ADP Riot Tour: James Cauty's Aftermath Dislocation Principle
All around is the residual carnage of an unspecified apocalyptic civil disturbance. Everywhere there is debris and destruction. The only people you can see are the police, and lots of them. The rioters are eerily absent.
On 25 July 2016, Jimmy Cauty’s Aftermath Dislocation Principle arrived at Catcliffe Recreation Ground, housed in a 40-foot shipping container and pulled by a 30-tonne haulage truck.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a huge model of a dystopian landscape. All around is the residual carnage of an unspecified apocalyptic civil disturbance. Everywhere there is debris and destruction. The only people you can see are the police, and lots of them. The rioters are eerily absent. The model is built at 1:87 scale and has the feel of a model railway. It is viewed through a series of holes drilled into the container.
Catcliffe Recreation Ground was chosen due to its proximity to the former coking plant at Orgreave, the sight of the Battle of Orgreave, the infamous showdown between the police and striking miners on 18 June 1984. Each location on the tour was chosen because of its proximity to a significant civil disturbance.
The symbolic significance of Orgreave in recent social history - as the place where Margaret Thatcher’s storm troopers attempted to smash socialism and kick the post war dream into touch - meant that it had to be used as a venue. The flip side is that it was a tad hard to get to, but some hardy folks did make it out to view the miniaturised carnage, particularly for the all-night viewing, which enjoyed a bit of a party vibe.
The model offers a vision of the aftermath of a catastrophic event. Only the forces of order remain to build a new world and the viewer is left wondering what this event could have been. Orgreave seems like a pertinent spot to ponder the aftermath of destructive acts of brutality and authoritarianism. Members of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign attended the opening event to publicise their campaign for a full public inquiry into the aggressive action of the police at Orgreave.
The shipping container is covered in graffiti and stickers from each location. An unknown contributor has sprayed "The North will rise again" on its side.
