Presented by: Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art
Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art showcases two video projections from Décalage, Bettina Hoffmann’s latest work. Each projection is a pair of moving cameras introspecting characters in tableau. Part of the Images Festival.
Bettina Hoffmann keeps viewer returning to places of departure.
Mesmerizing and haunting, the new video installation by Montreal-based artist Bettina Hoffmann transports viewers into spaces where they experience moments of eerie intimacy. Curated by Scott McLeod and presented by Prefix in association with the Images Festival, Décalage is a pair of dual projections: each scene, which depicts figures in a tableau, is simultaneously presented in two, slightly different, versions. Those who are familiar with Hoffmann’s previous work will recognize the themes of consciousness and self-consciousness, stillness and movement, the personal and the interpersonal.
In Décalage, the camera moves freely, carefully exploring the stationary figures of a couple in bed and of two women standing over a third woman lying on a floor. The apparent three-dimensionality of video and the two-dimensionality of the still photograph – evoked in the tableaux – intersect to produce a palpable tension. The viewer seems to be pulled into an image that simultaneously asserts its impenetrability. Without a fixed point of view, suspended between two- and three-dimensionality, the spectator is entranced and transfixed.
An opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 13 from 7 pm - 10 pm
About the Artist: Born and educated in Berlin, Bettina Hoffmann lives in Montréal where she continues to work in photography, digital photomontage and video. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, most recently at the Oakville Galleries (Oakville, Ontario), Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal and the Kristi Engle Gallery (Los Angeles). She has received numerous grants and awards, and her work is held in both public and private collections in North America and Europe.
About the Curator
Scott McLeod is a curator, writer and arts administrator based in Toronto. His work focuses on contemporary practices, particularly photography, media and digital art. Since 2000, he has been the director and curator of Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, where he also serves as editor and publisher of Prefix Photo magazine.
About Prefix
Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art is a public art gallery and arts publishing house based in Toronto. A registered charitable organization, Prefix fosters the appreciation and understanding of contemporary photographic, media and digital art.
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Starts: Mar 13, 2008 Ends: Apr 19, 2008
At: 401 Richmond, 401 Richmond Street, Toronto
Playing: Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Times: 12 pm - 5 pm
Cost: Free
Getting there:
Richmond Street, east of Spadina Avenue
For more information contact:
Chantal Rousseau
Phone:
416-591-0357
Email:
info@prefix.ca
