Media Weekly Feature: Video Installations
being martyred using the it is installed is large dark
What are they? four elements. There is no
Video installations are a sound to the piece and it
way for artists or other lasts about 7 minutes. It
creators to express the was displayed at St Pauls
film they have made. They Cathedral for a period of
can vary drastically time in 2014.
depending on the person
Through the technique of
who created it and the
a multi-screen piece, the
effect they are trying
technology used is simple,
purvey onto the viewer.
with each screen being the
This will dictate the
exact same model as the
environment, style and
others.
presentation method.
Though abstract and
They will follow either a
slightly different, each
narrative or non-narrative
video tells the same
form. A narrative form is
narrative. Each individual
like your typical film,
is still, until they are
telling some form of
bombarded with an
story. Whereas non-
element, yet they remain
narrative form is more
unchanged. It has deep
abstract and alternative,
meaning about resolve
tending to open to more
through your darkest
interpretation.
hour.
Martyr Furthermore, the move to transforming martyrdom
have the piece feature in
A recent example is a
St. Pauls Cathedral
piece created by Bill Viola
connects it strongly to
called Martyr (Earth,
religion. The work itself
Wind, Fire and Water). It has connotations to God,
has four portrait flat with the light at the end
screen TVs all next to
they look up to perhaps
each other, with each one
representing as such.
depicting an individual
Martyr being displayed at St Pauls Cathedral
ensure all focus is on the
The Clock, being comfortable to allow them
displayed in a cinema-
like set-up
Having it in the cathedral
also narrows down the
intended audience. They
will most likely religious
in some way shape or
form, there to use the
piece to provide a sense of
encouragement toward
simply being, taking from
it the importance of life
and death.
Jonathon Jones from The
Guardian described this
piece as being
of
from something horrific
to eerily still, silent and
thought-provoking.
think that it is a statement
The Clock has been produced, or a
deeper meaning such as
A piece by Christian
Marclay simply titled The
Clock that was displayed The Guardian describes
in 2010. It was a 24-hour
film that was partly, in
itself, a clock, displaying
hundreds of clips from
films with the current time
displayed in the scene.
Using the simple
technology of a large
cinema screen, and the
technique of using
duration all create the
effect that Marclay is
trying to instil. The space
piece set-up to display
room with a large screen
and several sofas and
armchairs. This is done to
film, with no distractions
from other sights, sounds
and keeping the audience
to interpret the work.
The piece is also non-
narrative, as all the clips
are broken up and not
telling a specific story. At
points it will contain
dialogue about time
and/or sound, which are
themes that Christian has
shown interest over in
previous works.
The audience is varying, as
it doesnt have a specific
target or intended viewer.
It allows whoever watches
it to interpret the meaning
the piece for sure the viewer sees the
themselves, making it
quite personal. One may
on the amount film that
the nature of time itself.
the piece as being a
masterpiece of our
times, with others saying
it is additive and
mesmerising.
Fall/Winter
Collection
Companies also use video
installations, as a method
of displaying their
product. The fashion
company Marni had a
their Fall/Winter
The audience will mostly
be males, as that is the
collection for 2014 (See intended customer. Their
Below). reactions to this will be to
think that the products are
Using a simple but large
stylish and trendy, making
space, the installation
them want them.
features multiple large
projected onto screens Although all three
that are arranged in an installations are to a good
irregular formation. standard, I personally
However, despite the believe that Martyrs is
seeming random the better.
placement, you are always
The use of the multiple
in view of at least one
screens and powerful
screen when in the room.
imagery give more impact
The video itself is a as an installation,
runway style non- provoking more thoughts
narrative piece, that has about various themes.
two male models showing
The Marni display was
off the clothing. They
good, but basic due to its
walk from each side of the
need to simply sell a
screen and occasionally
product.
walk in place facing
various directions. The The Clock was
purpose of this is to make intriguing, and had a much
more interesting and
products clearly. clever idea behind it.
However, it doesnt have
With it, you can hear a
an obvious or powerful
simple but catchy
interpretation to it, whilst
instrumental that matches
Martyrs does.
the pace the models are
walking in the video, Article by Joseph Weston
making the clothes look
trendy.
Multi-screen fashion installation by Marni
Bill Violas Martyr
(Earth Wind, Fire
and Water)