Throughout the space, intersecting walls create a disorientating environment in which the viewer to encounters a repetition of telephones, chairs and doors. Each with their own presence and character, three chairs are individually positioned against doors, their adjustable backrests wedged against its handle, forcing them shut. Since its first iteration in 1999 as Chair (Noir), Boyce’s reference of this cinematic device has evolved to include industrial references as well as that of the Arts and Crafts movement. Each chair’s action suggests a personality of guardianship, becoming an aid to protect the room from whatever malevolent force that lies beyond. Moreover, this strange domestic still life provides an uncanny reflection towards the context of contested territories, borders and isolationist politics.
The Modern Institute
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