Upon entering the 303 gallery space, the viewer's senses are overwhelmed by an all-surrounding darkness except for three giant projection screens, spaced behind one another. A booming, undulating bass beat permeates the space and creates a feeling of danger and immediacy, to wake up. Projected onto three rectangular billboard-shaped screens is Doug Aitken's work of wild animals placed in a decidedly commonplace environment: a motel bedroom. The first scene is of an otter washing his face inside the motel's bathroom, filmed with exquisite attention to detail and a strong cinematographic eye. Many of these shots are extremely close-up, making you wonder if the tub water is actually from a zoo's tank. The juxtaposition of the animals in the bedroom generate a strong feeling of uneasiness. They don't want to be there as much as you don't want them there either. A good example of this is the female lion, tearing apart the bed's pillows in captive rebellion.
I thought this was amazing.
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