“The whole point of loss is it’s kind of an unfamiliar experience for anyone.”
Taryn Simon’s work explores and exposes the hidden systems, structures, and rituals that shape our human condition. In this interview, the American artist spekas about how loss has become central to her artistic investigation and discusses her collaboration with professional mourners from around the world.
“The idea of people who guide and shape loss and are brought in in this incredibly critical moment and personal and emotional moment, I wanted to explore it, and at one point thought about doing so photographically. Then it became completely clear that it’s something that actually cannot be captured in that form, nor would it give it any justifiable presence.”
We met Taryn Simon during the build-up of the sound installation ‘Start Again the Lament’ in Cisternerne, a former underground water reservoir in Copenhagen. Here, the recorded laments of professional mourners reverberate in the enormous water-filled space. Laments, Taryn Simon explains, carry significant critical potential. Not only are they culturally determined manifestations of grief, they also guide us through critical moments of discontent and disorder:
“If you look at the history of professional mourning, it’s often been marginalized by different governments and systems because it’s a threat to a certain order. The ways in which people and communities respond to loss are extremely important because everything can change in that moment, and it’s a threatening space when there’s that level of discontent and chaos.”
Taryn Simon (b. 1975) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans photography, text, sculpture, and performance. Her work uncovers hidden systems and structures, influencing both individual and collective behavior. Simon has exhibited internationally, with notable installations at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate Modern, and the Guggenheim Museum. ‘Start Again the Lament’ continues her exploration of loss and mourning, evolving from previous works such as ‘An Occupation of Loss’ and ‘Laments from Quarantine.’
Taryn Simon was interviewed by Nanna Rebekka at Bakkehuset in Frederiksberg, Denmark, in March 2024.
Producer and editor: Nanna Rebekka
Cinematographer: Jarl Therkelsen Kaldan
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2023 Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ny Carlsbergfondet, C.L. Davids Fond og Samling, and Fritz Hansen.
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