Inspired by Haruki Murakami’s short story “On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning”, Milchan’s site-specific photographic installation at Assemblage Temporary Project Space engages the passerby to explore this fragile moment of a possible encounter, of blurred lines between dream and reality, between the dreams and the lies we tell ourselves and to others; the discrepancy between what is real and what we project; what we want real and what we try to hide; what we place in front, and what is behind. In an age of social media, social distancing, and social lies, where people place themselves in fake situation, or fake situation that they do so want to believe are real, that they believe these are real, the distance between the different realities and dreams are blurred, divergent, and apart. Milchan entangles the viewer’s point of view in a room of broken pieces and entangled paths of chance. The viewer finds himself confronted with the stare of a large scale colored self-portrait photograph printed on a glossy multi panel stainless steel work, with a three dimensional cubist approach. At a specific point, one can compose a portrait hanging between bars, reminiscent of the mikado, a game of hazard and chance, that hold the work together, though it seems about to break into pieces. The installation allows the reflective surface to be seen in parts and the viewer to metaphorically become part of the work, and eventually its main subject matter, as if this story is his own, embracing at once infinitely sub-divisible paths. The artwork is also affected by the outside world and time of day, as the natural light and all the surrounding and passerby all become part of the composition of the work, constantly affect its composition. In the age of social media and social distancing, the idea of narcissism and loneliness, the search for connecting and being seen is ever more relevant. In this endeavor, the artist takes over an intimate space, located in the back garden of Assemblage boutique hotel & cafe, creating her own moment when emotions connect and mend. The isolation within this intimate space, creates a unique opportunity for the viewer to place himself in a contemplative place where inner and outer connect. The scale of the photograph, integrated with elements of chance, with the use of a black bars, referring to the Mikado game, engulfs and suffocates the visitor in the excess of trapped emotions ready to be released. The installation is accompanied by voice over passages from the story in Japanese, English, and Hebrew.
Elinor Milchan 2021. One April Morning... Site Specific Installation at Assemblage gallery, Tel Aviv. Color Print on Stainless Steel 74x74 cm Color Print on Stainless Steel 72x233 cm Stainless Steel mirrored Panel 233x53 cm Black wooden Poles – Variable sizes Printed text on PVC panel Stereo sound
Curator: Alvit Shavit
Narration: Avishai Cohen and Ofer Amram