“The Forest” by Ori Gersht, which is installed at the Hirshorn Museum, showcases trees as they fall because of unknown reasons in the middle of a forest. The footage pieces together shots of the stable forest and shots of falling tress with corresponding sounds. By showing this video art installation in a black box, the viewer is submerged into a dark realm. This allows the viewer to become more involved with the piece and not the surroundings of the museum. It is similar to the experience you feel when you watch a movie at a movie theater. When you are in a theater, you become highly involved with the movie due to this dark setting. You know to focus your attention and feel at one with the film. If you were to watch the same movie in your home, you may view it differently. Your dog may be barking at the neighbor, your phone may ring, or rain may be hitting the windows. Your understanding from movies is that a piece being played in a closed off and dark setting should be watched intensely and with a thoughtful mind. Therefore, this understanding is applied in a similar setting in an art museum. You focus and examine the piece in a solitude that is created through the dark space.

As I sat there watching “The Forest”, I wondered why these trees were falling and the irony behind the idea “if a tree falls in the forest does anyone hear it?”. I was fixated on the screen and my eyes did not wander. However, when I watched “Pomegranate”, which was on a main gallery video monitor wall, no such thoughts crossed my mind. I just watched it in appreciation and then moved on to the next piece. The space affected my ability to interpret “The Forest” and was effectively used.