Larger-than-life puppets, miniature cinemas: Animating recovery at SooVAC

 

Picture a large plywood box. Small openings are cut on all sides, sometimes rectangular like a window, sometimes organic like a cloud. Crouching down to look in, you see a room full of physical therapy tables and decorations simultaneously celebrating Halloween and Saint Patrick’s Day.

There are several of these boxes “peppering” the gallery at SooVAC, and inside are what’s called “Pepper’s Ghost” animations by Hallie Bahn. If you approach from one side, you’ll see a person entering the frame, dragging with them an identical, larger-than-life marionette. Approach from other vantage points, and the set inside each box remains eerily empty. 

The “ghosts” who move in and out of these frames appear to be completely independent. They walk into the set, do what they came to do, then get up and walk out. Seconds later, they reappear, creating a never ending cycle mirrored by the dateless posters on the wall which simultaneously signal all seasons. 

 

Sequelae exhibition installation view. All photos courtesy of the gallery.

 

The show’s title, Sequelae, literally means conditions that are the result of previous illness or injury. The cyclical nature of the animations is reminiscent of the recovery process. Two steps forward, one step back. Sometimes, three steps back, with the feeling that you’re stuck in a loop without meaningful forward momentum. 

The sense of wonder that’s created by crouching down to view these miniature worlds — and trying to discover their secrets — is meant to parallel Bahn’s own simultaneous feeling of awe during her ongoing rehabilitation from a major car accident. 

 

Making Meaning for the Spectator, 2024. Single-channel Pepper’s Ghost animation, LED monitors, glass, insulation foam, plaster, mixed materials.

 

Throughout each scene, an illustration of Bahn carries along her accompanying marionette. She makes a photocopy of the marionette’s face; she lugs the marionette onto one of the therapy tables and helps it do its exercises. Anyone who’s experienced a major injury can understand the feeling of hauling your body around, moving in unnatural ways as you recover, forcing yourself to do therapy exercises. Your body is something you’re stuck with, and also something you have the opportunity to explore and try to care for — simultaneously fragile and capable of so much.

Bahn created the animations by first filming herself performing the scene with the larger-than-life, papier mâché marionette she constructed (also on view in the gallery). She then traced over this live-action footage to illustrate it, in a process called rotoscoping. The result is a visceral, true-to-life motion throughout each scene. The viewer can feel Bahn carrying this weight and using her strength to care for this puppet.

 

Backstage, 2024. Insulation foam, papier mâché, paint.

 

The marionette, named Mari, sits temporarily lifeless in the gallery. She’s the only thing not moving, although illustrations of her are projected throughout, surrounding the puppet herself. Mari not only represents Bahn’s own relationship with her body, but also the facades that everyone puts on — willingly or not — to protect themselves as they move through the world. 

The tenderness and struggle reflected in Bahn’s work is resonant, and will present a completely different exploration and experience for each viewer. Visitors are purposefully encouraged to “construct a story,” and there are little explanation for each piece apart from the backstory and technique in the show notes. 

Sequelae is an exploration of technique and emotion, and a compelling trip through the looking glass as you enter each world within a world. ◼︎ 

 

Sequelae exhibition installation view.

 

Sequelae is on view through August 31 at SooVAC, 2909 Bryant Avenue South #101 in Minneapolis. For more info, visit soovac.org or on Instagram @soovac. Gallery hours: Wed – Fri, 11am – 6pm; Sat & Sun, 11am – 5pm.

To see more of Hallie Bahn's work, visit the artist's website or follow her on Instagram @halliebahn.

Banner image: Irruption of the Real (detail), 2024. Single-channel Pepper’s Ghost animation, LED monitors, glass, balsa, fabric, mat board, mixed materials.

---

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.