T.W. (Scream)

Kendell Geers’ installation TW (Scream) puts viewers to the test. Its main element is a clip from John Carpenter’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The South African artist turns up the volume of this short passage, amplifying the woman’s screams. The viewer is unaware of what causes the screams, seeing only the resulting fear.

This work continues in the tradition of Marcel Duchamp's “ready-mades”. The artist questions the meaning of everyday items and popular images in our society. The work’s subversive, even shocking aspect confronts the public with its own fears. TW (Scream) reflects the image of an entertainment society based on morbid impulses.

The installation was presented for the first time by the Pinault Collection in Lille during the 2008 show “Passage du temps” (“Passage of Time”).