Concrete Playground

If you’re struggling to make sense of our world after the Easter long weekend, or are simply recovering from overindulgence, check out Satanism by what at Gallery 9. With the statement “I do not work for God, directly. I work for God in mysterious ways. I work for God in the same way that I might work for Satan”, the intriguing artist known as what unwraps the point behind his current solo show.

In his exploration of the boundaries of the light and dark sides, and the symbiotic relationship between them, what uses Bach’s Chaconne in D Minor as a framework. Originally written for the violin, the chaconne (the last part of a larger piece of music) was seen as one of the most difficult pieces to play — in its fifteen or so minutes it covers all facets of the violin, as known to Bach at the time. It’s these variations that become a study on Satanism. Small, white, inverted crosses on black backgrounds reveal that one tone is nothing if not undefined without the other.