Project

Observation Gallery

by Karina Aguilera

Named after the Woolworth building's highest tower, "The Observation Gallery" is a single channel video installation that investigates the nature of perception, the formal qualities of the Woolworth's interior architecture and the difficulty of framing lower Manhattan after September 11. The voice-over narrative, excerpted from Marcel Proust's, In Search of Lost Time, examines the intersection of memory and place as the viewer, placed in the position of the camera, moves inch by inch almost involuntarily through the architecture. Made with still photographs and using stop action techniques, each individual frame was lightened to enhance the airiness of the skyscraper and to present a dream-like state. The ambient sound animates the space, creates a mysterious presence and adds nuance to the verbal narrative.

video excerpt of "The Observation Gallery" on artist's website

"The Observation Gallery" was produced while in residence with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the Smack Mellon studio program.

Video Still from "The Observation Gallery", 2004