Cénotaphe

Description:

Cénotaphe by Barbara Steinman was a video art installation centred on a large, three-sided wooden structure that served as a symbolic tomb, topped by a plexiglass pyramid. Inside the tomb structure, a monitor displayed a video of flames. Reflected on the plexiglass above, the moving image formed shifting triangles of fire that changed as viewers moved around the piece. Granite tablets inscribed with quotes from Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) rested on the floor at the structure’s edges.

The pyramid was surrounded by arched windows fitted with two-way mirrors. At times, the mirrors reflected the flames inside the pyramid; at others, they displayed projected slides within the arches, altering the perception of the space. The cathedral-like arches sharply contrasted with the pyramid’s geometric edges, and unlike most traditional monuments—typically rectangular or square and dedicated to male figures—Steinman’s pyramid evoked feminine symbolism associated with a three-headed Celtic goddess.

An opening reception took place on Feb 27, 1986 at 7:30 p.m.

Presented as part of Luminous Sites.

Curated by Daina Augaitis and Karen Henry.

Video documentation is available upon request.