Cabinet presents “Pre-Retroscope VI—Gowanus Journey,” a solo exhibition by British artist Conrad Shawcross. Documenting an expedition undertaken this spring along the length of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal using a specially adapted rowboat, the exhibition—a compelling fusion of urban performance, exp... Read more
Cabinet presents “Pre-Retroscope VI—Gowanus Journey,” a solo exhibition by British artist Conrad Shawcross. Documenting an expedition undertaken this spring along the length of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal using a specially adapted rowboat, the exhibition—a compelling fusion of urban performance, exploration, and the processes of scientific discovery—will include video taken on Shawcross’s voyage, as well as drawings, photos, and the vessel itself.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is Pre-Retroscope VI, a hand-built boat carrying a special device for capturing 360-degree panoramic videos on bodies of water. During voyages, a motor-driven platform holds a camera that takes in the full view of its surroundings as it slowly moves around a circular track mounted to the top of the small craft. Reconfigured in the gallery to accommodate a projector, this same revolving apparatus then “re-tells” the voyage by projecting the resulting footage on a small screen that moves in synchronization with it. The form of Pre-Retroscope VI’s transmission—evoking the rotation of a lighthouse beacon—suggests the impossibility of a comprehensive understanding of our surroundings.
