Today is your last chance to catch the art video showcase Monobandes at Les Territoires. The work of 22 international artists is screened in rotation on either two 42″ TVs or projected onto a large screen. Even though the subject matter of the videos being presented covers a wide range, what they all have in common is a sense of stillness and contemplation which urges the viewer to slow down and observe closely.

Among my favourites is Vivian Lee‘s piece Island of Sentosa. Sentosa Island is a small island which is part of Singapore, comparable to ÃŽsle Ste-Hélène. It is a tourist destination with a carefully tended jungle, a few amusement rides, and a public beach. Lee captures a series of wide panoramas of the island’s golf course, its beach, and its busy tourist-infested walkways. She filmed the same spot again and again on different days, and then montaged the shots together, splitting the panorama into several slices. It’s a simple and brilliant device: tourists disappear into a parallel universe as they move out of one frame, birds suddenly appear, the lazy waves on the beach develop a schizophrenic rhythm.

Also very engaging is the piece Rockets by Baden Pailthorpe. A beautiful blue sky with a few fair-weather clouds is suddenly interrupted by rocket trails as they streak across the field of view. What at first appears to be a Fourth of July celebration soon turns sinister as the sound effects kick in and the hiss of the rockets becomes more menacing. When you spot the jet plane flying across the sky at high altitude it still looks innocent until – it is shot down. Celebration turns to war in a split-second.

All films have a meditative quality, so take your time watching them.

Les Territoires, space 527
group show of 22 artists
Monobandes
May 19 – June 4, 2011
http://lesterritoires.org