7 April 2013
Art Review of Thilo Frank’s “Infinite Rock”
Sharjah biennial 11.
While walking around the Sharjah Art foundation square, which is surrounded by a palm oasis overlooking the beautiful structures of the different buildings , I wondered if there would be anything that can top my experience, and after almost 4 hours of utilizing most of the installations and art pieces within the Sharjah Biennial I wanted to explore more, I knew there was a hidden gem.
I decided to visit Bait Al Serkal, which was a two story building with multiple rooms and quite a large space. Walking through the corridors I found a gateway to the courtyard of this majestic house. Astonished by what I’ve seen, I couldn’t fathom what this oval shape of a black rock meant, but I was intrigued. It is an installation by Thilo Frank, a German artist quite familiar with architectural art, he designed this as to let each person experience it individually.
My adrenaline was reaching to a point of discomfort that I had to move closer to understand it more, there was a path way to go inside the black rock, or as what Thilo describes it as the “Infinite rock”. As I stepped inside the rock, I realised that I couldn’t hear any voice, I was surrounded by mirrors, no sound was vibrated except the sound of what was inside the infinite rock. Thilo added a whimsical element of a swing so that people could literally swing to oblivion, the swing mirrored the surrounding as well, it was visible due to the rope it was attached to. Walking through this room I felt happiness, melancholy and fear. I was alert, and most of all I was learning.
Thilo managed to make you feel many different emotions, he managed to grab your attention at every single mirror in that rock, and he captured your real thoughts, engaged in a sphere of oblivion. This experience was overly stimulating due to the contrast of the exasperating noises surrounding the rock and the tranquility inside. Every mirror reflected a side of you, realizing how you look like, mirroring the image of your whole body; you see who you are from many perspectives. This installation is an experience, and not just a simple installation, this will definitely be an unforgettable journey, take the swing and be hypnotized by infinity.
