The Dark Pool

Feb 25 — Mar 24, 1995
Field:

Exhibition

 Location:

Western Front

Description:

Following a month-long residency at Western Front, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller presented The Dark Pool. The new installation combined interactive audio, video, and photographic elements in combination with an assemblage of furniture, books, objects, and mechanical devices to explore expanded forms of narrative. As viewers navigated the installation, they triggered a layered soundscape of music and dialogue. The work built on Cardiff’s work To Touch (1993), a wooden carpenter’s table embedded with motion sensors that emitted pre-recorded sounds.
A bird’s-eye view of a dark wooden table full of scattered objects and cables that are coming from above. The objects include closed and open books with tech on top, speakers, a typewriter, empty dishes, a shoe, lit light bulbs, and utensils.
A bird's-eye view of a dark wooden table full of scattered objects and mechanical paraphernalia. The objects include closed and open books with objects on top, speakers, plates full of organics, a dirty mug, and a tray of ten dirty tea cups. At the corner of the table, there's a big old open chest.
A spot light in a dimly lit room illuminates a lacquered wooden chair that faces the viewer. Framing the chair on either side, there are large antique megaphones. Each megaphone is propped up on a sidewalk sign type object which sits on the wooden floor.
There’s a large antique megaphone hanging from the ceiling over a small wooden desk table. On the table, there’s a warm lightbulb that illuminates the books, paper, and electronic devices that sit on top of it.
A close-up of what appears to be an open chest. The outside of the chest has scratches and residues of shipping tags and labels that read as follows: caution heavy and heavy, lourd. The inside of the chest is full of what looks like four LED lights, rocks, dirt, and mini human and car figurines.
A warm lightbulb placed on top of a small pile of books illuminates the objects on a dark wooden desk. A document, books, and electronic technology seem purposely scattered on the desk. On the left side of the desk sit a pair of dark, feathery wings and a tall glass aquarium tank with water and a device inside it.
In a dimly lit gallery, two large antique megaphones suspended from the ceiling point towards a table holding various vintage trunks, books, and other objects.
A close up of a miniature scene. Toy cars park beside a mini wood house that emits a warm orange glow. Tiny figures stand about the landscape. The ground is a warm orangy brown colour. A murky lake can be seen to the right of the figures.

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Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.

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