THE BODY
Each installation is based on one of the five bodily senses. Fortunately, a small, well-produced catalog (available at each site) tells which sense is matched with which work–otherwise, this aspect of meaning might slip by unnoticed. For instance, a tent has been pitched in an antechamber at the Second Presbyterian Church (1936 S. Michigan). Because the bell tower is directly above, this installation is associated with hearing. However, nothing about the tent or the room it occupies supports this association, and since the bell is usually silent, most visitors would probably not make the connection. (Parishioners arriving for Sunday services might, though.) The sense of sight may be more appropriate to this piece: the small room’s dim gloominess makes one aware of its one stained-glass window. The light falling through it onto the tent glows softly, and makes one think of the many meanings possible in “illumination.” And despite the possible conceptual misunderstandings, a tent inside a church presents an interesting spectacle. In addition, the ornate interior architecture of the church’s nave, which one passes through on the way to the antechamber, is quite impressive.
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The installation based on the sense of taste, the last one I saw, is the most complex in the series. Situated in the spectacular nave of Saint Vincent de Paul Church (1010 W. Webster), this work is dominated by a thick, shiny gold rope. At one end it’s wrapped around a white marble fragment placed on the floor southwest of the main altar. The rope then runs upward to the top of a pillar and veers across a section of the huge overhead space to the east balcony, from which hangs a red velvet banner bearing the word “savor” in gold letters. The rope then crosses over to a pillar on the west side of the church and drops down to the floor directly below. Here it wraps around a stack of about ten pieces of marble (the catalog informs us these are altar-rail remnants). Folded bits of red velvet separate and cushion the remnants. The sumptuous gold, velvet, and marble refer to the association between luxurious materials and “good” taste. Traditional cultures and institutions may indeed be said to “savor” such expensive materials. Initially seductive, the combination of these materials is so rich it gradually becomes rather vulgar. The various degrees of taste are called into question. When does good taste become bad taste? In this installation, the materials blend well with the truly breathtaking, tastefully ornate church interior, creating a visual continuity that gives the work a context and rescues it from gaudiness.
