Witnessing is a devious thing. On the one hand it serves to better the public understanding to an act, whether joyous or reprehensible, but on the other it may damage the witnesser. The fulcrum of this balance beam is of great concern in the MCA’s exhibition simply titled Witness. Photography is definitionally an encounter between artist and subject, but it also is an act of witnessing, and has been used as such for documentation. The MCA’s exhibit plays with this concept and pushes the boundaries of what it means to encounter and what it means to bear witness.
Similarly, Camille Henrot’s piece for MCA screen is a heavy undertaking. During her time as an art research fellow at the Smithsonian Institute, which the wall text is quick to point out is “The largest conglomerate of museums and research centers in the world… totaling some 137 million artworks, objects, and specimens,” Henrot attempts to piece together the history of the world. In so doing her piece morphs into a meditation on the quixotic nature of assembling knowledge while having virtually endless resources. The act of assemblage, however, is too an act of witnessing. It seeks to bear witness to all in order to report some. To summarize is an active form of bearing witness in that it attempts synthesis.
The choices of video and photographic media for these two exhibits are by no means incidental. These modes of signification are indexical and as such carry more weight of truth. The relation between the signifier and the signified in this case have made physical contact by means of light, and in so doing are directly related, like smoke to fire. As such they create a means of documentation that aims to be irrefutable. This is why Truman insisted on soldiers taking photographs as they liberated camps in Germany and Poland. To bear witness that is absolutely irrefutable.
Breaks in conventional form can bring attention to common assumptions about convention. That is one of the aims of Witness. This is notable in the case of Cindy Sherman, who documented herself for years in the series “Untitled Film Stills.” Sherman photographed only herself, in various costumes and guises, in a series that was linked by nothing but style. She was not simply bearing witness to an identity, she was creating one out of the act of documentation. Because she took those photos, those films sprung into the minds of thousands of her viewers. She bore witness to an entire oeuvre that never existed. If one attempted to imagine the catalog of film created by Sherman’s upwards of 85 “Untitled Film Stills” feeling some grosse fatigue could be understood.
The work of Sherman’s photos can also be understood as bearing witness to the cultural clichés and limited rolls for women in midcentury film and domestic life. Sherman places herself within archetypes of femininity and womanhood but her photos are claustrophobic and anxiety inducing. These emotions run against the grain of the patriarchal norms of both Hollywood and the Home.
The crown jewel of this exhibit is of course Alfredo Jaar’s “Sounds of Silence.” Jaars work is stunning and haunting and it captures the life and death of Kevin Carter with grace. What is meaningful about it is that it forces you, the viewer, to bear witness. In ways Carter could never imagine, Jaar uses his work along with his biography to show to his captive audience exactly the kind of forces that caused Carter to end his own life. As such, you are no longer bearing only witness on the Sudanese famine and the need for photojournalism, but the devastating effects of witnessing itself.
If “Witness” forces us to experience the dark side of human nature, “Grosse Fatigue” gives us the light. Hernot works with creation myths of many creeds and weaves them together through breakneck video windows on her laptop. Over the graphics that show the far reaches of human and natural beauty, creation, and culture, Henrot lays a track of gorgeous stream-of-consciousness poetry, with a pulsing rhythmic beat the mimics the heartbeat of the world. Through this we may bear witness to all the things that truly are worth living for. She creates for us the kind of Dream City that Zadie Smith writes about in her essay, “Speaking in Tongues,” and proves to us that it may be overwhelming and even debilitating at times, living in this world is a thing of beauty.
While many go through life simply consuming things as they are, artists and historians among us bear the burden of paying witness. This is a service to the rest of us that is invaluable. Historicizing and contextualizing are not only necessary for learning and the assemblage of knowledge, but they can be incredibly taxing and altogether harmful for those who under take the task. We owe them our thanks and our respect.
