For one of the projects that I have been assigned here in Antwerp, each student has to respond to a specific district, place or building in the Linkeroever region of Antwerp. This place, which literally translates to 'Left Bank', lies across the river from Antwerp's city centre. There is one pedestrian tunnel connecting the two, and a seperate traffic tunnel.
As I was new to the area and wasn't aware of the cultural and historical significance of the area, I asked some other students to describe it to me; most responded with negative, even stereotypical observations of the place. It's dull. Eery even. Like a ghost town. Initially I got the impression it was an industrial district, but it turns out there are residential towers and neighborhoods spread throughout. The relationship between the two halves is comparable, although not equal, to the relationship between North and South Dublin. Inhabitants of either side undoubtedly have allegorical convictions against the other.
With this relationship in mind, and the ghostlike stories told to me by my classmates, I went on my first trip to 'the other side'. However, I did not get much further than the pedestrian tunnel; lead down by old fashioned wooden escalators, you descend into the tunnel which is over half a kilometer long and a few meters below waterlevel. The entrance buildings on either side are identical copies of one another, yet are surrounded by completely different settings. The tunnel itself is tiled blue and white, and seems unendless and awkwardly chilly when you're walking through.
I decided to base my project within this crossing between left and right, between 'eery' and 'normal'. And because of the tension between the two sides (and also because I kept getting linked to a horrorfilm called Linkeroever when I was researching) I decided to make my piece a work of suspense in the vein of Hitchcock. The tunnel is perfectly suited to Hitchcockian psychological allusions; the fact that it is submerged under water, and connects two sides that don't connect in character, could be quite a good metaphor for the divisions of the human mind (id, ego, superego).
A quote from Vertigo that I find quite relevant and inspiring for this piece:
It is as though I were walking down a long corridor that once was mirrored. And Fragments of that mirror still hang there. And when I come to the end of the corridor, there's nothing but darkness. And I know that when I walk into the darkness, that I'll die. I've never come to the end. I've always come back before then, except once.'
I took a series of polaroids last week, documenting a trip through the tunnel. (you can find them here) With these pictures, I wanted to point out parallels between the two halves of the tunnel, making the relationship between Linker and Rechteroever uncanny. I used polaroids to try and manipulate the feel of the image into becoming a storytelling device (however, I dont think I'll be using polaroids for the rest of the project- it was an experiment as to how best convey that Hitchcock feel of suspense and plot)
Alternatively, I want to use a slide projector and a tape recorder, inspired by James Coleman, to make the experience of the piece an embodied narrative.
Another option would be a video piece, documenting the journey through the tunnel, mirroring/reversing halfway through to point out the uncanny parallel between the left and right. An artist I would look at for this would be Willie Doherty and his video installations at the 2007 Venice Biennale (1 and 2)
Here's some shots of the tunnel and a view of Linkeroever
This project is done in collaboration with the city council; it will amount to two exhibitions (one in march and one in june) and a book.
Besides this project, I've also been assigned a portrait project (with emphasis on the relationship between my subject and I; autobiographical portraits I guess) and a photography project exploring the possibility of truth and lies in a photograph. For the latter project I'm thinking of collaborating with a theatre company, documenting sets, stage and theatre make-up. Otherwise I'll look into the use of mirrors in creating 'false' images.
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