Cica Ghost’s installation tend to carry with them elements of fairy tale; sometimes these elements are obvious in terms of the narrative on offer, in others the fairy tale aspect is further offered by the installations title, whilst the installation itself includes touches and turns which might cause the mind to wander further than any idea of “traditional” fairy tales. But howsoever the theme might be presented, the installation itself is always engaging.
For February 2024, Cica presents Dark Fairytale, which – for me, sits within those installations Cica offers which perhaps encourage the mind to wander further than the “traditional” idea of fairy tales. Flowing into it – in very subtle ways – are a touch of Guillermo del Toro and a tickle of cosmology. As with all of Cica’s installation, use of the Share Environment is a must.
Dark Fairytale presents a dark, somewhat parched landscape of lowlands watched over by peaks and hills around their edges, with two hills detached from the rest as if scouting inland. Caught under a cloud-rippled sky, this is a place with an otherworldly feel to it – a feeling that’s increased by the large face of planet (or moon?) hanging low above the westward horizon, its surface marked by the veins of a vast mountain complex spreading outward from its southern extreme.
The presence of this world / moon which does much to cast this place as much into the realm of far-away worlds in distant space as much as it does conjure thoughts of fairy tale lands. Yet at the same time, the eye of this planet might cause some to think of our own solar system; for those familiar with Mars, one of the splayed tendrils of light coloured mountains stretching across the world offers a faint suggestion of a mirrored Vallis Marineris and Noctis Labyrinthus so familiar to Mars. The effect is entirely coincidental rather than intended, but for those who see it, it gives a further twist to any backstory the imagination might choose to write for the installation.
This is a world inhabited by various kinds of dragon (one tucked away off-shore), all of whom appear to peacefully co-exist with the local humanoids, who in turn appear to live in exotic little homes. As with all of Cica’s characters, the creatures here carry with them a sense of innocence rather than menace, with the humanoids having some technical know-how, going by the snail car in the midst of the landscape. As one would expect, there are multiple places to sit or dance scattered through the landscape, whilst the creatures offer plenty of opportunities for photography.
Given the friendliness of the locals, the “Dark” of the installation’s title would appear to relate less to any idea of the kind of tales involving a twist of fear and / or horror, and more to the fact that this world is either dimly lit or seen at night. That said, the fantastical nature of the creatures and beings here does pump the cosmological element within Dark Fairytale, as noted. In this, the quote Cica has chosen for the installation also has a role to play, coming as it does from a longer statement by the late English cosmologist and theoretical physicist, John David Barrow.
All told, another marvellous setting from Cica, one able to suggest all sorts of stories to the willing imagination. And the hint of Del Torro? Take a peek inside the rotor-topped house, and you might spot it!
Slurl Details
- Dark Fairytale (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 