work

• Homme Debout // 2000

still from: Homme Debout

Only seldom do you come across work that speaks for itself so strongly and needs so little explanation. At first sight, that is. The work of Sophie Whetnall (1973) is one of those exceptions of contemporary art that knows how to touch you deeply on first impressions, without making use of explicit, ‘taboo-breaking’ subjects. The images filmed are far from spectacular, and yet, her video installations manage to evoke an almost physical experience. The subject matter is commonplace, whether it concerns a trip across Africa or a Portuguese motorway at night. She knows how to capture the beauty of the moment, and to convey this to her audience.
Many of her works are about, or originate from, travelling. "Ever since I was a child, I have travelled a lot. Those experiences have now been absorbed, and I can confront myself with them in my works. But even nowadays I try to move about a lot. I consider myself a nomadic person. This was also one of the reasons why I stopped painting and concentrated more on video. It also gave me the chance to work on the road, in a direct way."