1,241 Comments
I’d should check with you here. Which isn’t some thing I do! I like reading a post which will make people believe. Also, thank you permitting me to comment! ilhéus passeiothank
I located your own weblog on google and check several of the earlier articles. Protect in the superb run. I just additional up your Feed to my personal Windows live messenger Information Reader. Searching for toward reading through additional from you afterwards!?– Hypoallergenic Pillow
Thanks for revealing your ideas. Something is that students have a solution between fed student loan and also a private education loan where it truly is easier to choose student loan consolidating debts than over the federal student loan. LOGIN KOCAKTOGEL
Really I enjoy your site with effective and useful information. It is included very nice post with a lot of our resources.thanks for share. i enjoy this post. bakarat
This is my first time i visit here. I found so many entertaining stuff in your blog, especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the leisure here! Keep up the good work. I have been meaning to write something like this on my website and you have given me an idea. 슬롯 커뮤니티
I have browsed most of your posts. This post is probably where I got the most 앙헬레스
I simply had to thank you very much yet again. I am not sure the things that I would have sorted out in the absence of the tactics documented by you regarding such area. It was before a real challenging scenario in my view, however , discovering a new well-written technique you handled it forced me to cry over joy. I’m just grateful for this support and as well , pray you realize what an amazing job you’re doing teaching the others with the aid of your webpage. I’m certain you haven’t encountered all of us. david hoffmeister
I am thankful that I detected this site, just the right info that I was looking for! david hoffmeister
Just desire to say your article is as amazing. The clearness in your post is just great and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the gratifying work. david hoffmeister
I got what you mean, appreciate it for posting. Woh I am delighted to find this website through google. david hoffmeister
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it! slotptliga.cc
Thank you for sharing such valuable insights about onebyonesoft. Your updates are incredibly informative and much appreciated. Keep them coming!
Exploring Nursing Possibilities: EssayGoat’s Planning
For understudies researching the intricacies of nurs fpx 4030 assessment 2, EssayGoat gives the limit expected to change nursing information into convincing, in general around facilitated articles. By joining a huge comprehension of nursing rules with sharp wise sythesis, EssayGoat guarantees that every task is clear, fast, and completely investigated. This approach assists understudies with contrasting scholarly assumptions as well as reinforces their capacity to convey complex clinical advantages thoughts, showing them the technique for progressing in both their appraisals and future nursing position.
I exactly got what you mean, thanks for posting. And, I am too much happy to find this website on the world of Google. 야구 생중계
Thank you for sharing this insightful and valuable information about luxurious skincare solutions. We look forward to receiving more updates. Keep us informed!
What a fantabulous post this has been. Never seen this kind of useful post. I am grateful to you and expect more number of posts like these. Thank you very much. galan4d
Very interesting blog. Alot of blogs I see these days don’t really provide anything that I’m interested in, but I’m most definately interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know. galan4d
Last month, when i visited your blog i got an error on the mysql server of yours.*~,”* The Money Wave
Thanks for taking the time to talk about this, I feel fervently about this and I take pleasure in learning about this topic. Please, as you gain information, please update this blog with more information. I have found it very useful. There have to be charging stations everywhere. SulAméricathank
This is the correct weblog for everyone who is would like to learn about this topic. You are aware of much its almost challenging to argue along with you (not that I personally would want…HaHa). You certainly put a different spin on a topic thats been revealed for several years. Fantastic stuff, just great! Online Quran Tutors
Code promo 1xBet pour 2024 : 1XMAXVIP, seulement il vous offre un bonus de bienvenue de 100 % jusqu’à 130 €/$. Il s’agit d’un bonus de dépôt d’inscription et vous pouvez l’utiliser pour les paris sportifs et le sport. 1xbet sénégal
Thank you for the detailed and informative content on onebyonesoft. Please continue to share these useful updates. Much appreciated!
Thank you for your appreciation! For more engaging experiences, kindly visit our website and explore how SAP Consulting Services.
As I web-site possessor I believe the content material here is rattling magnificent , appreciate it for your efforts. You should keep it up forever! Good Luck. gpt chat
I am grateful for the clarity and insight your article has provided หวย ฮานอย วัน นี้
This is a wonderful article, Given so much info in it, These type of articles keeps the users interest in the website, and keep on sharing more … good luck 에볼루션카지노
It is an excellent blog, I have ever seen. I found all the material on this blog utmost unique and well written. And, I have decided to visit it again and again 에볼루션바카라
Looking to new company setup in dubai ? Our expert consultants offer top-notch services for business setup consultants in Dubai, licensing, visas, and more.
This particular papers fabulous, and My spouse and i enjoy each of the perform that you have placed into this. I’m sure that you will be making a really useful place. I has been additionally pleased. Good perform! 에볼루션바카라