Sublimation: An Exercise in the Immersive is an exhibition featuring a range of audio-visual works that respond to the idea of the sublime. The exhibition presents eight international artists: Mark + Laura Cetilia (US), Ryan Connor (US), Robert Crouch (US), Gary James Joynes/Clinker (CA), Mimosa|Moize (TW, UK) and Tu M’ (IT). These works saturate the sonic and visual landscape, drenching and enveloping the audience and must be experienced to be truly understood.
The six audio-visual works on view in Sublimation: An Exercise in the Immersive explore the sublime through their creation of expansive, saturated and meditative environments. Each artist’s work accentuates an understanding and appreciation of multi-sensory experiences.
The artists in this exhibition explore a wide range of artistic styles and practices, from audio and video field recordings (Morning by Mimosa|Moize), the utilization of broken lenses for light and sound manipulation (Letterlens to Kid Eyes by Ryan Connor), and the incorporation of ceremony and ritual (Provody by Gary James Joynes/Clinker).
One of the more well know works in the exhibition comes from artist duo Tu M’ (Rossano Polidoro and Emiliano Romanelli) who contribute a work from their Monochrome series: Monochrome # 09+V06, a reductive landscape that has been distilled down to fragile atmospheric shades of blue. Robert Crouch pushes the idea of traditional landscape further with his work Dusk, which presents an impossible landscape where a single surface shifts from land formation to skyline and back again. Landscape leads to location based work in Mark + Laura Cetilia’s Visiting Hours where the piece is formed from recordings within the Museums of Bat Yam, Israel where the piece was first exhibited.
The opening night of Sublimation: An Exercise in the Immersive is accompanied by two complementary programs; an audio screening including works by: Katherine Bennett (US), Celer (US, JP), Stéphane Claude (CA), Heribert Friedl (AT), Robin Parmar (UK, CA, IE), Tomas Phillips + Craig Hilton (US), Scant Intone (CA) & Tom White (UK); and a concert consisting of live performances by: Robert Crouch (US), David Kristian (CA) and Mimosa|Moize (UK). The audio screening serves to highlight a larger range of work that fits into the idea of the sublime. The live performances is a chance for both artist and audience to be consumed by the same visceral experience, to be drawn into and among the same heights and depths of the sonic and emotional spectrum.
Sublimation: An Exercise in the Immersive emerged following a series of conversations between curators Helen Frosi, Yann Novak and France Jobin held on the topic of “the immersive”. These conversations took place in the summer of 2010 when the three met in London while working on another project. The discussion unfolded into the idea to curate an exhibition with three components: an installation of audio-visual works, an audio screening and a concert. Each of these components embodies the ideas that had constantly resurged in there initial conversations: immensity, boundlessness and awe in addition to the transfiguration or suspension of time.
Each work exhibited in Sublimation: An Exercise in the Immersive is a sensuous piece that must be experienced: seen, heard and more importantly, felt.