Assisted Nature
Marianna Haniger
March 11 – April 17, 2004

911 Media Arts Center was pleased to present Assisted Nature, a three channel video installation by Seattle artist Marianna Haniger. The installation could be viewed from dusk until 2am daily through 911′s storefront windows, at our previous location on Yale Avenue.

Assisted Nature was comprised of 432 magnifying glasses placed in three steel frames making up the surface of three screens. Each glass disc was frosted on the backside in order to receive a projected video image. As the viewer passed by the window, 432 points of light undulated a shimmering tapestry of Chinook salmon projected onto the glass reveal nature’s texture.

Haniger stated: “I want to save the forest from the thieves, to record each image before its extinction. I cannot extricate myself from these crimes so with technology I try to preserve that which is precious to me and to play back these images of beauty in assisted settings hoping to incite change.” In April 2001, the Chinook salmon was placed on the Endangered Species List.

Over the last decade Marianna Haniger has established herself through a wide variety of multi-channel video installations, video sculptures and experimental narratives on film. Her work has received numerous national and local awards. Ms. Haniger is a long time advocate and participant of public art, and is very interested in creating unique and surprising video installations in unusual places that spur public dialogue.