ARTIST John Akomfrah’s award-winning film pits vast historical narratives against individual human stories. Deeply affecting, his stunning three screen 2015 Venice Biennale work, Vertigo Sea, gives the title to the exhibition, showing in the main gallery space of Talbot Rice. Akomfrah’s films are full of the overwhelming vastness of the sea and those who put themselves at its mercy. Akomfrah was originally inspired by a radio interview with Nigerian migrants who had survived a Mediterranean crossing. The film itself is an epic of the “vertigo” of the uncaring sea and of the human and animal lives afloat on it, through narratives of the brutality of slavery and whaling.
Loss and memory are strongly present in the Georgian Gallery, too, with Akomfrah’s At the Graveside of Tarkovsky running on a vast screen, the gallery floor strewn with grey pebbles, a misplaced beach. In dark blues and greens, the vast empty landscape slips by, Skye, recognisably and also Maui, with its volcanic forms. There is a hint of human presence, shadows in the water or a fishing boat in a bay, the only signs of life attested to by the flock of seagulls around it. Then, suddenly yet seamlessly, the absence of life is strongly suggested, as if inevitable – a fishing boat rots on the shore, the soundtrack dark, uncomfortable, suggesting birth and death. It is like looking at the silent aftermath of an unknown Armageddon.
John Akomfrah: Vertigo Sea
Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, 0131 650 2210, www.ed.ac.uk/talbot-rice, until 27 Jan 2018
Tues–Fri, 10am–5pm; Sat 12pm–5pm
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here