Karthik Pandian- Before the Sun

Karthik Pandian, installation artist, held his solo exhibition at the Midway Contemporary Art Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pandian is a graduate from Brown University, where he obtained his BA, and also from MCAD, where he obtained his MFA. In his installation exhibit, Pandian produced a 16mm film piece that addressed the prevalent relationship between architecture and archeology. Through field research held in Chicago, Pandian designed a four-sided plaza with steps. The plaza was created from earthly materials such as mud and a small portion of water. Erupting from the surface of the plaza is the 16mm film projectors that are placed inside twin mirropane glass columns. Project looped films of the sunrise and sunset are seen from the apex of the landmark known as Monk's Mound, which is located near Collinsville, Illinois. The sunrise and sunset that is shown through Pandian's 16mm film show, was shot during the vernal equinox. The shots of the sunrise and sunset are displayed on the western and eastern corners of the gallery. Technical aspects of the film include the supports of the filmstrips, which is a suspended grid of magenta twine. This sort of twine is commonly used in archeological digs. The use of the twine is symbolically placed in the installation to the make the viewer feel as if they are in an excavation. An excavation not only of one that is disappearing, but also of one that is of the connective tissue that binds our modernity to the ancient people with the histories and the modernity of the sun. The atmosphere, in which the installation is created in, creates a heavy mood that invokes curiosity. The main gallery room is darkened and the vieProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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r's eyes must adjust to the light change before they can analyze the installation as a whole. The sunrise and the sunset shown through the film remain vibrant against the dark and earthly installation. This brings the viewers attention to the film, and then their eyes wander to examine the rest of the installation.

http://www.midwayart.org/exhibitions/10_05_karthik_pandian/