Ghost ship

Site-specific installation works with the memory of the place: for many centuries, ships moored to Venice’s piers.

Tanya Akhmetgalieva reflects upon personal life odyssey of each of us and creates a story about how we always dream to be somewhere else except where we are now.

Our beacons beautifully glow somewhere far at the horizon, and we eternally drift from one dream to another, failing to live here and now.

The installation draws the viewer into a crazy endless swirl of thoughts and feelings. Surreal synthetic light produces waves, splashes and noises interfering with the images: the beautiful surface of the unknown hides dangerous reefs.

The merging of these flows causes illusions leading to dangerous situations and sinking.

One hears the sirens singing; something ghostly and distant appears on the horizon, and comes closer causing storm and distress; then it all slowly recedes bringing calm and silence, to then surge again after a while.

Among individual visual stories within the installation each viewer makes his own personal journey. Its climax is an encounter with a ghost ship that makes one pause and meditate.