The Deep Dark

Caitlind R.c. Brown & Wayne Garret

16 december 2020 – 20 february 2021

The Deep Dark is an outdoor installation consisting of a series of gates with LED lighting. It explores our fear of darkness and the unknown. By passing through the gate, the entire retina is exposed to the strong light, causing the darkness on the other side to appear even more encompassing. It transforms from something, the shadows in the periphery, into nothingness, an empty void.

Canadian artists Caitlind R.C. Brown and Wayne Garrett often work with sculptural works and light installations that explore the contrast between opposites – darkness and light, nature and culture, DIY and institution, or individual and collective. The Deep Dark was first shown in 2015, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has gained a different kind of relevance in light of the current situation. Autumn and winter are always dark times, but this year has been particularly dark. We live with a fear of a tangible threat, but also a threat that hides itself in many ways beyond our field of vision. We live with uncertainty and a sense that we are passing through a gate where only the present exists. We do not know what awaits us on the other side. The Deep Dark invites us to continue walking, even though the path ahead is uncertain. We discover that the changes in existence, while challenging, also provide us with a unique opportunity for presence and reflection.

Exhibition view.