MA34 Research Methods
Exhibition Review
David Clutton
21st October 2003
You are a liar or far smarter than I, if you leave Bill Violas’ ‘Hall of Whispers’ at the Haunch of Venison anything other than emotionally confused and disappointed. Leading American video artist Violas’ past work has (M.Billam informed me of this) clearly been shocking and controversial. Be prepared to enter another zone, an elevated level of consciousness, in the Top Gallery.
On ascending the second staircase to the wooden-floored, blackened-windowed area, that is the Top Gallery, an eerie spine-tingling, goose-bump inducing atmosphere overcame me, nervous with both apprehension and expectation. The level is partitioned centrally; walls white and unadorned. One half set aside as a stark, lonely, faintly lit (only the light emanating at the stairway from the Zen exhibition below) reflective area, and the other half a 30ft by 12 ft (est.) exhibition space that is the ‘hallway’ that is the ‘Hall of Whispers’. The hall has an entrance, and an exit, neither defined – there is no supporting literature up here, this is found at the entrance on the ground floor. You make your own mind up, in the dark.
The task at hand ensured I treated the exhibition differently to the other audience, the majority of whom visited for seconds and minutes. What looks like six subtly wall-sunken TV’s opposite four on the partition wall, on closer inspection, turn out to be six speakers/projectors faced by four, strategically ceiling-mounted ensuring no personal interference with the projections, unless of course you choose to interact. These ten screens depict in black and white medium close-up film, the head and shoulders of ten largely non-descript casually dressed, middle aged people. Several bespectacled, long hair, no hair - one person initially drew my attention for his faintly Gandhi-like resemblance; there were no Afro-Caribbean representations, the hall of ten suggests a cross-section of contemporary Western society. The moving images are sufficiently transparent to allow intimate exploration of facial expression, for example, pulsing temples.
The ‘Hall of Whispers’ – ten mouths gagged with bandage, some mumbling, some silent, the mumbling becomes one, collective aural ambience with religious connotations. It took time, being consumed by the aforementioned elements to notice the tens’ eyes squeezed shut, denying a window to the soul. A narrative, whether viewing the ten individually or collectively is unclear - whispers are intended not to be heard, and we, the eavesdroppers, are still in the dark. We don’t know what it is the ten are trying to communicate, or whether this is important, collectively this is noise without vision. Ten opposing views neither seeing, nor being seen by the other. Saying nothing of clarity says much; it is what is not said that is paramount. Toying with our natural instinct to search for understanding highlights the eavesdroppers’ dissatisfaction with their aural and visual negative capability. We are forced to ask questions, eavesdropping whispers, to discover secrets. Is the artist not listening? Is the audience not listening? Do they want to listen or see? Can’t they listen or see? We all want to see and be seen, to hear and be heard, and to understand. I left feeling anxiety and confusion struggling to decode, deconstruct and comprehend meaning, and disappointment – in the exhibition or in myself?
We can hear nothing, speak nothing and see nothing, even collectively, our ears are covered, our mouths are gagged, and our eyes are shut. We are being failed. Leadership is needed, to let us hear each other, and to give us a voice, to open our eyes, to give us vision, of Utopia. The Media overlooks the non-descript, this is the state of the Nation, silenced by the Media and our lack of vision - even if we are in the Media; so much is said we can’t comprehend visually or aurally, this is sensory overload. We are political prisoners being terrorised by the Media, the Eagles “Hotel California” lyrics “we are prisoners here, of our own device” comes to mind. Although it is likely when emerging into the light that you will still be in the dark there is no doubt this installations’ impression will be a lasting one.