Ver venir / Paso a paso
videoloop fro projection
6min/2003

Paso a paso is part of a series of videos in which sailors in th mexican port of Veacruz are being registered during their ativities and reveal a certain absurdness and seduction in their activities wich refers to just walking at night throuh the malcón or in oher videosamples of th same serie on they are actually just ocupieing time and space, ina away .....killing time .

“Verena  Grimm’s work  from the series  “Killing Time” is an examination of ritualbusy work, and social priorities. Many in Mexico feel their army is to be somewhat feared, not only for its military activity , but also because  of its history of graft and corruption: howerver, the mexican navy is seen as seerving primerly ceremonial role: they march, mantain equipment and thewaterfront, an seem to engage in man meaningless tsks. Thework’s title is a play on words -“killing” in the context of militaries  is usually in reference to deat- here the only victims are time and  money.Though more innocuous in Grimm’s cotext, the word still implies a certain lack of accomplishment and waste of resources- both human nad capital. In their triptiych presented in the gallery, columns of sailors, dressed in work uniforms, stand atrest. These images flank a gilded portrait bust suggesting it toois possibly just decoration- calling into question the whole genre ofgovermental statuary that, while loosly  considered “art” is essentialy memorabilia – devoid of serious content and artisticintegrity.  Other photographic work raw comparisons to highly ornamental froms (lmaps, model ships etc.)prompting a reading of the sailors themselves as a sort of living statuary and furtherpushng the question of govermental rpoirities. Grimm’s slowedvideos concentrte on particular actions: talking, walking, polisihing a terrazzo walkway, and moving chairs. The looped imagesfocus on the expenditure of energy such actions require leaving the viewer to ponder the true importance of such gestures in the context of otherpressing societal needs.”
Dan Talley
Sharidan Art Gallery
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.Mexico Illuminated

“For instance Veren Grimm’s video installation at the Sharidan gallery, called “ Killing Time”, takeas as its subject the Mexican navy. Four monitors depict sailors mopping, carrying chairs, and standing in formation. Even this desultory action, accompanied by a recording of musical chimes is slowed down.

Its hard to know what to make of this until one discovers that in Mexico the  army is considered powerful, even, menacing, while the navy is prceieved as mainly ceremonial.
 Then the piece, particullary its punning title, reveals itself as subversive, social commentary disguised as innocuous ritual.

While Grimms installation is specifically mexican, much of the work in the four venues that I saw- some other have yet to open – typiifes international contemporary art of the kinfd found in exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale…”

Edward J. Sozanski
Inquierer columnist

( text based on exhibit “Mexico Illuminated “ in Reading Philadelphia)

.