Marian Goodman Gallery, Paris, is showcasing Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s latest multi-faceted work in an exhibition titled “Potentiality for Love.” The exhibition is being showcased in four parts dispersed between the two levels of the gallery. On the ground floor, one part of the work combines the moving image with a sculptural aspect achieved by superimposing of 22 LED modules. Ahtila deliberately chose an out-of-date technology to make the image unclear and abstract when viewed up close, but intelligible from a certain distance. One can distinguish from afar a female human figure floating weightless in the Milky Way. As she comes near, she takes on monumental proportions and ends up gesturing silently toward the viewers as if to welcome them in good will.The elements of the exhibition presented in the lower level of the gallery extend this reflection and offer an unsettling experience. An oversized projection in the back of the room shows a silent image of Jenny, a female chimpanzee, seen from the back as she sits on top of on a stool. She seems to pay no attention to the person watching her. She maintains privacy impervious to the human gaze even while she occasionally glances over her shoulder. Her composure, somewhere between modesty and aloofness, serves to underscore the position of the viewer who has now become a voyeur.Lastly, two sculptures offer an utterly novel experience. Ahtila placed two LED monitors on wooden tables the way mirrors would be set up in a conventional therapeutic setting. At the first table, the viewer is seated in such a way that his or her right forearm is hidden by the monitor. The viewer’s left hand remains visible and may mimic the movements performed on the screen. The second table conjures up another experience by masking both our hands while our attention is focused exclusively on the image on the screen. Once again, there emerges an unlikely extension of the self that challenges the distinction between humans and animals.The exhibition is on view through April 11, 2018, at Marian Goodman Gallery, 79 rue du Temple, 75003 Paris, France.For details, visit: http://www.blouinartinfo.com/galleryguide/marian-goodman-gallery/overviewClick on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the exhibition.
↧