UNITS
multichannel HD video installation
dimensions variable
Units is a continuous video projection depicting cars travelling downwards at variable speeds. The artwork was developed to be projected onto the windows of the Good Grief gallery, a former automotive warehouse turned artist-run initiative for experimental art practices. The work depicts a never-ending flow of cars that represents the passage of time and attempts to create a soothing experience out of heavy traffic. Set up to resemble a digital clock whose units are individual cars passing through the screens (24 models of cars were used to create the work), the projection is also intended to evoke an hourglass that never runs out. Similarly to advertising, which partly inspired it, the work's principal aim is to feel satisfying and induce mindlessness in the viewer. It is designed to be seen from the street — by drivers, riders, pedestrians — and only appears after dark. This project was assisted through Arts Tasmania.
A 3-channel version of Units was exhibited as a companion piece to the Artwash performance by artists Anand Kumar and Julia Drouhin at the Hobart Theatre Royal in 2022. The work was set up to be turned on at night as an after-hours complement to the performance which dealt with the commodification of art and offered visitors an "immersive, transient experience" (www.theatreroyal.com.au/shows/artwash).