pangaea liminia (cont'd)

As an experiential piece I immersed my subjects into a liminal state, the chosen venue was a self storage facility; recognisable as a "Non-Place" (Auge'). Once inside the space, one moves around in a homogenised environment with only numbers on doors as a guide, the contents and the environment lend themselves further to the analogy as they are in transitory state, temporarily being stored in boxes. This environment can be interchanged with any around the world without the viewer noticing: strip lights, a repetitive use of a limited palette of colours, informative signs, prohibitive signs, cheap construction materials, grid layout, etc.

In this state of liminality the subject surrenders their identity and move through space in ambiguity. Marc Auge’ describes how one leaves ones identity at the check-in desk at the airport, only existing as a number on a boarding card whilst in transit, only to retrieve it at passport control at the other end. 

The viewer becomes participant as moving from between locations within the building but the artwork, installed in a manner as to take on the profile of the walls, in itself become part of the fabric of the environment. The viewer is trapped in a double-bind as he himself is now immersed in this environment, the corridors and stairs only lead to more corridors and stairs. The corridors and stairs in the artwork are no more helpful as they are, in fact, only illusions of escape routes. In moving around in this space, the viewer activates the artwork allowing it to then be removed; part documentation, part witness.

The process in forming the art pieces added to their value as they were manipulated and folded on site. In rubbing the folds on the ground the pieces pick up the texture of the floor; this method can be likened to the surrealists’ technique of “frottage”. Multiple folds and tears becomes common place in the process as the pieces were born. Reminiscent of Walead Beshty’s x-ray photographs and FedEx sculptures that collect information in transit.