Smoke obsession…

The great exhibitionspace of Hamburger Bahnhof was during fall of 2012 showing the amazing lightsculptures of the videoartist Anthony McCall. The room was dark apart from the lightinstallations and as you entered the room you were forced to move slowly and carefully so your eyes had time to adjust to the dark space. The floors were lined with carpet that absorbed the sound when you moved around in the huge space that was somewhat reminiscent of the overwhelming space inside a cathedral.

As well as removing the noises from the participants movement in the exhibition space, the black carpet invited you to somehow play around, lay flat on your back, sit against the walls and just quietly absorb and emerge fully to the beauty of the lights sculptures that moves gently around on the floors and the sidewalls.

While you’re sitting, laying or standing, observing or interacting with the lights, smoke appears visually in the lightprojections moving forcefully and aggressive in different chaotic patterns. The combination of the smokes irregular movement made the invisible turbulencepatterns visible and perceivable for the participants. All the while the effect of the smoke made the visitor aware of the invisible flows, impressions and sensations that continuously is being thrown at our bodies. Instantaneously sensing and perceiving the phenomena, your own body and the exhibitionspace more intense and afterwards expanding the bodily presence in the world outside, when leaving the exhibition.

The movement of the smoke looked almost animated until this illusion was revealed when moving an arm, blowing towards the smoke, kicking or whatever one might be feeling like during the five minutes of pure sculpture.