Walker Art Center Trip

This is the best image I could find online from artnews.org. Quasi MB- In the Middle of its Story was formatted differently in the Walker.


Haegue Yang: Integrity of the Insider

I really enjoyed this space in the Walker. The artist has a very creative way of using a wide variety of materials in her investigations. I felt that the Yearning Melancholy Red installation was intensely affective. I, however, chose to write about a more subtle, yet equally intriguing piece spanning the corner of a wall titled, Quasi MB- In the Middle of its Story (2006/2007). This installation of eighteen framed black and white printed pieces of paper translating the washed out ink on what seemed to be scraps of paper. The same handwriting appears on each scrap of paper, although it is not the artist's handwriting. The first frame in the series is numbered 11 and houses a piece of paper with Korean characters neatly written in ink. This is the only frame with Korean text. The series continues with a frame numbered 12 below 11. The order continues in this way as a vertical series of rows; 14,14,14;15,16,17 until it reaches the corner of the wall. On the adjacent face of the wall the series continues 19,20,20. At the bottom of this series, the pattern changes and becomes horizontal. The next frames spanning across the wall; 21,22,24,23,27. Below 23 is 25. Below 27 is 26. Written, this pattern is very confusing. Visually, this formatting seems very composed. Here are some excerpts from the frames.

Frame 14:
The writing is not to be read
It is, rather to be seen,
In other words,
To be witnessed as writing
Still, I have to write
In order to hide writing
Is is crucial to write
Yet my writing can't be read
The reason why writing disappears is
Not because the rain washes away my letters
But because it is being filmed.

Frame 20:
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame
A sense of shame

I read each frame as I proceeded from 11 to 27 (left to right within a 90 degree corner; 18 frames). It was interesting to think about where these scraps of paper had been found, all having been signed "MB". I began creating scenarios in my mind and visualizing the artist finding these letters or following someone who recorded and then discarded all their thoughts. Around the corner of the gallery space was another installation. This was a vintage projector playing a 16mm film. This silent video installation depicted a man sitting outside with a pen and an ink reservoir writing as best he could on a sheet of paper, all the while it is raining on him. The rain seems artificial and localized over this one writing individual. He, however, does not seem to mind the rain and continues attempting to write. This continues for three minutes and replays. After watching the piece I found out that it was Marcel Broodthaers' La Pluie (Project pour un texte) 1969. This piece being by a different artist didn't seem to fit into the gallery, but also seemed to explain Yang's Quasi MB piece. The dichotomies continued when I entered the Yearning Melancholy Red installation and passed between a fan and an industrial heat lamp juxtaposed on either side of me.

I'm not entirely certain that I've made the connection between the Quasi MB piece and the 16mm film. I definitely find it interesting. The rest of the gallery was exclusively Haegue Yang's work so I felt that the inclusion of another artist's work must have been a very intentional decision. I understand that the "writer" of the pieces for Yang's Quasi MB-In the Middle of its Story, was Marcel Broodthaers. I know that this could not have happened as Marcel Broodthaers 1) made his film La Pluie, in 1969 and 2) he passed away in the mid 1970's. So perhaps Quasi MB-In the Middle of its Story is Yang's homage to Marcel Broodthaers. It seems to depict the words that were written in MB's 16mm film. So I guess it kind of creates a relationship in the sense that there is a very curious connection.

This gallery was definitely the highlight of my trip to the Walker, although I really enjoyed the Event Horizon gallery too. Overall, the Walker is always a great trip and I was happy to have gone.