The Crystal World

Through combining contrasting time periods, together with disparate cultural references and symbolism, Borg plays with aspects of recall and memory, creating ambiguity between the actual and the virtual.

For this exhibition Borg has created a new film installation that takes inspiration from J.G.Ballard’s dystopian science fiction novel, The Crystal World. In Borg’s version a crystal growth is ‘animated into life’ and invades scenes from the iconic 1955 film, The Night of the Hunter. The layering of animation and real film footage creates a disorientating prismatic environment, encouraging reflection on time and reality. Borg’s concern with time and the animate and inanimate is further explored in the exhibition through four other works - Scaffold (2010), a 16mm diptych loop installation; The Automaton (2008); Palimpsest (2009), the winning work in RE:animate Oriel Davies Open 2010, and Footnote (2004), which was screened in 2004 at Cannes.

Pia Borg was born in Australia and is currently based in London. She won first prize at RE:animate, Oriel Davies Open 2010 and this exhibition was given as part of her prize. The Crystal World is her first UK one-person exhibition.