Approach Substitute

Young British artists and identical twins Jane and Louise Wilson collaboratively explore unpeopled sites rich with dark associations, altered states, paranoia, and lingering energy in multi-screen video installations and photography. 

In this piece the artists present an image of the Futami Okitama shrine located in the Ise Prefecture, captured during their visit to Japan in 2019. The natural surround of Ise City is a uniquely preserved environment, whilst the Futami Okitama shrine (or Wedded Rocks) is a natural carbon-free phenomenon, exuding calm and stillness. Combined, they echo the Shinto spiritual principles of respect for nature and peaceful co-existence. 

The photograph is additionally overlaid with an image of a steam-formed ash sculpture. These wooden forms were made by the Wilsons and reference an image taken from an animation depicting cell division and DNA structure during bone growth. 

At a time of acute climate crisis, the artists invite the viewer to consider potential sites for healing, ritual and belief.