In Case

The In Case installation shows a disorienting scene comprising an assortment of protective casings that reveal only the form of the object that they contain, a phenomenon with a long tradition in art history. Although the contents are secured by sturdy locks, the contours of these casings may suggest to the viewer identify a very well-known setting: the United States president’s Oval office; the desk with one chair on each side and an office chair behind it, and two large objects behind the desk that are probably the flags of the president and of the United States with a small table in between. Next to this stand two classical torsos. While revealing the contours of the scene, the casings leave the viewer guessing about their contents. The questions raised relate to the definition of the objects by the enclosures and, more interesting still, the way in which the objects relate to themselves and their meaning. The installation invites the viewer to entertain thoughts of redefining the meanings through which the casings separate our worlds and securely protect their content. These processes may spark associations with Michelangelo’s sculptures in the Accademia in Florence, which were bricked up during the Second World War to protect them and to allow them to wait for better times.

Caspar Berger

In Case

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