A couple of weeks ago we went to London with the purpose of seeing Sound of Music (Steve's birthday present - don't ask!!) - whilst we were there I wanted to go to the Tate Modern to see Shibboleth in the Turbine Hall.I am generally a fan of the Tate Moderns exhibitions in the Turbine Hall. It is a fantastic space and i think the Tate are good a pushing a few boundaries as to what is art.
Shibboleth is basically a huge crack in the halls' floor - it is fascinating. From the perspective of how on earth did they manage to do that but also the artists perspective on what it represents. Doris Salcedo has done some really inspirational pieces of installation art around the world. i particularly like the thinking behind the piece in the Tate Modern - the tate's website says the following
Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth is the first work to intervene directly in the fabric of the Turbine Hall. Rather than fill this iconic space with a conventional sculpture or installation, Salcedo has created a subterranean chasm that stretches the length of the Turbine Hall. The concrete walls of the crevice are ruptured by a steel mesh fence, creating a tension between these elements that resist yet depend on one another. By making the floor the principal focus of her project, Salcedo dramatically shifts our perception of the Turbine Hall’s architecture, subtly subverting its claims to monumentality and grandeur. Shibboleth asks questions about the interaction of sculpture and space, about architecture and the values it enshrines, and about the shaky ideological foundations on which Western notions of modernity are built.
In particular, Salcedo is addressing a long legacy of racism and colonialism that underlies the modern world. A ‘shibboleth’ is a custom, phrase or use of language that acts as a test of belonging to a particular social group or class. By definition, it is used to exclude those deemed unsuitable to join this group.
If you are in London i would highly recommend it - it is also really interesting watching others interact with the piece.
Oh and of the Sound of Music - the singing and set were brilliant - Connie's acting though left a little to be desired, but lets be honest it is the songs you go for!
1 comment:
Dear Gayle
I went with my husband and children to see 'the crack' in the autumn.
I think part of its power is that it helps one appreciate the Turbine Hall in its own right. If it had been totally empty, we might have hovered in the doorway, looked . . . and gone away.
As it was, we followed the crack right to the end, all the time aware of the architectural space around us.
My son, who is nine, even wanted to go back a few days later.
Susan Harwood
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