Ariel Reichman : Who distinguishes light from dark

17 Jan-22 Mar 2014

Overview

waterside contemporary presents Who distinguishes light from dark, a solo exhibition by Ariel Reichman, his first in the UK. Through film, photography, drawing and installation, Reichman’s practice explores a paradoxical space between the poetic and the political, retaining a sense of innocence and childlike conviction with which to critically observe its institutional surroundings. The exhibition itself rejects the perimeter of the gallery, leaving all walls empty. A central, purpose-built structure houses Secret Performance (I have to be strong), in which the artist tries to operate a wind-up torch to provide light for the duration of a reel of 16mm film. Reichman creates conditions for seeing, a moment in which the personal becomes public and extrovert. Images appear at once metaphor and figurative, and it is often not clear whether we are looking in or out. This repeating ambiguity in Reichman’s work is an invitation to cross from one mental state to the other, and highlights that while this experience can be freeing, it can also lead to renewed confrontation.