Constructing a Narrative within an Exhibit: Tremble Tremble Case Study

Activity:

"Think of an artwork that involves a constructed narrative (i.e. fiction).

What strategies does the artist use to make you the viewer invest in the work and to suspend disbelief? Name at least three strategies.

Why did the artist use fiction to bring across his or her message? What was the message?"

For this activity I would like to investigate the Art installation Tremble Tremble by Irish artist Jesse Jones.

In this installation, the artist Jesse Jones plays with and combines ideas of feminism and witchcraft. The main aspect of the installation at least in the Singapore version comprised of three screens which played different scenes of the one witch character seen above engaged in various activities, positions and chants. In my personal opinion, I feel that the narrative she's trying to construct is the power of the witch (who importantly is always depicted as a female figure) to change and transform the world into viewing women as equal to or more powerful than the other gender.

The first thing I feel the artist does to convey her message is to title the exhibit as such. "Tremble tremble" is taken from the 1970s Italian ‘Wages for Housework’ campaign, during which women chanted Tremate, tremate, le streghe sono tornate! (Tremble, tremble, the witches have returned!) The campaign's objective was to bring together people who were assigned to perform domestic and housework - that is, women - in order to object to and change their situation of dependency and give them equal rights, power and standing with that of men.

Next, the artist makes the exhibition space completely dark with the exception of the works which are lighted (or emit their own light). This creates a mystical and mesmerizing atmosphere. I feel the darkness strips the viewers of their senses with the exception of some which are not given mercy either. They are forced to focus on the works very much akin to the bright screen of the movie theatre.

Last but not least, I feel the artist draws her viewers into the work and message more deeply by making the installation immersive. What I mean by this is that she transforms the exhibition space into her own little world where everything around the viewer seeks to impart the intended message: in this case, that of witchcraft. The three video monitors surround the seating area in a triangle giving an imposing sense of being surrounded and bound by the spell which is also aided by the fact that the actress' voice is heard from each monitor which makes a cacophonic ritual-like chant with overlapping voices. At the same time, exhibition staff are tasked to do various ritual-like activities such as drawing an imaginary circle on the wall and drag a translucent sheet across the exhibition hall. I feel that all these various things vie for our attention simultaneously making for a multi-sensual work.

The use of narrative (i.e. fiction) to convey empowering messages of feminism I feel appeals generally to human desire for the spectacular and fantastical which I feel has become a numbing norm in a world of pop culture and in particular human desire or hope of a spectacular otherworldly way for a problem to be dealt with. The use of narrative also makes viewers feel more connected to the main witch character. As we see her tell her tale, there is a narrative that makes us sympathize or empathize with her. Thus, we inevitably (whether we want to or not) and unconsciously accept the artist's message more readily.