Rogntudjuuuu!!!: Mothership (2018)

This is a five channel synchronized video installation version of Rogntudjuuuu!!

The narrative is set on a Greek island and is the story of a band of genderless tween faux-byzantine monks who set out to start an artist colony. Their hopes are dampened when they can’t think of anything to draw. They try various rituals to summon inspiration but are unsuccessful and fall asleep. They collectively dream an autophagic god-cloud who is vexed by the worms he constantly secretes. They decide to leave their cottage-studio and encounter an ancient saint hibernating in a holiday rental. They are surprised at the appearance of her bare feet because their own feet are permanently clad in Vibram TM five-toe sandals. They give the saint a pedicure while she sleeps. Later in a field they argue about whether their beards are real or fake. The story is punctuated with a scene in which one of the young monks meditates in the corner of a bare cell that vibrates and hums as if it is blasting through space. At the end of the film the monk finally comes out of their trance and sculpt a relic of their own foot.

While originally shown as a single channel film, here the different episodes or locations exist in different channels. While the central narrative action takes place in only one of the projections at a given time, the other channels “idle” so that the story moves around the room. The projectors are each housed in one of five “reliquaries”: light-box vitrines.

For audience seating there are five black beanbag chairs, the same number as the group of monks, who are also dressed in black.

Installation with five channel video and audio (30 mins).

Five lightbox acrylic-and-MDF vitrines with projectors.

Five black beanbag chairs.

Performers W. James, C. Mole, E. Mole, R. Mole, H. Mole, J. Mole and N. Mole