Mineko Grimmer
Remembering Plato
The Menil Collection, Houston [link]
May 31st-September 1st, 2019
Grimmer’s sculptural acoustic installation provides viewers with a darkened meditative environment, a welcome respite from daily news and media bombardment. The minimalist kinetic sculpture diptych consists of pebbles frozen in ice, melting into a rectangular pool of water with reflections projected on the walls. As the pebbles drop, they land on brass rods and piano wires reverberating sound throughout the space. Referencing Plato’s Cave, the work suggests human’s false vision of the truth, the inability to see through nebulous acumen. Replaced daily, the ice serves as a pointed reminder about the cyclical nature of existence and the ineffectual actions of Sisyphus.
Mineko Grimmer, Remembering Plato (installation view), 1992. Painted plywood basin, fir trim, nylon cord, steel hook with chain, spotlight, pebbles, and brass rod. 99 3/16 × 61 3/4 × 7 3/16 in. (251.9 × 156.8 × 18.3 cm) Gift of the artist and purchased with funds contributed by Ned Rifkin, Director of the Menil Foundation (2000–2001), in honor of the dedication of the staff of The Menil Collection. Photo: Paul Hester
