Look Again: Questioning the Gaze at Tabakalera, San Sebastián

Curated by Caroline Grau, the exhibition 'Look Again' at Tabakalera in San Sebastián, Spain, from April 24 to June 21, 2009, brings together eleven installations by five artists to probe the act of looking, the power of showing, and the limits of perception. Filipa César's 'Romance Re-edit' (2003) captures people waiting at a train station, their reactions to the camera, while 'Piso Térreo' (2006) uses a persistent tracking shot to explore the hidden backstage of a cultural institution. Rui Toscano's works, such as 'São Paulo 24 Set 01' (2001) and 'Rio 9 Mai 01' (2002), depict scenes where nothing seems to happen, yet a slight elasticity in the image disrupts the scenographic stillness. Anri Sala confronts viewers with a horse on a highway at night ('Time After Time', 2003) and the indefinable hostility of an abandoned zoo ('Arena', 2001). Rosalind Nashashibi observes a Palestinian family during Ramadan ('Hreash House', 2004) and alternates between police station life and urban elements forming a face. Marie Hugonnier researches landscape representation from Afghanistan ('Ariana', 2003) to the Amazon ('Travelling Amazonia', 2006) and a future world ('The Last Tour', 2004), exploring how political, cultural, or imaginary perspectives determine perception. The exhibition insists on piercing through obstacles rather than diluting the gaze in power relations.