.