Simon Faithfull - 30km

Simon Faithfull’s newly commissioned video installation was filmed by attaching a camera to a weather balloon and releasing it into the atmosphere. In a single shot, the image we see projected onto a circular screen shifts from a close-up of the artist’s face as he releases the balloon, to a view of a figure disappearing into the landscape and ultimately into cosmic insignificance when the balloon reaches the edge of space and finally explodes.

30KM echoes Charles and Ray Eames’ seminal 1968 film, Powers of 10 which uses a series of composite photographs of a Chicago picnicker from 44 different powers of ten, beginning with 10+25 metres (the size of the known Universe) and ending at 10-18 or .000000000000000001 metres (the size of the smallest known subatomic particles). 30KM is, however, a more contemplative and poetic study as the balloon, camera and transmitter drift upward from a field near Sway in the New Forest they reveal an expansive panorama of the south coast of England. The resulting film can be likened to an out-of-body experience, with the sway of the camera on its rapid ascent suggesting a dream or hallucination.

A Film and Video Umbrella touring exhibition, co-commissioned with NOW for the NOW Festival 2003. Supported by the National Touring Programme of Arts Council England. Pressetext

Simon Faithfull - 30km
www.simonfaithfull.org