Mihai Grecu
April 30 – July 9, 2011
Mihai Grecu, born in 1981 in Romania into a system of political repression, has created a dense video work from the intersection of violence experienced firsthand and violence perceived from afar. In the film sequences of “We’ll become oil”, he conveys a sense of apocalyptic end-times. The ambivalence of direct and indirect exposure to violence, its ritualistic glorification, its self-destructive tendencies, and its ruthless drive for annihilation converge with the beauty that can exist within the process of destruction.
Grecu simulates a ritual of circling combat helicopters. At first, it appears to be an artful play of formations and balance; then, it suddenly transforms into a battle, which ultimately leads to the self-destruction of the helicopters. Grecu takes us on a hovering flight around the globe. We do not see cities, only open, untouched landscapes, wide river mouths, shimmering water. The landscapes become increasingly dry and barren, more rocky. In the distance, clouds of smoke from oil fields begin to appear. As we draw nearer, the smoke thickens until we are ultimately confronted by an entirely unleashed, uncontrollable, all-consuming fire—one that seems to be driving our entire planet toward self-annihilation.
Installation Views
