We will meet in the place where there is no darkness

In George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984, the author makes reference to a place where there is no darkness. A place our lead protagonist Winston Smith believes to be free from the oppression of the totalitarian state under which he lives. Deceived to visit this place by the state Police, Smith instead finds himself under the glaring lights of an interrogation cell, permanently lit to aid his state of torture.

For We will meet in the place where there is no darkness, artist Sebastian Kite created a site-specific installation exploring the relationship between space, light and sound. Constructed as a pavilion within the gallery space, Kite’s work references back to Orwell’s interrogation room, using light as a material to create an ever-evolving space. Formed from a series of half-toned panels that suggest static or white noise, the space is further cut through the horizontal with a two-way mirror that references the voyeurism, narcissism and sublimity at the heart of the interrogation process. Spatialised sound further reinforced the dynamic, while also dividing the space into four distinct areas.

Introduced into this space, a dancer acts as a protagonist, each performance redefining the relationship between the architecture and the audio-visual score and composition. Held once a week, the live performances created a generative interplay of media creating an ever evolving space over the lifetime of the exhibition.