Thater's experiential video installations investigate the space between documentation and abstraction, sculpture and architecture, by presenting a mediated reality. In this new work, Thater choreographs an architectural reconstruction of the Galtaji Temple. Built by Diwan Rao Kriparam in the 18th Century, in pink sandstone, amidst low hills, the temple is structured to look more like a palace or 'haveli' than a traditional place of worship. The buildings are positioned around a natural fresh water spring and seven holy 'kunds' – or water tanks – and waterfalls that create two tiered pools. Within the gallery, projections of the lower pool onto the floor foreground the architectural structure and evoke a tranquil setting. Appearing blurred and faded as they are diffused from the wall, the pools of water occupy a liminal state between reality and imagination. Thater works with the existing architecture of the gallery, dividing the space into two halves and employing projections to suggest the physical structure of the temple's domed ceilings, carved pillars and painted walls. In the second space, Thater recreates an area of the temple that is inaccessible to humans, using close-up video footage to bring the viewer into greater proximity with the monkeys. As in previous works, Thater herself features in the footage in order to make manifest an encounter between humans and animals.
The ancient Galtaji Temple is still an important pilgrimage site. Thater examines the reverence with which humans approach the location, in direct contrast to the informal, rampant activity of the monkeys. Thater explores both the tame and wild aspects of the monkeys' lives and the co-existence of animals and humans. The work is inspired by the Hindu god Hanuman, who often takes the form of a monkey and is worshipped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion. Through Hanuman, Thater layers historical, natural and religious references to explore the potentially spiritual relationship between humans and animals.
Thater is one of the most significant contemporary artists working in new media. Drawing on issues of conservation, natural and manmade ecosystems, and socially-engineered environments, she explores tensions between mankind and the animal kingdom. Her formal interest straddles both the spatial and temporal aspects of video. She presents non-linear footage that explores animal behaviour with what she describes as a 'neo-narrative' approach. The exhibition's title, 'Life is a Time-Based Medium', draws attention to the parallels between reality and the construction of reality that Thater's videos present.
About the Artist
Diana Thater was born in 1962 in San Francisco CA. She studied at New York University and Art Center College of Design, Pasadena CA, and lives and works in Los Angeles CA. Thater's work has featured in numerous significant international exhibitions. Solo shows at major institutions include: 'Diana Thater: Delphine', Église Saint-Philibert Church, Dijon, France (2014); 'Peonies', Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus OH (2011); 'Diana Thater: Chernobyl', Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia (2011); 'Diana Thater: Between Science and Magic', Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica CA (2010); 'gorillagorillagorilla', Kunsthaus Graz, Austria (2009); 'Keep the Faith. A Survey Exhibition', Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen, Siegen, Germany and Kunsthalle Bremen, Bremen, Germany (2004); 'Knots + Surfaces', DIA Center for the Arts, New York NY (2001); 'Projects 64: Diana Thater: The best animals are the flat animals', Museum of Modern Art, New York NY (1998); 'Diana Thater. Orchids in the Land of Technology' at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis MN (1997), and 'China', The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, Chicago IL (1995).
Thater has been the recipient of a number of awards. In 2014, she was awarded a California Community Foundation Fellowship for Visual Artists. She received the Award for Artistic Innovation from the Center for Cultural Innovation, Los Angeles CA in 2011 and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 2005.
