Bodies of Vision, Bodies of Sound
<p>The narration of artist <a href="http://www.jillmagid.com/projects" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Jill Magid</a> moves through corners and rooms, over the slow panning shots of <a href="http://www.casaluisbarragan.org/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Casa Luis Barragán</a>. A quivering ambient hum underlies her voice, filling the house, at times imperceptible before murmuring into melody or bleeding into rhythm.</p>
<p>In the tranquil outdoor courtyard of the house, nestled privately in a Mexico City neighbourhood, accent walls are situated organically around a waterfall and reflecting pools, grey stone sculptures and red clay vessels. All is water, clay, leaves, and cement arranged in shifting angles, like a Zen garden in an M.C. Escher universe.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FjcYZEGqTstk%3Ffeature%3Doembed&display_name=YouTube&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjcYZEGqTstk&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FjcYZEGqTstk%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" title="The Proposal - Official Trailer - Oscilloscope Laboratories HD" width="854"></iframe></p>
<p>It is the preserved home of acclaimed Mexican architect Luis Barragán (1902–1988) and a primary location at the heart of Magid’s unconventional feature documentary film <a href="https://theproposal.oscilloscope.net/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"><em>The Proposal</em></a><em> </em>(2018, Oscilloscope Laboratories). The story follows the New York-based conceptual artist’s journey into an international artworld conflict surrounding the legacy of Barragán’s archives, embattled in a tense relationship that pits cultural value against the capitalist pillar of private ownership.</p>
<p><em>The Proposal</em> developed from a years-long personal dialogue with Federica Zanco, the private owner of Barragán’s professional archives in Switzerland, which culminates in a climactic ‘proposal’ to Zanco: the exchange of the archives back to Mexico for a diamond ring made from Barragán’s ashes — the body for the body of the work. Ultimately, Magid’s close engagement with archives establishes her as an emergent key figure in a stunning — and controversial- new chapter.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/situated-magazine/bodies-of-vision-bodies-of-sound-c186ee8e7e69"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>