Projections Series
Darren Almond: In the Between

Montréal, May 15, 2007. In its ongoing Projections series, the Musée d’art contemporain presents the video work In the Between by British artist Darren Almond from May 30 to July 8, 2007. We are especially proud to show this work as it was recently acquired by the museum.

Almond began a cycle of videos on the subject of “mythical” trains in 1995. In that year’s Schwebebahn, named after the world’s first suspended train, the artist filmed the train’s journey, but presented it in reverse. In the 1999 Geisterbahn—the first “ghost train” at a Vienna amusement park that was destroyed in World War II and then rebuilt after the war—Almond set his camera up at the front of the train as it sped through the haunted house. In these works, he explores “in-between” zones, between departure and arrival, between before and after, between past and present. And it is this “in between” that he has chosen for the title of the work presented here.

In the Between

In the 2006 work In the Between, Almond follows the new railway line between Xining,China, and Lhasa, Tibet. Dubbed the Celestial Road, the track crosses the Kunlun Shan mountain range, which forms a natural boundary along the northern edge of the Tibetan plateau. Its construction sparked controversy. According to Chinese authorities, the train is helping to bring Tibet out of its isolation and to encourage its development; for many world observers, however, it poses a threat to Tibetan culture and identity.

In a three-screen projection, the 14-minute work juxtaposes images of the train and the landscapes it crosses with scenes shot at the Samye monastery, founded by the Indian guru Padmasambhava, who is credited with authorship of the Bardo Thodol or The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The chanting of the prayers and the sound of the Tibetan horns, drums and bells give the work a remarkable acoustic dimension.

Darren Almond

Darren Almond was born in Wigan, England, and studied at the Winchester School of Art. Through sculpture, photography and film, he explores the notions of time and memory. Almond has exhibited widely around the world at such prestigious institutions as the Kunsthalle in Zurich (2001), as well as Tate Britain (2001) and White Cube (2003) in London. Darren Almond lives and works in London.

Lecture by the artist

Darren Almond will give a lecture, in English, onWednesday, May 30, at 7 p.m.inBWR Hall. Free admission, as on every Wednesday evening.

Louise Simard-Ismert is in charge of the Projections series at the Musée.

The Musée d'art contemporain is located at 185 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Place-des-Arts metro. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. WIRED card: $10 gives you unlimited admission to the Musée for a year. Information: (514) 847-6226. Website: www.macm.org.

The Musée d'art contemporain is a provincially owned corporation funded by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec. It receives additional funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as from Lichen Communications.

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Source and information:
Danielle Legentil
Media Relations Officer
Tel.: (514) 847-6232
E-mail: danielle.legentil@macm.org