In "The Chessfield" we observe a game of
chess in the process of being played. The human chess players, who in
the beginning are able to control their robot-like chess figures, suddenly
discover they have lost control; the chess figures have become "alive".
"The Chessfield" explores the relationship between
those at the top and those at the bottom echelons of asociety. Inevitably, the strict logic
of leadership and oppression expressed by the king characters falters,
leading the pawns to develop plans for a strike and a union of black
and white pawns. This strike, and its union of class interests, attempts
to overthrow the government. In the truest sense of "revolution" - the violent overthrow of power and property
on the basis of an "idea" - a conflict is set in motion. But the pawns, having
not experienced the operation of a societal code and the classifications of responsibility
within it, loose control and the scenario devolves into chaos. In what begins
as a comical twist, the four rooks pass the time playing with a ball, which becomes
a deadly weapon. The chessboard becomes a battlefield in which societal agreements
evaporate, leaving all the participants to survive as they can. Many do not.
:: home
:: video installation menu ::