Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Helen Sear for Wales in Venice

Today's post looks at a Collateral Event at this year's 56th Venice Biennale: the suite the rest is smoke, by installation, performance, and film artist Helen Sear. The solo exhibition is at Ludoteca Santa Maria Austilatrice, a church and former convent currently used as a community center.

Sear, who represents Wales at the Biennale, made a number of works for the rest is smoke: stack (a composite of scores of photographs of felled tree trunks, printed on an aluminum sheet, and cut into seven-foot-high vertical strips that are stacked against a wall), the beginning and end of things, caetera fumus (a gorgeous lightbox), company of trees (a projection),  altar, and base and brand.  

In the video below, Sear takes viewers on a tour of her exhibition, sharing some of her ideas about her pieces and highlighting her artistic processes. At the site Experience Wales in Venice are short videos on each of the components of the rest is smoke, interviews, a timeline, installation documentation, a gallery (see Exhibition page), and other learning resources.

The installation in Venice was documented by photographer Michal Iwanowski.



Sear's exhibition concludes November 22.

Slideshow of the rest is smoke 

An illustrated catalogue, published by Ffotogallery, is available. Read Steven Connor's essay in the catalogue.



Ffotogallery on FaceBook

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