Cénotaphe

Description:

Cénotaphe by Barbara Steinman was a video art installation centered on a large, three-sided wooden structure that served as a symbolic tomb, topped by a plexiglass pyramid. Inside the tomb, a monitor played a videotape of flames reflected on the plexiglass, creating 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.

Surrounding the pyramid were arched windows fitted with two-way mirrors. These mirrors sometimes reflected the flames within the pyramid and at other times displayed projected slides in the arched frames, altering the perception of the space. The imagery honored the nameless and those made to disappear throughout history.

The cathedral-like arches contrasted sharply with the pyramid’s geometric edges. Unlike most traditional monuments—which are rectangular or square and typically honor male figures—Steinman’s pyramid invoked female symbolism tied to a three-headed Celtic goddess.While not site-specific, Cénotaphe entered into dialogue with histories of disappearance wherever it was shown. Its installation at Presentation House Gallery in North Vancouver was especially poignant, given the venue’s past as a prison.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.