Tacita Dean
The Russian Ending: Ballon des Aerostiers de Campagne 2001
Photogravure on hahnemühle paper
Image courtesy of the artist and Peter Blum Edition, New York

Site 8. Tacita Dean (United Kingdom)
The Russian Ending and The Green Ray
CoCA - Centre of Contemporary Art
6th September - 6th October 2002

This was the first solo exhibition in New Zealand by leading British artist Tacita Dean - and the first time her works The Russian Ending and The Green Ray were seen in Australasia. Seen together these projects offered two types of endings, one optimistic and romantic, the other tragic and melodramatic.

The Russian Ending (2001) was a series of twenty photogravures combined with etching. Based on postcards collected by the artist for their dramatic images of tragedy and failure, Dean reconfigured each image as the final scene of an imaginary film by inscribing them with written 'stage directions'. The title of the series refers to an early Danish film making practice where different endings were made for films exported to the Russian and American markets; the Russian ending was tragic, the American upbeat.

The Green Ray (2001) was a short film showing the sun setting into the Mozambique Channel. The title refers to the mythical of the 'green ray' supposedly visible as the sun sets into the sea and which bestows joy and enlightenment on those who see it.

Curator: Juliana Engberg