Week 8 included a task to visit a gallery I decided to go an exhibition by Richard Mosse at the Barbican Curve titled Incoming. The exhibition chart the journey of refuges crossing the Europes Borders. The images were recorded using long range military imaging equipment. The exhibition was a mix of printed images and multi-media presentations.
When entering the curve gallery the visitor confronts a 4×4 wall of monitors that show images in a loop and on the right is a short text that provides context to the works on display. In fact it is the only text in the exhibition. After walking past the TV wall the visitor encounters two large prints. At the end of the curve gallery is the main piece consists of a large projection using three projectors. The visual element is support by audio which is based on sound recorded during the image recording process. The area in front of the projection has seating to encourage the viewer to linger and watch the complete cycle of images.
I felt the curve gallery space and the ambient lighting worked perfectly to complete the work on display. The curve of the gallery space means the viewer is not immediately aware where the gallery space ends this is similar to the refuges travelling across Europe who are not sure of their end destination. The grey walls and the subdued lighting mirror the fact the some of the refugees journey takes place during the hours of darkness.
The use of powerful military imaging equipment has allowed Mosse to record the images as though he was closer to his subjects however some of the longer range images remind us that Mosse in viewing the subjects from the position that would more traditionally occupied by a voyeur.
