When: closing August 12, 2018
As much as I dislike the Hirshhorn, and I dislike it a lot, I usually enjoy the video offerings. They are funny, or moving or thought-provoking in some way. So I wasn't dreading my trip this past week to see several videos having to do with the connection between the mind and the body.
The museum is having live performances by these artists over the course of the next several weeks, but I wasn't not sure I'd be able to see any of those, so I thought I'd go for the exhibit of their work instead. A viewing area is set up on the inner ring of the second floor, with numerous screens and little stands across from each one. Lots of room for many people to see what's on offer.
I only watched part of one video, but that was plenty. It was called "Swivel Spot." It begins pretty weird and just gets stranger as it goes along. A topless woman sits on the floor, eating peanuts and tossing the shells on the ground, while a man walks around with an enormous tape dispenser, wrapping things in tape. Another man (who starts out shirtless, but then dons a red shirt, bizarre glasses and a woman's wig) is in the room as well. When he took off all his clothes, rubbed his backside with some sort of lotion/glue/I don't know what and rolled around in the peanut shells, I decided I'd had enough.
Verdict: Maybe the video I watched makes sense in the end; maybe the rest of the works are terrific, I don't know. But, life is short, and sometimes, you have to know when to give up on something.
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