Where: Sackler Gallery
When: through July 17, 2011
The Sackler periodically features the work of an Asian artist in its entrance hall; this is their "Perspectives" series. I've seen one other (not sure if they've had more, or if it just started) - Hai Bo, which I enjoyed very much. I like the fact that I don't have to spend any time looking for the exhibit, as I'm limited in my viewing time, so having something in the entrance hall is fine by me.
This is a video entitled "History of Chemistry, Vol. 1." In it, four men dressed as sailors emerge from the sea and start walking. They walk across rocks, across a wasteland, they fall down in a meadow, apparently only sleeping, as they get back up and do more walking, eventually stopping in a nasty industrial area where they meet others. I watched this for quite a while (20 minutes at least) and finally gave up on it. I'm sure this is a powerful statement about something, but about what I have no idea. I'll be back at the Sackler before this closes, so perhaps on my way to see other shows, I'll be able to get more out of this video. Frankly, I'm not going to hold my breath.
Verdict: I'm perfectly willing to watch odd videos with no dialogue and make what sense I can out of them, but this one was beyond my comprehension.
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