Artist lecture: Shimon Attie, 11/11/09

This was by far my favorite artist lecture this semester. I was intrigued by all of the bodies of work Attie presented in his lecture but especially by his video installations "The Attraction of Onlookers" and "Racing Clocks Run Slow." I found myself tearing up while watching "The Attraction of Onlookers" with the knowledge of what this Welsh village had gone through and the scrutiny they've had to deal with since the disaster forty-three years ago. I felt he absolutely did what he set out to do and that was to help the citizens of Aberfan move on from the disaster that has plagued their lives for over two decades and to help give them a new, more simple identity as being a Welsh village without the heartache.

I was also captivated by his video installation "Racing Clocks Run Slow," which surprised me since like Attie, I've never had an interest in racing. I loved the drama in the piece with the use of horizontal and circular movement and sound. It definitely had more of a plot compared to "The Attraction of Onlookers" and was just as powerful despite it's subject matter.