April 1, 2004 - April 30, 2004
Somewhere between an homage to and a critique of our contemporary addiction to moving images, Catherine Czacki will create two new pieces for the ATA installation room.
“Syndrome,” made in collaboration with Claudia Mendoza and Maggie Foster, is a three monitor video installation inspired by the Italian horror film “the Stendhal Syndrome”, by Dario Argento, and which consists of three portraits of the three artists. The only visible aspects of each portrait are the artists’ eyes, which are illuminated by a strip of light in an otherwise completely black space. Symbolizing a shift in the traditionally male gaze, the artists present themselves as both the viewers and the subjects in a self-reflective look at the genre of cinema.
Also for this exhibit, Czacki will create “Cathedral” in which the passive viewing experience will be translated into more physical terms. The general structure invites the viewer to enter. Once inside, the viewer is invited to spin themselves along with a video projected onto the ceiling via a platform below the video, and handles on the inside of the structure. The video consists of footage from various film and television sources, all of spinning motions. The aim of “Cathedral” is to form a connection between the sedentary act of viewing media, and the motion that is inherent within the medium while highlighting the sensation and important role media creates in today’s society. Sound by Rroland.