Bed Island is like any other piece of land surrounded by water. A solitary sanctuary, people go there to recharge and repose, to meet pleasure, to escape and confront psychological truths. Nadia Belerique’s solo show examines the cognitive role beds have in our lives by placing a life-size representation of one into the Daniel Faria Gallery. Being in the space is unnerving and disorienting because of the ambiguous sense of perspective, the stark contrast between positive and negative space, and the irregular layering of hazy images.
Installation view of Nadia Belerique, Bed Island at Daniel Faria Gallery. Image courtesy of Daniel Faria Gallery
Sculpture and photography comprise this body of work. Perhaps most eye-catching in the show are the two freestanding steel sculptures that resemble silhouettes of railed headboards. They appear sturdy, effectively grounding the space. The scale of the shadows they cast on the floor imply that the sun has nearly set. Soon, the spot between head and foot board will become occupied. Upon the wall hang a series of four water-jet cut steel frames consistent with the size of a bed. Their jagged form suggests rustled bed sheets. How did they come to be that way? Meanwhile, seemingly aimless clothing articles, photographic compositions, and figurative cutouts intrude upon the beds’ surfaces, pointing to the different kind of transactions individuals make with their bed in a day.
Installation view of Nadia Belerique, Bed Island at Daniel Faria Gallery. Image courtesy of Daniel Faria Gallery
The vertical presentation of the frames ultimately challenges the physical relationship one has with his/her bed. Horizontality, as it emerges, is logistically essential to the bed, being a place of refuge. We fall into bed and bed catches us, making us feel supported. The exhibition poses the question: “Is falling into an image comparable to falling into bed?” Psychologically, perhaps. When our mind fall into a picture, it has the potential to experience any or all of those feelings we may experience while in bed. An image can comfort, energize, please, and inspire contemplation in an individual.
Installation view of Nadia Belerique, Bed Island at Daniel Faria Gallery. Image courtesy of Daniel Faria Gallery
In her works of photography, Belerique establishes negative and positive space by experimenting with transparency and opaqueness. Imagery of domestic objects—cutlery, a roll of film, shoes, bottles—are layered unsystematically with less discernible markings and shadows. It is possible that the compositions signify the totality of thoughts, dreams, intimacies, and lamentations endured during the time spent in bed. Those objects depicted in a representational style may very well indicate a recent or more profound experience, while those in the distant past or with little significance, appear fleeting. There is a desire to hold on to those objects which fade away, but it feels that to reach out and attempt to seize them would be like putting ones hand through a ghost. Inarguably, these works are wistful, pensive, and tainted by memory.
Installation of Nadia Belerique at Daniel Faria Gallery. Image courtesy of Daniel Faria Gallery
With Bed Island, Nadia Belerique has created an atmosphere conducive to the process of self-awareness, wherein moments of vulnerability and autonomy may be recognized.
Vanessa Zeoli
*Exhibition information: April 21 – June 4, 2016, 188 St. Helen’s Avenue, Toronto. Gallery Hours: Tue – Fri, 11 – 6; Sat, 10 – 6 pm.