The Sea is Glowing
We lose ground under our feet. The backbones we counted on hold no more. The space we move through is dark. We can hardly define its contours. It is lighted only by bleary pulsating video images. Sequences we recognize appear in sound waves now and then. We float, fully aware that we are not alone, but a part of global civilization, that floats with us. We surrender to vibrant sea of new reality.
The architecture of this liquid reality consists only of membranes, that materialize light and sound. Moving among them, we see that these are not blurred patterns, but concrete faces, movements and events. Every one of them contains a special narrative, an individual fate.
Every one of them draws us inside. And there a clear image and sound of a single work of art open in front of us, in a big format, separated from the crowd. We can get quite close and immerse ourselves in it.
Along the image borders, we see a space in the background. We see others moving through space. We see other membranes, lighted by their scenes. We feel that we are a part of a bigger whole. We swim on. We surrender ourselves to the flow of multitude, then we pick and enter into new individual scenes. We get by better and better; it is our new world.
Usijano more / exhibition setup video
An international exhibition of contemporary art that puts into focus new forms of work and life in deregulated global networks is set in an old port warehouse. Works of art, mostly video projections, are placed in a common place in order to be experienced as parts of a whole. A membrane that shrouds the projection on the back of the screen was constructed for each one of them. In this way, we can approach a big format projection quite close from the front and it completely engages the space from which we look at it. Backside, the membranes form a common environment, with outlined and overlapping reflections of images and echoes of sounds. The space for viewing each separate work is a niche, lined with light and sound absorbing material. We sit in it with our backs turned to the wall. That way, besides works of art, we see outlines of all other works along the edges of the image. We are aware that works are interconnected into a common narrative. We also see other visitors moving through the exhibits. We are aware that here we are not alone.
The architecture of exhibition solves the problem of video gallery — simultaneous presentation of multiple video works, that have to be integrated into one whole by the exhibition. They usually require separate spaces in order not to disturb each other by images and sounds. This way, each work has a full format and integrity, yet establishes connections and relations with other works. Cones made of projection screens and membranes made of canvas materialize light of projections on their backsides. The structure of space is very simple, with a central straight axis for movement and niches with individual works of art along both sides. Movement through membranes pulsating with reflections of moving pictures creates experience and atmosphere of “the glowing sea”, dynamic and disturbing new world — the basic topic and title of the exhibition.
The international group exhibition is the central exhibition of the Dopolavoro flagship of the Rijeka 2020- European Capital of Culture project, organized by the Drugo more with curator Inke Arns.
