The Wrong Room INSTALLATION (2020)

The Wrong Room (Come, join the collective…)

At some point in their lives, most people will have experienced a moment of weakness where they denounced a person or a thing against their better judgement or they remained silent when they knew or felt they should have stood up for what they believe is true or just. It is a moment of serious tension where the true self is revealed, a moment where we honor our principles, bargain, or betray our sense of truth or justice. Of course, not all of these choices are matters of good versus evil (though some are), nevertheless, the feeling of shame or regret can have serious and long-lasting effects.

The issue of choice sometimes takes on even more dramatic proportions, usually in situations involving long-term commitment and serious consequences for those involved. It is all well and good when people want to join a meaningful cause, a worthy social movement or political party, or a virtuous religious group. Yet, the circumstances leading to the fateful choice sometimes involve coincidence, misunderstanding, seduction, and manipulation.

Oscar Wilde once wrote: “The world goes to the altar of its own accord.” In other words, we alone are responsible for our poor choices. A sensible observation at first, but upon reflection it soon seems a little too simple. It is certainly not easy to gauge the intentions of a charismatic leader, and driven by passion it is unlikely that a person will be able to fully appreciate what is at stake when he or she commits to a new cause, movement, or religion. Indeed, even people guided by common sense will often find it difficult to tell if they are being seduced or manipulated into making that choice, that fateful judgement. The Wrong Room is a recreation of this ambiguous moment of tension, a form of catharsis that allows the visitor to face the dilemma in search of answers, but without suffering the consequences of bad choices.

The space is simulating a room inhabited by the characters in the paintings. Ears, eyes, and nose (the organs of sense and communication) have been replaced by wide, ambiguous, toothy smiles. These unusual facial features mark the members as part of the group, the collective, and serve, like other visual indicators of group affiliation (specific clothing, hair grooming, symbols etc.), to reinforce the inclusion of the individual and the exclusion of anyone else.

The simple furniture (lampshade, table, chairs) together with the audio creates a dynamic atmosphere that amplifies the reality of the room and helps to engage the viewer. In the three-minute sound loop, we hear a door slowly opening, hesitant footsteps as someone enter the room, and the door abruptly closing. This is followed by a persistent, nervous heartbeat and ominous, droning sounds in the background. Masks hang from three chairs, the discarded skins of individuality of people who have entered The Wrong Room in the past and chosen to join the collective. The chair closest to the visitor is pulled out in what seems to be a friendly gesture of hospitality. The Chinese character for “come”, shines from the lamp and the character hangs in the air as a spoken invitation or a command addressed directly to the viewer.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ed6c26_e2b0ed3c0aeb4ea0a1b94951ac83b630/720p/mp4/file.mp4

The three main paintings in the room represent The Committee, the leadership of the collective. Framing is the attribution of certain status to images, an act of objectification in which an image is lifted out of its authentic, raw state and placed in a new context. Consequently, the paintings are unframed to emphasize their tangible presence in the room as the characters address the visitor directly.

The central image is Deceit, recognizable by the inverted hands. Deceit is the charismatic leader and driving force of the collective. In its right (left) hand, Deceit is holding an apple, a gift to lure the visitor and prospective new member of the collective. The fruit is a symbol of the forbidden or secret knowledge shared only by the members of the collective. The apple looks ripe and wholesome, but it is rotten at its core as anything touched by Deceit is tainted. Therefore, the gift offered by Deceit is not of knowledge and insight, but ignorance and the expected salvation turns out to be corruption and submission.

Deceit is flanked by representations of Rejection and Comfort, the gatekeepers of protocol and manners, who will administer punishment or rewards to control and shape the thoughts and behavior of the potential new member of the collective.

The framed works represent past visitors who have shed their skin and joined the collective. They are placed on the table like treasured photos of absent loved ones. In contrast, the two smaller, unframed images leaning casually against the wall are not loving memorabilia. Instead, they show the actual process of transformation and manipulation of the individual and his/her/their unsettling rebirth into the collective.

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The Wrong Room confronts the viewer at the fateful point where we choose to embrace or reject submission to the collective, the group, or the charismatic leader. It is clear that great comfort can be found in submission, in the surrendering of the will, and the obliteration of the individual. Many people yearn to experience the burden of responsibility lifted from their shoulders. No more stressful decisions and no more existential fears as they find solace in belonging and submit to rules that are not of their making. This solace, however, comes at a price: The loss of self, the loss of agency. A steep price indeed.

So, the Wrong Room asks questions: To what extent are you prepared to surrender your sense of self, your agency? What do you want or need in exchange for your submission? Is it possible to be truly free?

CMN