Taking the opening sequence from Nick Roeg’s 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth as a starting point, this project explored illusion and expectations.
Re-filming the sequence, visitors saw a silent, still lake – a scene which was subject to a sudden, explosive ‘landing’. This was generated by a computer programme. It could happen at any second as visitors watched. It may not have happened for hours, or even days. The odds (7200 – 1) gave an average of once every two hours. Graham Gussin was working in Studio 2 until 16 November. Gussin developed a new work investigating ideas of location and duration. His materials range from drawing to video projection.
Opposite the projection was a screen which generated zeros every second, as if measuring a pulse; if the digit one appeared, the landing sequence was triggered. Each day’s numbers were printed out and pinned to the wall, creating a trace of activity, a ghost of the projected landscape.