Johanna Hällsten
INTERCOM
10th October – 1st November
Private view 10th October 7-9pm
We are pleased to present the latest solo exhibition by Swedish artist Johanna Hällsten.
INTERCOM continues Hällsten’s interests in translation, mediation and duration. Through two installations, different aspects of interaction occurring within dialogues will be explored.
The first installation situated within the window will be exploring notions of translation and mediation within the structure of a dialogue, together with the impossible task of inter-species communication.
A sparrow is talking to a badger and a woman. The characters involved are not visible, yet the dialogue itself can be heard through the use of vibration speakers attached to the windowpane. It is reminiscent of a science experiment, where the absurd situation somehow seems plausible because their conversation is mundane.
In the second installation, inside the gallery, the audience will come into contact with PA announcements. The announcements are drawing parallels to their function within the working environment, such as factories, offices and supermarkets. Hällsten is interested in distorting and altering the way in which the audience interacts with the impersonal instructions and messages. The instructions/messages are announced at intervals and fill the gallery space, changing its atmosphere. It creates an intriguing relationship between the lack of visual presence and emphasis on the normally overlooked sounds that the audience themselves produce.
During the private view the installation in the gallery will be interactive and the one-sided aspects of the PA system will be questioned and altered, becoming a direct dialogue between it and the audience.
Artist’s contact details:
07890570775
