A recent exhibition at the Venice Biennale impressed on a variety of levels, so I thought I’d share it, along with my impressions. Let me begin, however, by noting that I am not going to even attempt to fill the role of art critic. I have neither the breadth of knowledge nor the depth of colorful phraseology to compete with that collective of media artists who regularly weave together a tapestry of words that often eclipses the very works they are examining.
Japan’s contribution to the 56th International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia is an exhibition by Chiharu Shiota entitled The Key in the Hand. Curated by Hitoshi Nakano, the Berlin-based Chiharu Shiota created a large-scale installation with the whole exhibition space filled with red yarn. Attached to the end of each piece of yarn, suspended from the ceiling, is a key. There are also two boats on the floor beneath the yarn and the hanging keys.
I was struck by this work on two relatively straightforward levels. The first was atmospheric, and the second more cultural. The former reacting to the installation itself, and the latter to the interplay between the work and visitors to the pavilion itself.
As I watched the video below, I was astonished by how my initial sense of foreboding and horror (compounded by the color choice, claustrophobic structure, and production audio) were replaced by…
