@ New Museum
The 4th floor was a selection of beds for couples and individuals to spectate with comfort. The relaxation of one main video stream was more than pleasant. It felt as though i was in the ocean surface living through what was shown with coral reefs, aquatic plants and a nude individual. I wasn’t alone in this as others took in what was presented in a murky shape screen. The viewing experience was beyond what a movie theater presents any film. The setup allowed for an immersive experience with surround sound of exotic dramatic singing and piano play. The film was the center stage and the play of perspective and mood through a swaying, almost wavy, camera tracking, the subject matter played out seamlessly. Even with the perspective backwards from where i laid, it felt real and inviting. A LED light shined bright red to white, and green, to emphasize certain moments on the film.there were shifts and transitions in movement as violent camera angles or interactions with the plants and woman came about.
The 3rd floor was the installation that was featured with the forest of light up bulbs. The entrance into the video space was surreal. It felt much more immersive than the fourth floor, in the physical environment setting. The video was more of a background noise and experience than the entrance. The film was played in a corner and lost the sense of depth. The film was more blurred and out of focus, which played with the surroundings. It was more in a first person POV shot, going inside the view of fish and plants. The human body is occasionally in the mix of things as the ocean life was the main subject matter of both floor films.
The 2nd floor was similar to the third, but displayed on corners and on sheets hanged from the ceiling. This gave more of an oceanic feel and waviness to the film. Each shot was twisted and overshadowed by another, displaying a unique series of images in each sheet.Everything about the exhibit felt surreal and distinctly unique, proposing a different sense and perspective to the same film. It could be recollected as a navigation of drafts that Pipilotti Rist went through in presenting her finished film project. Each room display held a different atmosphere than the other, though the subject matter shown is the same: the female human body and sea “life”. There was an almost erotic scheme to how the body twist and turned with the still-moving sea vegetation, referring to the unexplainable sensations of sex. The nipple seemed to be the uncanny focus of it all, however. Each couple of shots of coral led to a shot of the nipple, and its presence in the water.
The Barbarian, on the other hand, was an interesting concept to witness. Much of it didn’t really resonate in the form of film, however. The illustration piece itself spoke more numbers surprisingly. The arrangement of seating space moved focus to the illustration, more-so than the videos on display. A lot of the mood played off with the color used to lighten the room and reveal its content. Being a tad shady and purple, the atmosphere was different than that of Pixel Forest(s). Utilizing the concept of people being right, even when they’re wrong, resonated in how the recent election led to an array of onslaught and disagreement.