Last Breath
Last Breath is an installation designed to store and circulate the breath of a person forever. The piece consists of a small brown paper bag which inflates and deflates automatically thanks to motorized bellows similar to those found in artificial respirators in hospitals. The apparatus hangs on a wall and is activated 10,000 times a day, the typical respiratory frequency for an adult at rest, including 158 sighs. Each stroke of the machine advances a digital counter that beeps. The breath circulates between the bellows and the paper bag through a ribbed transparent plastic tube that emits a faint and hypnotic low sound. The tube can be as large as necessary to either hang the bag right beside the piece, on the same wall, or to create a labyrinth on the ceiling of the exhibition that ends with the bag suspended in the middle of the room. The brown paper bag makes a rhythmic crushing sound as it inflates and deflates. As a biometric portrait, the piece requires careful curation, and the question of who gets stored should be in itself an interesting debate. The portrait should work as a living memorial of a senior respected artist, ideally a poet, singer or dancer. A small video of the person blowing into the bag is exhibited beside the apparatus.
The first copy of the piece stores the breath of Cuban singer Omara Portuondo. The piece is currently on tour but eventually will be exhibited by the National Museum of Music in Cuba: after she dies people will be able to visit her "Last Breath" there. The second copy of the piece has the last breath of American composer and accordionist Pauline Oliveros. Other recordings are currently being negotiated.
Frequently asked questions:
1: Whose breath is stored?
Whoever the collector or curator wants, in discussion with the artist and the subject. It is possible to also have two people blow into the same bag and thus preserve their mixed breath.
2. How long will the project work for?
The mechanism will need light maintenance after a long period of continuous operation. The maintenance includes changing the brown paper bag and greasing the mechanism, simple tasks that are explained in the manual of the piece. During maintenance, the piece stores the breath in the bellows so that it does not escape.
3. Can the breath be changed in the future?
Yes, if the collector or curator no longer want to store the breath he or she can refill the bag with the breath of a new person. Simple instructions to accomplish this are explained in the manual. The symbolic implications of this exchange should be carefully considered.
4. Is there a way to silence the piece?
The quiet sound generated by this piece is an integral part of the work. One may, however, unplug the piece from the wall to turn it off and silence it (the breath will be retained and the counter will not be reset).
5. Is there a prefered installation configuration?
The apparatus should be hung on a wall with its centre at 150 cm high. Other than that the collector or curator may do as they please with the tube, keep it all short and rolled on the same wall as the piece, extend it over the same wall as the piece, or hang it from the ceiling.
General info
Exhibitions
- Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Decision Forest, Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea, 2018.
- Corpus , New Media Gallery, New Westminister, British Columbia, Canada, 2018.
- Soundtracks, SFMOMA, San Francisco, California, United States, 2017 - 2018.
- Bienal de Cuenca, Casa Bienal, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2016 - 2017.
- The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts 2015, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 2015.
- Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Obra Sonora, Carroll / Fletcher Gallery, London, United Kingdom, 2014.
- 1 + 1 = 1, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada, 2014.
- 0 to 60: The Experience of Time through Contemporary Art, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, New York City, New York, United States, 2013 - 2014.
- 0 to 60: The Experience of Time through Contemporary Art, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, 2013.
- Volume: Hear Here, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2013.
- Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Trackers, Fundación Telefónica, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2012.
- Expo Chicago 2012, Navy Pier, Galería Max Estrella, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 2012.
- Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Voice Array, bitforms gallery, New York City, New York, United States, 2012.
- Art Basel 43, Galería OMR, Basel, Switzerland, 2012.
- The Eleventh Bienal de la Habana, Havana, Cuba, 2012 (projection).
- Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: X no es la nueva Y, Galería OMR, Mexico City, México, 2012.
Credits
- David St-Onge - Programming and hardware
- Guillaume Tremblay, Pierre Fournier and Sebastien Dallaire - Production support
Bibliography
- "Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Obra Sonora", Digicult, Milan, Italy, September 26th 2014. Text of 5 pages. (Website)
- "Rafael Lozano-Hemmer PG", Prepared Guitar, Madrid, Spain, January 13th 2015 (english). Text of 43 pages. (Website)
- "Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (Canadá-México)", XIII Bienal de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2016 (español). Text of 2 pages. (Website)
- Ávila, Sonia, "Latidos de luz con espiral lumínica", Excelsior, Mexico City, México, April 11th 2012 (español). Text of 3 pages. (Newspaper)
- Benson, Louis, "Speakers as Pixels", Postmatter, London, United Kingdom, October 3rd 2014 (english). Text of 3 pages. (Website)
- Campbell-Dollaghan, Kelsey, "A Digital Artist Combines Ghostly Light Shows And Beatboxing", Fast Co Deisgn, United States, 2013 (english). Text of 3 pages. (Website)
- Fortin, Sylvie, "Artists Reclaim the Commons: New Works / New Territories / New Publics", ISC Press, Hamilton, New Jersey, United States, 2013 (english). Text of 10 pages. (Book)
- Hajdin, Nives, "Sound Artists Raise the Volume at U of T", Canadian Art, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 25th 2013 (english). Text of 1 page. (Magazine)
Lewandowska Cummings, Basia, "Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. Carroll/Fletcher, London", Frieze Magazine, London, United Kingdom, January 1st 2015 (english). Text of 3 pages. (Magazine)
- Mallol, Miguel, "Las obras de Rafael Lozano Hemmer llegan a la Galería Carroll & Fletcher", El Ibérico, London, United Kingdom, October 13th 2014 (español). Text of 2 pages. (Newspaper)
- Martínez Martínez, Juan, La tecnología también se vive desde el arte, Vanguardia, Bucaramanga, Colombia, October 29th 2014 (español). Text of 2 pages. (Newspaper)
- Revuelta, Laura, "Ultimo aliento en la bienal de la habana", ABC.es, Havana, Cuba, May 21st 2012 (español). Text of 3 pages. (Newspaper)
- Rojas Torres, Jesus Manuel, "WUM News London: Obra Sonora, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's debut at Carroll/Fletcher", WUM An online journal for the arts, Miami, Florida, United States, October 16th 2014 (english). Text of 2 pages. (Website)
- Simpson, Peter, "Big statements and tiny provocations, in Governor General's Awards for visual arts at National Gallery", Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, April 9th 2015 (english). Text of 6 pages. (Newspaper)
- Suárez, Eunice, "Rafael Lozano-Hemmer transformó el arte contemporáneo", Fahrenheit, Mexico City, México, June 5th 2015 (español). Text of 3 pages. (Magazine)
- Susik, Abigail, "The perpetration of the cultural act", Media-N Journal of the NMC, New York City, New York, United States, September 2014 (english). Text of 4 pages. (Magazine)
- Villalobos, Gabriel, "Intersticios entre arte y arquitectura", Arquine, Mexico City, México, May 2nd 2012 (español). Text of 4 pages. (Magazine)
- Westbrook, Lindsey, "Team media: in action, in contemplation", SFMOMA, San Francisco, California, United States, 2016 (english). Text of 5 pages. (Website)