Survival Kits: Shipwreck, plane crash and nuclear war
Survival Kits: Shipwreck, plane crash and nuclear war, 1997
Alan Currall (b.1964)
Currallâs work takes the form of straight, documentary- style videos which explore the transfer of knowledge, often in a humorous way.
In this piece he asked his parents to provide their advice for him in the advent of 3 potential disaster scenarios. The domestic setting, complete with wonky Christmas tree and Border collie, helps to set the scene.
One possible reading of the work is as a commentary on human relationships, particularly the parental role. Here though, this relationship is turned on its head. The questioning âchildâ is a grown man and the parentsâ genuine attempts to make useful suggestions, ironically serve only to reinforce our powerlessness in the face of life-threatening disasters.
Three monitor video art work with sound
Purchased through the Contemporary Art Society Special Collection Scheme with Lottery funding from the Arts Council England, 2005
