Ariane Michel

Ariane Michel’s video work tends to focus on animals and the three works presented during the Jerusalem show are no exception. Two of these works, Celeste’s Birds and Wide Eyes were special screenings at Al Ma’mal in the context of La Nuit Blanche, an ongoing project initiated in Paris. The other work, On the earth was screened specifically as part of Exhaustion.

La Nuit Blanche at Al Ma'mal

Celeste’s Birds is collaboration with Celeste Boursier-Mougenot who released birds into a gallery where he had placed suspended guitars in place of perches. The guitars were plugged into amplifiers resulting in sound every time the small, quick and darting birds landed on the strings. The guitar sounds are fused with chirping and beating of wings creating a unique and fascinating composition that is also compelling to watch.

The Round Eyes brings Paris to Jerusalem and also with the focus on a bird  A young owl sits on a branch in the middle of Paris with some iconic and brightly lit markers of the city visible in the distance. The middle ground is full of the busy night time traffic. The owl seems oblivious to this urban and human activity and its occasional gaze, deep into the camera offers the viewer not only a different perspective, but the perception of arrested time. Originally made to be projected on the side of the Musee de Jeu Paume in Paris, The Round  Eyes, was screened against the walls of the Tile Factory where it acquired the added textural dimension of the stone.

Exhaustion

Ariane Michel's work for Exhaustion is being shown at  Nicola Zaphiriades shop near Al Ma'mal. This video called On the earth, shows a beach full of sleeping walruses. Behind them is a landscape of calm sea and rock through which a big wooden boat slowly passes. The animals move minimally and infrequently but like the owl often seem to look into the camera directly. Both image and sound are natural giving the audience a direct connection to the environment and although it seems to be in slow motion it is actually in real time. The composition is meticulous:

One of the subjects of this work is time. Like stones these beasts are ancient and they allow the viewer to enter another time and to slow down. I want it to be almost therapeutic. Allowing people to watch and hear and reconnect their senses to another time and place. It is important to show works that can possibly give people some rest. In this sense it works with the theme of the show because it’s purpose is to give relief. (Ariane Michel, Jerusalem, October 2010)