The Source

Filmed in Eastern Arrernte country in Australia, The Source documents larger-than-human scale termite mounds, which stand as physical markers of time and place-making. Found in extreme arid temperatures of up to 40°C, some reaching up to five meters high, these termite mounds are a profoundly ancient example of places of gathering. Filmed at both the micro and macro scale, the video portrays in orangey-red tones the intense heat of the desert, paired with vivid blue colors of the cobalt sky and the coolness of the water. The source, to which the video owes its name, feeds these mounds, with roots at unknown depths in subterranean basins. Playing with abstraction and figuration, the artist uses slow shots, alongside hypnotic, meditative music, to offer a poetic reflection on these mysterious, complex and grand mound structures that position themselves like cathedrals in the desert.

Courtesy of the Artist, Galerie Allen, Paris and Cassandra Bird Gallery, Sydney.
Presented by RCRC and Riyadh Art