British artist Serena Korda produced an ambitious, theatrical rendering of animal symbolism and folklore in Aping the Beast.
The central spectacle was a towering monster puppet handmade in latex, reminiscent of early B-movies such as Godzilla or The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Within all her work Korda was interested in the way secular beliefs and superstitions are channelled through images in popular culture.
Two new films starred symbolic mystical creatures – a feline psychic who reveals his remote healing powers and a bristling tarantula which parades alongside dancers and musicians taking part in a cult-like ritual in a nondescript village hall. These works and a series of performances involving the monster expanded upon ideas of the spirit and fears of the unknown which are confronted through imitation, spectacle, ritual and humour.
