Index (2015) 

 

TRACE is a site-specific project to Crypt galley. It is a part of the group exhibition INDEX with its Concept; Crypt is a vessel of information. Artists are the index. The index guides, links and provides context. Without an index there is no knowledge only information.

 

The Crypt of St. Pancras Parish Church has its long history back to the year 304. In both World Wars, the church was used for coffin burials until 1854, and was used as an air raid shelter. Today this Neoclassical architecture is a gallery space, where experiences of the 21st century artist are shared. TRACE is created to associate time and historical atmosphere in the immemorial Crypt with contemporary living. The artwork connects the underground room to its external surrounding. Sugar cubes were used to visualize broken walls.  

 

There were particular points for this site-specific project of which I need to be aware. Beside its historical background, this underground place has humid air. The walls and the floors are damp. And the old walls need to be conserved. These are constraints to the installation. I had been searching for a suitable way to attach sugar cubes to the wall. It had to be able to take its structure's weight and must not damage the wall after uninstall it. Finally, Natural latex was the solution. A thin layer of latex is quite translucent not to disturb the visual of the artwork.

 

Lighting was also an issue, since we had to compromise for the level of light in the shared space and many corners are pretty dim. I decided to install some LED lights as a backlight, and painted some cubes with fluorescent pigment for self-illumination. In some events when the outer resource is insufficient, it invites me to consider the idea of self-sustain.

 

 

http://www.cryptgallery.org.uk