Non-directional Movement

Short English titles of Martin Kohout’s work, Close-Up, Away, No Place, evoke a sense of imaginary direction within the motion in space. Disturbances or any possible restrictions rising from iconography of these titles are interpreted through borrowed motives from interior works of our society (or through simple technical reference to the illustration of a mistake). Every single picture of the exhibition observes forgotten or revived sensations. Two works are exhibited as large-scale projections; still lives of geometrical objects as well as construction of the projection screens themselves are integral aspects of the works. The third work, a small pile of gradually disappearing postcards, is a literal message placed on a shelf. Transformation of the viewer’s direction of movement takes place on the background of familiar or generally known scenes. The moment of double-experienced scenes or seen images is accented by repetition of a screened loop, multiplication of serially printed postcards or just by a blue projection, signaling the loss of picture or its possible transformation on the level of film keying. Installation of these pieces in the Entrance gallery play with the natural trajectory of visitor’s movement in and through the space. The title of Martin Kohout’s exhibition derives from a quote by film theoretician, Stephen Health, who analyses repetition in film by declaring repetition an absence of direction, a failure of coherence. For Health repetition collapses the relation between “same” and “different” which becomes pure totality of indifference. Indefiniteness of direction and contradictory movements within the pictures symbolize the clash that may lead up to physical sense of loss. Conflict of movements within the pictures as well as on the viewer’s own path is the main motive of the exhibition. Certain bleakness arises from the repetition as well as from the displayed images that refer to concrete heroes, their stories, unfulfilled desires or confrontation with the viewer himself. All the three works are based on decomposition of an experience, resulting from manifold reading of a book, watching a film or evoking some situation. The exhibition’s theme is some sort of an upsetting message that is not always understandable at first glance.

Text by Martin Mazanec

Foto by Johana Pošová