Callum Morton in Venice
1 Jun 2007
Callum Morton describes Valhalla as ‘materiality of memory’ - a traversal into the ‘pitfalls of [his] own biography’. A three-quarter scale recreation of Morton’s childhood home in the plush suburb of Toorak, Valhalla embodies nostalgia and whim. And yet sinister undertones reverberate through the walls that are shot through, torched and sutured. The building becomes a monument not only to time passed and a house destroyed – but also to the remains after disaster strikes.
Situated in Palazzo Zenobia for the duration of the 52nd Venice Biennale, Valhalla both invites and alienates its audience. Unsure of whether or not to enter, once inside, the viewer encounters miniature elevators in a stark, white foyer. Sounds of Morton’s youth, like Rolling Stones classics, are interrupted by screams and thunder when the elevator button is pressed.
The son of an architect, Morton has spent many years parodying Modernist architecture. His scaled models, such as Gas and Fuel (2002) and Habitat (2003) recreate the original architectural model of known and iconic buildings. Morton, however, manipulates and subverts the nature of the buildings, by adding sound and contextualising them in a thought-provoking manner. In Valhalla, Morton averts his attention to his own history.
Situated in Palazzo Zenobia for the duration of the 52nd Venice Biennale, Valhalla both invites and alienates its audience. Unsure of whether or not to enter, once inside, the viewer encounters miniature elevators in a stark, white foyer. Sounds of Morton’s youth, like Rolling Stones classics, are interrupted by screams and thunder when the elevator button is pressed.
The son of an architect, Morton has spent many years parodying Modernist architecture. His scaled models, such as Gas and Fuel (2002) and Habitat (2003) recreate the original architectural model of known and iconic buildings. Morton, however, manipulates and subverts the nature of the buildings, by adding sound and contextualising them in a thought-provoking manner. In Valhalla, Morton averts his attention to his own history.
