Sikka Magnum
Photo Credit: Polly Yassin / Bildmuseet
Video Documentation Credit: Daniel Canogar
360 movie DVDs, metal disc and rods, computer, projector, multimedia hard drive, speakers, 14:19 min. video projection loop
Dimensions: 210x210x20 cm.
Sikka is a sculptural video installation constructed from 360
used DVDs. This multi-thematic piece was inspired by “sikka”, the gold
coins sewn to clothing dating back to Babylonic times that eventually
became the shiny plastic objects we know today as sequins. By projecting
the contents of the DVDs back onto their surfaces the artist continues
to investigate both new uses for discarded objects as well as his
interest in combining the phantasmagorical properties of cinema with its
physical elements.
In this case, film segments were selected from each of the DVDs
for their color, shape and movement value, forming a digital palette
from which the final projected loops were constructed. The accompanying
self-generated soundtrack is the resulting “accidental composition”
created by layering the soundtracks from the actual segments being
projected. The final effect is that of an audio-visual mosaic.
Historically, sikka were worn to remind onlookers of the wealth
and power of those wearing them while also evoking the light of the
divine. Similarly, the surfaces of the DVDs flash back at us images born
from the glamorous world of Hollywood where image is converted to a
kind of currency.
