Yael Bartana's Films Inferno and True Finn Challenge National Identity at Petzel Gallery
From January 8 to February 14, 2015, Petzel Gallery in New York showcased two video pieces by Yael Bartana. One of the works, Inferno (2013), illustrates ancient Hebrew temple rituals, featuring a replica of the Temple of Solomon located in Brazil, where worshippers dressed in white linen are guided by a Black high priest, leading to a catastrophic fire. The second piece, True Finn (2014), produced for the Ihme festival, presents naturalized Finnish citizens at a lakeside cabin discussing what it means to be a 'true' Finn, sharing their experiences of discrimination while participating in Finnish customs. They create a new anthem and flag, supplanting Finland's traditional dark blue cross. Both pieces examine themes of cultural authenticity and assimilation, intertwining documentary and fictional aspects.
Key facts
- Yael Bartana exhibited at Petzel Gallery in New York from January 8 to February 14, 2015
- Inferno (2013) re-enacts ancient Hebrew temple worship using Brazil's Temple of Solomon replica
- True Finn (2014) was created for Finland's Ihme contemporary art festival
- Participants in True Finn included naturalized Finns of Japanese, Estonian, Somali, Quebecois, and Roma descent
- The films challenge conventional ideas about national identity and cultural authenticity
- Inferno depicts a temple engulfed in flames after worshippers arrive with sacrificial animals
- True Finn participants designed a new flag with white, azure, and green bands on yellow background
- Bartana intercuts classic Finnish film footage with scenes of multicultural participants
Entities
Artists
- Yael Bartana
- Mustafe
Institutions
- Petzel Gallery
- Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
- Ihme
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Brazil
- Finland
- Japan
- Estonia
- Somalia
- Quebec