‘Of Whales’ Review: Exploring the Beauty in the Subversive

In a room saturated with overwhelming darkness and suspenseful silence, an immersive installation transforms the space and mesmerizes viewers with its ethereal, floating images and ambient music. “Of Whales” is a video experience created by New York-and Berlin-based filmmaker, performer, and artist Wu Tsang, who is originally from Worcester, Massachusetts. Her exhibition opened its doors at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston on Feb. 15.

The exhibit, which first premiered at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, is an hour-long video installation created with extended reality technology that combines the physical world with digital technology to generate an engaging experience. “Of Whales” is a part of Tsang’s film trilogy of her interpretation of Herman Melville’s novel “Moby Dick” from a postcolonial lens. The other two parts of the trilogy are “Moby Dick; or the Whale” and “Extracts.”

The installation — set in the Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser and Fotene Demoulas Galleries of the ICA — submerges the visitors in absolute darkness with its matte black walls. Invited to sit or lay on the floor, many visitors choose the latter option to fully immerse themselves in the experience. Emerging from the depth of darkness in slow motion, delicate jellyfish fill the massive projection wall and float ephemerally in and out of frame. Reverberant music resonates throughout the room, evoking a visceral reaction within the viewer. The peaceful sound and gentle imagery of waves washes over seated audience members as they become engrossed in the seemingly endless experience.

That is, until everything comes to an abrupt halt. The music fades into haunting silence and the jellyfish dissipate, leaving onlookers in utter solitude of the still water. Viewers are left captivated in the liminal space between the depths of the ocean and the surface, suspensefully awaiting the whale’s next move.

After what feels like an eternity of stillness, a powerful splash reverberates around the space as the seas in the film grow ominously tumultuous. Haunting screeches pierce through the room as the sky darkens. Yet the brewing storm never materializes. The whale slowly descends once more into the waves and jellyfish before rising suddenly to the surface — only to once again be submerged.

Throughout the piece, Tsang’s masterful cross-disciplinary skills create an enchanting experience. The extended reality technology, in particular, generates surreal, captivating imagery that starkly contrasts with the hollow darkness of the exhibition space. A source of light, intrigue, and beauty, the massive projection physically and emotionally looms over the audience just as the ocean waves submerge the whale. The harmonious, powerful music — composed by Asma Maroof and Daniel Pineda, alongside Tapiwa Svosve, Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson, Miao Zhao, and Ahya Simone — further engrosses visitors as the sound echoes throughout the room. The dramatic composition further lures viewers into the experience as they physically feel the vibrations and notes that align with the visual movements.

Viewers are plunged into the whale’s emotional landscape, experiencing its every implied emotion vicariously through the installation. They relish in the gentle relaxation as the whale drifts aimlessly amongst the graceful jellyfish, and they tense in anxiety as the ominous storm brews. The powerful union of visual stimulation, musical composition, perspective, and exhibition space immerses visitors in an unexplored perspective, completely shifting the narrative and tone of the original novel.

Since its first premiere at the 59th Venice Biennale, Tsang’s installation has traveled to Berlin, San Francisco, and Madrid. Yet its current installment at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston’s Seaport District is of particular significance. Overlooking the waterfront, the museum is renowned for its intimate connection to the harbor — it boasts a glass gallery dedicated to a view of the water. As viewers of Tsang’s exhibit exit the space, they are immediately confronted with the ICA’s views of the ocean. The installation also brings into conversation New England’s extensive history in the whaling industry, subversively confronting the region’s controversial past.

Overall, “Of Whales” is a marvelous fusion of alluring artistry, emotional connection, and historical critique. In all its captivating beauty, Tsang’s exhibit encourages viewers to embody a novel perspective and reflect critically on the past.

“Of Whales” will remain on view at the Institute of Contemporary Art until Aug. 4.