Cry
6 June – 14 July 1996
Artpace, San Antonio, Texas, United States
Francis Danby, The Opening of the Sixth Seal, 1825, oil on canvas
Cry refers to cryogenics - a system of freeze-drying to preserve living-tissue in the hope of revival later through nanotechnology.
A large refrigerator sat at the centre of Cry. The air-conditioning was turned off in the space creating an extreme contrast of temperature between the interior of the fridge and gallery space. Inside, the shelves of the refrigerator were lined with frozen snakes. The dead snakes were borrowed from a local snake farm, and were perfect and beautiful in colour and shape. The fridge was a dehumidification machine so no ice formed on their bodies. The snakes, much maligned in recent history and religion, appeared to sleep.
A large curtain hung behind the humming fridge. The Opening of the Sixth Seal, a 19th Century painting by Francis Danby, was printed on the billowing fabric.
The painting depicts judgement, torment and the punishment of hell fire and brimstone. A deep hole was dug in the floor below the curtain, appearing bottomless. Nearby lay a hood worn by fire-fighters to walk through flames.
List of works (click to expand)
Cry, 1996, Site-specific installation artpace, San Antonio, Texas, Freezer containing shelves of frozen snakes, curtain printed with an image of The Opening of the Sixth Seal, 17th century painting by Francis Danby, a pair of osscilating fans, excavated hole dug in gallery floor, fire helmet and gloves, metal bucket, Dimensions variable
Kiss, 1996, Inside of two mouths kissing cast in silver, 4 x 7 x 6 cm