The Reflection of Dawn: Exploring the Interior and Exterior in Carissa Rodriguez’s Motherhood
“Entering an exhibition is like crossing the threshold of a dream,” once wrote the art critic John Berger. This sensation proved true as soon as we set foot in Carissa Rodriguez’s exhibition titled “Imitation of Life” at Kunstverein München. With an enveloping and thought-provoking presence, the exhibition marks Rodriguez’s first institutional solo show in Europe.
Rodriguez presents a new video work made during the first year of her son’s life, reflecting on the profound interdependence between mother and child.
The exhibition space is minimalist and spacious, accentuating the central video installation. The large LED screen displays an impressive view of an urban landscape, specifically the Manhattan skyline, with the text “I was moving towards you. I was moving perpetually into the light.” This evocative message sets the tone of the exhibition, inviting viewers into a meditative state. The natural light entering through the gallery windows enhances the reflective mood of the work.
Rodriguez uses drone cinematography to capture the essence of dawn, but instead of focusing on the sunrise itself, the video emphasizes its reflection in a skyscraper, as seen from her child’s room. This choice of perspective underscores themes of interiority and exteriority, consciousness and the unconscious, and the duality between daydreaming and productive work. The use of a commercial LED screen, which emits light instead of absorbing it, adds a modern touch and reconsiders the concept of projection in video art.
Compared to Rodriguez’s earlier works, such as “The Maid” (2018) and “La Collectionneuse” (2013), which also explored themes of domesticity and care, “Imitation of Life” delves deeper into the personal and psychological aspects of motherhood. The exhibition, filmed between 6 and 7 a.m., captures not the sunrise itself but its reflection in a skyscraper seen from the child’s room. This perspective underscores themes of interiority and exteriority, consciousness and the unconscious. Furthermore, “Imitation of Life” connects three distinct institutions of self-cultivation: the museum, the school, and the cinema, thus expanding its conceptual reach and inviting reflection on the relationship between personal life and artistic production.
The contemplative atmosphere of the exhibition and the artist’s innovative use of video technology leave a lasting impression, inviting viewers to reflect on the nuances of perception, time, and maternal bonds. The attached images vividly capture the serene setting and the reflective quality of the work, enhancing our appreciation for Rodriguez’s nuanced approach to video art.
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