Tantalum Memorial (Reconstruction)
DETAILED TEXT AND INTERVIEWS WILL BE ADDED SOON.
This is the first of the abstract memorials to be exhibited and is currently on show at the Zer01 Festival in San Jose at the Museum of Modern Art. After many months of the incredibly comple and someimes arduous levels of communications, revelations and disasters, this is how the installation turned out- both eerie and brilliantly effective:
The image above is one of neatness and precision but is made up of an enormous amount of components with each one bringing a history and wealth of problematics of its own. This section seeks to disassemble the build to examine some of these seperate elements from their original conception through to the final version.
Layout for the Install at San Jose Museum of Modern Art
Matsuko Yokokoji and Richard Wright made initial trips over to San Jose to make decisions based on which space to set the install. Despite the visit, the only reliable documentation to make an assessment on is by photographs and diagrams. Considerations have to be given to space and lightng- the installation being a sober memorial to the dead needs to be placed in a darkened space which is not easily achieved due to the open nature of the museum. This photograph details the location to be worked on.
This next diagram shows the rooms in relation to the rest of the gallery. Originally the build was going to be located in the centre and there had been concerns about noise. Room 16 where the bulid is to be located can be found at the top right of the south gallery.Any nearby works have to be assessed in relation to sound and light and if they will interfere with the artists intentions for the memorial. It was decided early on to amplify the sound of the switches.
Finally, this is Matsuko's final design, detailing every facet of the installation within the boundaries of the space. Note the black and grey painted walls used to dampen the light in the room.
Then, as can be seen in the design illustrations, a spotlight will highlight the build in the centre of the room, picking it out of the darkness whilst an array of LED's will highlight the moving parts of the strowger switches.
Build Gallery
Here are some further images showing the design in progress....
