Nile Koetting: Remain Calm (Air 氣)

EVENT DESCRIPTION

A new phase of trust & confusion unveils, in the Night Room, a performative installation by the Japanese artist Nile Koetting (b.1989 in Japan; lives in Berlin), Remain Calm (Air 氣), which hosts audio, video, and live performances. This acclaimed work series—shown internationally at institutions such as Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum Project (Shanghai), Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Sharjah Art Foundation (Sharjah), among others—reflects thoughtfully and imaginatively on today’s increasing presence of security and monitoring technologies together with their accompanying choreographies.

The commissioned project by Nile Koetting unfolds in two episodes—Remain Calm (Mobile +) from 1 May to 31 August in the Day Room and Remain Calm (Air 氣) from 11 September to 10 October in the Night Room.

Contrasting videos, lighting, and varying sounds, the installations have put safety and control mechanisms on centre stage. In Remain Calm (Air 氣), the scaled-up development shows four video screens introducing the museum’s visitors to preferable modes of conduct and evacuation routes. Meanwhile, a performance inspired by the evacuation protocols showcases performers’ heart rates and health information in real time. All the while, an ikebana flower arrangement adorns the space, and a displayed performance schedule instructs them how to get through the day—until another disaster hits.