C105 review

Cork: Nigel Rolfe

Nigel Rolfe's video installation From Darkness to Annihilation investigated the interface between politics and religion within fundamentalist and sectarian cultures. Specifically, it was the Middle Eastern dilemma rather than Northern Irish context which shaped this particular piece.

Two versions were shown simultaneously in Cork, with the one in the Crawford Gallery particularly minimal in its presentation. Here a segment of text from Martin Luther King's 'hate multiplies hate' speech was projected onto a backdrop of white fabric suspended from the ceiling of the upper gallery. The scale was impressive, dominating the space and concentrating the viewer exclusively on the impact of King's script, which crept with funereal elegance across the gently billowing fabric. The soundtrack consisted of a breathing synthesised drone punctuated with the Islamic call to prayer, adding to the contemplative nature of the work.

The version in St. Fin Barre's Cathedral had a further poignancy, not just because of the religious setting, but because here the use of unequivocal images complemented well the aforementioned text. Two motifs were woven into the sequence, one being a white lily, the other a portrait of a Middle Eastern woman. In this way Rolfe brought the viewers' attention to the problematical issues surrounding the Palestinian conflict, but did so in a subtle and reflective way.

Mark Ewart is an art teacher, writer and lecturer in Cork.

Nigel Rolfe: From Darkness to Annihilation, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork, July/August 2003; From Darkness to Annihilation, Hiba, St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork, July/August 2003