In the pluralities of understanding life exists the spectrum of those who fear and love life and accept or reject death. These pursuits are written famously at length and misunderstood or expressed through the likes of Nietzsche and Ibsen. The concave, the convex, echoing each other through the narrative elements and meanings of the pursuit of truth and virtue: namely through the story of one who takes the boon for himself and the one who gives the boon for many. Perhaps amongst the tangle and echo the viewer can perceive a sensation of understanding the peace and fruit of truth.
Hercules’s Chalice, 2023, 11:22 minutes, single-channel video. The etheric dances of light and dark tones are underscored by a rhythmic movement across the land. The video portrays a ritualistic redemption of Hercules’s faith in Gilgamesh, who betrayed his anointed accomplice and everyone’s trust when he found the fountain of youth and kept the knowledge all for himself. The long path toward a chalice, formed by the negative space of the trees, invites the viewer on a journey marked by the visual memory of the bare tree. When faced with betrayal, the imaginary or memory of fulfilment offers the pilgrimage as a recovery from the pain of deceit. Lone trees in fields symbolise the nearly universal themes of solitude, resilience, and rest. This video and those found on this website are included in the Videokunstarkivet, in Oslo, Norway. Contact: mariammanart@icloud.com to arrange for exhibitions or screenings of the film.
Blåtime Sol, 2020, 5:50 minutes, single channel video for projection. Film, performance, edit, Mari Amman; Music, Mehmet Dogu. Sun video, clay sculpture, concept, Mudi Hachim. This film was made possible by the support of AiR Kjerringøy, Bodø Kommune, KORO, Kulturrådet. This video and those on this website are in the Videokunstarkivet, Oslo, Norway. Contact: mariammanart@icloud.com to arrange for exhibitions or screenings of the film. 2021 Exhibitions: 4th Edition Les Voyagers, Musk and Amber Gallery, Tunis, North Africa; Equinox Exhibition, Bodø Kunstforening, Nordland, Norway; Prins Claus Conservatorium, The World We Live In Festival, Groningen, Netherlands; Film Festivals: Prague International Film Festival; New York Tri-State Film Festival, Award Winner, Pure Magic International Film Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ISAFF International Symbolic Film Festival, St. Petersburg, Russia; Fullshot Film Festival. The Sun’s Traveling As a dream, the screen technology transmits the sun. The transmission of light over great distances evokes a memory of the first moment the sun enters our lives. This warmth resides within us forever. The video consists of transmitting a video of sunlight through another video filmed during twilight in Nevelsfjord. The clay bowl used in this work contains writing from texts originating from The Epic of Gilgamesh (the sun within you). The four sections drawn represent stages of a revelation, or rotation around the sun.
