David Claerbout The Close, 2022

The Close is a single-channel video with sound. The black and white imagery of daily life in a Victorian urban setting evokes the early history of cinema, in particular historical photography and documentary film footage from around 1900 to 1920. Drawing on his extensive research archive, David Claerbout reconstructed the scene on a life-sized set and digitally "aged" the film's appearance. The digital mastering is made apparent in the last third of The Close, as a small child becomes the focus and is seen in vivid 3D rendering. Here a chorus of singing voices sets in, emphasizing the emotional power of this revelation.