Catastrophe Apostrophe
| CATASTROPHE APOSTROPHE a video installation in image, sound and text |
| CATASTROPHE APOSTROPHE is a video installation in collaboration with new music composer Veronika Krausas, engaging with her suite of compositions for player piano. While driving through the northern Sahara in a four-stroke Renault Clio, I picked up a hitchhiking potter who insisted on driving my car, with me riding in the back seat. Transfixed by curiosity and amusement, I went along with it. He was a truly maniacal driver, and every time we nearly died - just moments before - he would fling his hands off the wheel, whirl back to face me, and announce quite happily in French: "CATASTROPHE!" When I first listened to Veronika Krausas' recording for player piano, this memory came flooding back. I fixed upon the idea of diversion...of working within all senses of the word: A change in a course. An entertaining pastime. Something different than expected. A distraction from what is really going on. In the end, a ferociously irritating lark emerged along the lines of a migraine, a demented roadside advertising scheme, and a naughty love note. Somewhere the apostrophes have had a terrible accident, but the signs are too distracting for us to notice or care. After all, we're in the back seat, and there's not much we can do but witness. CATASTROPHE APOSTROPHE is forthcoming on DVD by Catalysis Projects, which is releasing a collection of Wikswo's video installations. |
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