Migration

The show I wanted to see in Chelsea was Doug Aitken's Migration show at 303 Gallery. And so happy we made it, it was definitely the high point of the trip. Migration is a video installation projected on 3 large plasma screens. The imagery was so vivid and surreal, it was totally compelling to watch.

Aitken takes scenes from modern roadside hotels, which appear to be completely abandoned and vacant, and shows North American migratory animals transposed in the spaces. What follows is some amazing cinematography showing anything from owls, to horses to bison in these rooms, and even better - what these creatures will do in such a space when left alone. While sounding a bit strange, the film is beautifully and artfully put together with an almost voyerestic approach to watchcing a lion playfully tearing the blankets off a bed in slow motion, or a beaver taking a hot bath.

a look at the large video screens

mid-west