Exhibition by Denise Marika

Description:

Denise Marika’s solo exhibition featured a series of video sculptures that explored the television monitor as a window into intimate human activities. Domestic furniture and industrial materials were used to physically enclose, shape, and define the video images, which focused on personal rituals.

In Cradled, video monitors swayed in hammocks made of metal, suspended by coils from the ceiling. The monitors displayed life-sized images of a figure at rest, and viewers were invited to interact with the sculpture by gently rocking the hammocks.

In Pacing, two bathroom cabinet mirrors were mounted side by side on the wall. Behind each mirror was a video screen covered by a transparent shield. Viewers could open and close the cabinet doors to reveal the video within the mirror, alongside an image of their own reflection. The video depicted a blurred figure walking back and forth, synchronized to create the illusion of someone pacing between the two monitors in an endless loop.

In Rocking, a monitor was placed in the seat of a wooden rocking chair, which teetered wildly in the gallery, creating a dynamic interplay between the image and the form. The monitor displayed a close-up of a person’s face as they rocked back and forth, with the movement of the chair in exact opposition to the motion of the subject.

A parallel exhibition of video sculptures by Denise Marika took place at Convertible Showroom, Vancouver from October 12 to November 1, 1985.

Video documentation is available upon request.