John Akomfrah
Webpresence
Works
Four Nocturnes
Date
2019
Video, 51min
Descripton
John Akomfrah’s practice is marked by the use of powerful and arresting images layered with a multiplex of soundscapes of varying depths. The three-channel video installation Four Nocturnes explores themes of human migration within the context of an ecologically-at-risk planet. Resonating with its title, the film finds a deeper logic in dramatic composition, journeying through landscapes of dispossession which, were it to reach a finale, might find there one long and continuous night. Arid landscapes, sand and dust storms, heavy clouds, fog, and enchanting underwater echo systems amalgamate to form an evocative ensemble. The film’s chassis is its sonic language; the pressure of vibration transferring energy into a complex survey of loss, memory, and heritage. Looping sequences of water traveling down a stream, waves gushing, a bird singing, and the roaring trumpet of an elephant are interrupted by a dirge of mournful grandeur. Four Nocturnes is a dark hymn to the four elements of fire, water, earth, and air, which unleash their destructive powers in the face of climatic fragility.