Made up of a collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, literature, and more from both the past and present, “Voodoo” tries to further explain and interpret the religion of Voodoo as well as, according to the catalogue, “look at the mystery of the creative act.” The combination of art tries to express the feeling and vibe of voodoo through one’s experience, rather than spelling it out word for word (although there is a fair amount of information scattered on placards throughout the exhibition).
Upon entering the small gallery, one must be wary of possible traffic jams; the small room has artwork beginning right past the doorway, as well as in the middle of the floor, so making your way around the room can be a bit of an obstacle course. The room’s creaky, worn wood floors add to the ‘attic full of treasures’ feel of the exhibition, and the pieces in the room range from the Wishing Machine, a replica of the original William Burroughs piece, where one can make a deposit and send voodoo to someone (one pound for good voodoo, two pounds for bad), as well as various sculptures and paintings that adorn the walls. The most striking piece in this room though, is Mati Klarwein’s 1963-65 Crucifixion, a triptych that seems to blend a tree of life with the Kama-sutra and Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights.The downstairs (the exhibition covers the first three floors of the small gallery) has some fantastic old photography that include images of Voodoo rituals, although one must be warned of the stench coming from Marina Warner’s Bed of Time, an installation of melting, burning wax.
The top floor was by far my favourite, an eerie, childlike room filled with objects and sculptures most would find in a nightmare. A grim-reaper looking figure walks a puppet in the corner as a massive sculpture made entirely of hair greets you as you enter. Two faceless child mannequins that stare out the old paned windows are among the other items that haunt the dimly lit room. Music creaks through the air, adding to the scary feeling that one of the sculptures may just jump out at you if you don’t watch your back. The Riflemaker Gallery is quite a small space to attempt to explain the art of Voodoo and the creative drive in one go, however they do a fairly good job at giving people a taste of the spirit of both.
Rachel Karasik
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