Wonderland |
Christy Schicker |
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If you need a little break from harsh reality, as we all sometimes do, give in to your imagination and let it run wild at an exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum. "Wonderland" is an exhibit that allows you to travel through works of art and experience new and unusual environments through a variety of senses. The environments stimulate sight, sound and smell, persuading the audience to delve into new worlds with a heightened sense of curiosity and wonder. The exhibit features 10 works of art by contemporary artists. Eight of these are installation pieces located inside the St. Louis Art Museum. The other two are located in Forest Park, a short walk away from the museum. Janet Cardiff's "Taking Pictures" (2000) is a 15-minute walking tour that takes you outside of the museum and onto a trail through Forest Park. Portable CD players are taken along that play a recording of Cardiff's voice, guiding us through the path, telling us where to turn and when to stop. Along the way, Cardiff refers to a handful of photographs that were taken at the same location and are included in each individual CD pouch. The CD plays the sound of footsteps on pavement and then on dry leaves when we reach the path. Cardiff persuades us to follow her, and then divulges her memories and dreams to us as we walk. The fairy tale motif of walking through a forest is reinforced by a little girl's voice reciting phrases from what sounds like a fairy tale. Realistic sounds, like crunching leaves, a plane passing overhead and a dog barking, are played on the CD to meld evocation and reality. The recorded sounds are so realistic that you find yourself looking around for things that aren't really there. This is an artwork that exists, as it were, only in memory. There is nothing new to see except the outside world as it is, which we see in a new light only because we listen to Cardiff's perception of it. Her past becomes strangely intertwined with our own present. Pipilotti Rist's "Ever Is Over All" (1997) is a witty and entertaining visual and audio environment. Two video projections are cast upon the walls of a dark museum room. One video shows a woman walking on a sidewalk through the streets of Zurich. In her hands she carries a long wand, a flower called a "Red Hot Poker" cast in metal. Dressed in a pale blue dress and red pumps, the woman walks along in a self-satisfied and dream-like state. The actions and reactions of the characters defy our expectations and make the video oddly hilarious. Silent and played in slow motion, the video is set to a hypnotic humming tune, the same strains repeating over and over again. The second adjacent video projection shows close-up images of real "Red Hot Poker" flowers in a garden. The movement of this video is faster and takes us through the garden in a swirling motion. The flowers and stems are projected so large that they partially loose their identity, becoming abstract shapes and colors. Each artwork reveals environments as different as our individual imaginations can conjure. While some are based on organic motifs, others are mechanical or architectural. Some utilize advanced technology, while others employ common, inexpensive materials. Ernesto Neto's "It happens when the body is the anatomy of time" (2000) is made of fabric and spices. Fragile, semi-transparent white cloth encloses the room, filtering the overhead light in a soft glow. Extending from the cloth ceiling are tubes of material that end in spice-filled sacs. Turmeric, cloves and cumin exude enticing aromas and add warm brown, orange, and yellow color to the room. This soft, airy chamber, set aglow with diffused light and filled with exotic smells, elicits a feeling of protection and warmth. A major part of this exhibit is the audience itself. Viewers have a direct impact on the art, just like they have an impact on the environments in their everyday lives. The art changes according to the actions of the viewers. Ripples appear in Bill Klaila's "Virtual Bog" (2000) as people walk across the computer-generated image on the floor. Watching how viewers respond to this piece is part of the fun. Several people will timidly tap their foot in the bog as though they are afraid of it, until one venturing person walks all the way across. "Wonderland" is a must-see at the St. Louis Art Museum. Go there with an open mind, and just let yourself experience what these amazing artworks have to offer. In this exhibit, art surrounds you, relies upon you, brings imagination to life and blurs those fine lines between consciousness and dreams, between inside and outside worlds. The St. Louis Art Museum is in Forest Park at 1 Fine Arts Drive. Admission to "Wonderland" is free. Museum hours are 1:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The museum is closed Monday. "Wonderland" will be on display through Sept. 24. Taking place on Friday, Aug. 25, at 6:30 p.m., will be the Young Friends Party in Wonderland, a fund-raising event with live entertainment hosted by the Young Friends of the St. Louis Art Museum. Tickets for this event are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Proceeds will benefit the Young Friends Art Purchase Fund. More programs based on the "Wonderland" exhibit, including free gallery talks and family activities, are scheduled throughout the month of September. For more information, call the museum at (314) 721-0072, or visit the Web site at http://www.slam.org... | |