Jeremy Shaw: Phase Shifting Index

Phase Shifting Index is a powerful multi-channel audiovisual installation, consisting of seven autonomous but simultaneously replaying video works as well as light and sound elements.

Recorded using outmoded analogue methods, the parts of the work appear to be video archive material viewed from a moment in the distant future. The videos document different groups of people, with visual cues to different subcultures. Each of them performs movement-based rites, such as dancing or singing, that reflect the group’s belief system.

The boundaries between documentary and fictional representations become blurred as the work advances, gradually destabilising the viewer’s perception of time and place. The work leads towards an atmosphere that challenges, in a mesmerising way, human ability to explain.

Jeremy Shaw (1977, Canada) lives and works in Berlin, Germany. In his art, he explores different levels of consciousness and altered states of awareness. His works employ cultural, scientific and artistic means to investigate the ongoing quest throughout human history for transcendental experiences.

Phase Shifting Index premiered at the Centre Pompidou, Paris in 2020, and since then the work has received worldwide acclaim and has captivated international audiences time after time.

Phase Shifting Index, 2020

7-channel video installation and multi-channel sound
Duration: 36 minutes
Please note that the exhibition contains flashing lights.