Tongues: Half Life of Morphine

Tongues: Half Life of Morphine

Jan 24–Feb 21, 1987

Tongues: Half Life of Morphine was curated by Mike Lailey and depicted artworks from artist Robert Morrison. Morrison’s show exhibited redefinition of space through the use of random sound. The gallery’s large exhibit space was taken up by the installation: Morrison constructed a ward of minimal beds of steel each supporting a thin sheet of fiberglass. Each bed was outfitted with a metal pillow and wires that resemble probes or intravenous hookups. There were 35 beds aligned in rows. Each bed was wired to a sound-generating source that included a radio and synthesizer, and when the radios picked up signals from stations, random noises were heard as the metal wired vibrated on the beds. The erratic noises stopped and started at random, with differing rhythms and volume levels, changing location throughout the installation. Along a wall in the gallery Morrison installed a row of nine steel chairs that also made their own random noises. This installation was an intriguing and compelling work, a must see and a haunting experience for visitors.