Month: February 2019

Minimalism Museum: Mona Hatoum’s Impenetrable

 

During my visit to Minimalism Museum, one artwork that I found interesting was Mona Hatoum’s “Impenetrable”. Based on the artist description, this work was meant to be an alternative version of another work by Jesus Soto called Penetrable (1967-97).  Her colourful works are inviting for people and they get to interact fully with the installation.

Based on the title itself, we can already assume Mona’s take on her work is a different one – one that’s represented by something more sinister and less “playful”. The medium used appears to be “black-finished steel and fishing wire”, and from afar it does give off the look of a cube floating in the air. The installation may appear inviting from afar, but once you come closer to it, the black wired ‘knots’ look are sharp edges. During my visit there, the visitors didn’t seem too eager to enter the “cube” or play around with the barbed- wires, which is so different from the installations we see by Jesus Soto below. 

Narratives for Interaction ( Ben Slater’s Lecture)

  • Narratives are always progressing, it always changes
  • Choices and consequences are a part of the interactive elements that we see in interactive installations/new media
  • Going back through time – to remake our choices, and face new consequences, the idea of choices and observing what we did not observe
  • Trapped in routines – someone becomes a bit more aware – so she renews her ‘familiar’ routes that she often goes, in search of an alternative ‘reality’  – on the other hand not many is aware, stuck/trapped/comfortabe
  • Being trapped in routines is something that is inherent in all of us, animals have it, humans have it, everyone has it
  • Brings question of repetition as necessary – can be comforting to see something predictable in terms of behavior, what we come across daily, makes us feel productive
  • At the same time something we often see tends to annoy us, especially if it makes us feel bad – makes us anticipate for the worse
  • In contrast, anything we can anticipate gives us extra liberty/ the choice in how to react
  • Repitition – boring repitition, interesting repetition
  • “Prisoner” TV Series
  • Run Lola Run – Lola has 3 ‘resets’ or tries to complete a mission and overcomes some obstacles that come her way that stops her from doing what needs to be done