Duett, 1999
11 min, Fichier numérique (DVC), NTSC, 4/3, couleur, son
Francis Alÿs did not become an artist until the age of thirty. His work includes painting, drawing, photography and video. After moving to Mexico City in 1986, he traveled to numerous marginal cities in South America, North Africa and the Middle East, even visiting war zones, refugee camps and historical ruins. Alÿs has a background in architecture and worked in urban planning in Venice. As a result, his artistic practice has always been concerned with social issues and living space. While Alÿs’ videos have a documentary character, the minstrel that resides within him always looks at things from a refined and profound perspective, allowing the audience to fully experience the essence of life and survival in different environments and specific geopolitical circumstances.
Alÿs works are often collaborative. His most famous, Children's Games (1999-today), captures images of children from different regions playing in the public space; the viewers’ emotion and consciousness navigate the intimate yet shared situations created by the games children play, which also metaphorically implied the power structures hidden in practices of social spatialization, and the harmony or violence that could be brought about by its political nature.
In 1999, in Venice, Alÿs produced Duett, a video recording of a behavioral process that becomes a performance. This collaboration with artist Honoré d'O demonstrates the consistent connotations and trajectories of Alÿs’ work, including the starting point and end, randomness and rules. In the video, A and B set off from two sides of Venice, carrying the upper and lower parts of a tuba on their backs, and try to find each other. Only when they meet can the instrument be assembled and played. Alÿs treats this premise as a “musical composition”, and its completion depends on a certain degree of improvisation and chance. A and B stroll through the narrow streets of Venice, listening to the chirping of birds, boat engines and the din of the city. After about two days, A and B finally find each other and achieve the goal of the “ensemble”: After assembling the tuba, B plays a single note for as long as he can, while A holds his breath and applauds.
Amy Cheng, 2024