Language Willing, 2002
Video/sound installation (single-channel and two-channel versions)
Single-channel version:
HD video projector (or HD monitor/display, size variable), two speakers, and HD video server (color; stereo sound)
Dimensions: if projected, projection size approx. 10 h. x 14 w. ft. (3.05 x 4.27 m.)
Voice/text: Chris Mann
Edition of two and one artist’s proof
Two-channel version:
Two video projectors, four speakers, and two-channel HD digital video server (color; quadraphonic sound)
Dimensions: projections approx. 10 h. x 14 w. ft. (3.05 x 4.27 m.) each
Voice/text: Chris Mann
Edition of two and one artist’s proof
A text performed by the Australian poet-composer Chris Mann acts as a linguistic (im)pulse for a pair of hands minding two large discs, arranged side-by-side in a wide-format projection(s). The circular shapes, covered with flowery decoratively patterned wallpaper, one red and one creamy white, spin bi-directionally at varying times in unison and independently. With radical pitch changes and sounding like multiple voices (electronically unaltered), the somewhat musical speech runs wild through a nonlinear array of subjects held together (and apart) by self-reflexive phrases and punctuation. The fingers move spider-like and decidedly over the moving surfaces, contorting as necessary so as to touch only the flowering buds amidst the curvy vines and stems. The movements of the fingers and discs and the rhythm and pitch of the voice become something of a physical/verbal dance, with the juxtaposition harboring something perhaps disturbing.
An example of this work was first exhibited by Donald Young Gallery at Art 33 Basel, Basel, Switzerland, June 12 – 17, 2002. Note: First exhibition of single-channel version in HD format on a gas plasma screen.
“Language Willing,” Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York, New York, September 14 – October 19, 2002. Note: First exhibition of two-channel projection version in HD format.
“Aubes, rêveries au bord de Victor Hugo,” Maison de Victor Hugo, Paris, France, October 10, 2002 – January 19, 2003.
“Future Cinema,” ZKM / Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, Germany, November 16, 2002 – March 30, 2003; Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland, June 28 – September 28, 2003, and ICC (NTT InterCommunication Center), Tokyo, Japan, December 12, 2003 – March 7, 2004.
“Gary Hill: Language Willing,” Boise Art Museum, Boise, Idaho; December 11, 2002 – February 16, 2003; Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona, October 25, 2003 – January 18, 2004; Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, Washington, March 4 – June 20, 2004; Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada, July 17 – September 19, 2004; Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 15, 2004 – January 16, 2005.
“OUTLOOK: International Art Exhibition, Athens 2003,” Athens, Greece, October 24, 2003 – January 25, 2004.
“Gary Hill: Language Willing,” 911 Media Arts Center, Seattle, Washington, December 2, 2004 – January 2005.
Art 40 Basel / Donald Young Gallery, Basel, Switzerland, June 10 – 14, 2009.
“Gary Hill: o lugar sem o tempo / taking time from place,” Oi Futuro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 20 – September 6, 2009.
“Gary Hill: Circumstances/Circunstâncias,” MIS - Museu da Imagem e do Som, São Paulo, Brazil, January 19 – March 21, 2010.
“Gary Hill: Viewer,” GMG Gallery, Moscow, Russia, June 21 – 30, 2010.
“Surface / Ground,” Young Projects, West Hollywood, CA, August 14 – September 15, 2010.
"Gary Hill: Always Rings Twice," WEST, Den Haag, The Netherlands, February 16 – May 13, 2018
"Gary Hill: Continuous Happening," Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, China, October 23 - December 8, 2024.
Aubes, rêveries au bord de Victor Hugo. Paris: Paris-Musées and Maison de Victor Hugo, 2002, pp. 12, 17, 73 – 74, 93.
Quasha, George. Gary Hill: Language Willing. Barrytown, NY: further/art and Boise: Boise Art Museum, 2002, pp. 7, 22 – 27, 30, 44.
Rush, Michael. “A Résumé of Surfing and Philosophy as Well as Art.” The New York Times (September 15, 2002), pp. 31 – 32.
Oland, Dana. “Art at the point of impact.” The Idaho Statesman (December 14, 2002), pp. Life section, 1, 14.
Schnoor, Chris. “Re-Thinking the Image: Video Art by Gary Hill at Boise Art Museum.” BoiseWeekly 11, 29 (January 22 – 28, 2003), pp. 13 – 16.
“Boise Art Museum begins “Genius” show.” SkyWest Magazine (Winter 2003), p. 27.
Roberson, Kate. “BAM exhibit examines language with video art.” The Arbiter, Boise State University (December 12, 2002), p. 8.
Lebowitz, Cathy. “Gary Hill at Barbara Gladstone.” Art in America (March 2003), pp. 119 – 120.
De Volder, Geoffroy (interview with Gary Hill). “L’instant de ma mort.” DITS (MAC’s Grand-Hornu) (Spring 2003), pp. 142 – 153.
Shaw, Jeffrey and Peter Weibel. Future Cinema: The Cinematic Imaginary after Film. Karlsruhe: ZKM and Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003, pp. 304 – 305, 622.
Collins, Gina Cavallo. “Projection Artist.” Phoenix New Times (November 13, 2003).
Schnoor, Chris. “Thinking the Image: Gary Hill at ASU Art Museum.” Shade (October / November 2003), pp. 23 – 25.
Joachimides, Christos M., ed. OUTLOOK. (Athens: Hellenic Culture Organizations, 2003), pp. 166 – 167 (photos).
Quasha, George and Charles Stein. An Art of Limina: Gary Hill’s Works and Writings. Barcelona: Ediciones Polígrafa, 2009, pp. 23, 353, 362 – 365, 371, 583.
Ramos, María Elena. Gary Hill. Caracas: Centro Cultural Chacao, 2009 (in Spanish), pp. 8.
Molina, Camila. “Cinco confrontos com Gary.” Caderno 2, Sao Paolo (July 20, 2009), p. D1.
Torres, Bolivar. “Plugado no apagamento do ritmo e dos corpos.” Jornal Do Brasil, Caderno B (July 19, 2009), p. B2.
Velasco, Suzana. “Linguagem Física.” O Globo. (July 20, 2009), p. 1 (Segundo Caderno).
Gary Hill: o lugar sem o tempo / taking time from place. Rio de Janeiro: Contra Capa Livraria / Mag Mais, 2009, pp. 14, 15, 30 – 45, 77 – 83.
Gary Hill: Viewer. Moscow: GMG Gallery, 2010 (in Russian and English), pp. 18, 19, 48 – 49.
Text written and performed by Australian poet-composer Chris Mann.