REVEREND ETHAN ACRES. LONDON MISSION.
A project by students on the MA in Curating Contemporary Art, Royal College of Art.
Supported by the Monique Beudert Fund.

17 - 26 October 2002, daily, 10am - 6pm Guise of Satan

Raised to take on the mantle of his circuit-preacher stepfather in the poor rural South of America, the Reverend Ethan Acres seeks 'to defeat the Devil in all his evil forms' and strives to put the 'fun back into fundamentalism'. Ordained as a minister by the World Christianship Ministries, the Reverend also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Acres's practice includes elaborate and eccentric rituals, goofy biblical sculpture, home baking and esoteric digital prints.

Reverend Acres plays on the history of the holy fool, fusing the flamboyant and the humorous with a deep and genuine spirituality. For the Reverend's first show in the UK, students on the MA in Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art have developed a project with the artist that will draw upon the breadth of his eclectic practice. fa projects will host an exhibition and function as the London Mission's headquarters. The exhibition, Guise of Satan takes as its subject the legendary glam-rock band KISS, on which a sermon will be delivered at the exhibition's opening.

In parallel with the exhibition, the Reverend’s London Mission will incorporate a series of performances and events taking place throughout the city.

Performance/Christening: Pearl, 28 Old Nichol St., E2 7HR (TBC)
Sunday 20 October Performance/Sermon: Tate Modern, Turbine Hall
Friday 25 October 2002 at 8pm Performance/Sermon: Eve Club, 189 Regent Street, W1

On Sunday 20 October, the Reverend will stage a performance/sermon concluding at Tate Modern. Drawing on the proximity of St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Footbridge that connects the two institutions, the Reverend will speak - with choral accompaniment – about the bridge between religion and art. The Mission will conclude with a finalé at the recently restored Eve Club on Regent Street on the evening of 25th October. The club originally opened in the early 1950s and is allegedly where Mandy Rice Davies and Christine Keeler worked as dancers when Keeler first met John Profumo. Frank Sinatra, Errol Flynn and Judy Garland were regulars at The Eve when in London and would often give impromptu performances. The interior is an uncanny blend of the Garden of Eden and 50s nightclub kitsch. Its coloured glass hydraulic dance floor, installed in 1953, is the only one of its kind in London.

For further information and project updates see http://www.cca.rca.ac.uk/RevAcres

contact Louise Coysh:louise.coysh@rca.ac.uk or
Brooke McConochy:bmcconochy@faprojects.com