MRI: From Behind the Plexi A Large-Scale Multi-Screen Video Installation by Naomi Jaye

“I see MRI as an empathy machine,” says Naomi Jaye. “Dance is a visceral art form, there is something about a body moving that touches you in a primal way. I’m hoping this installation will speak to the emotional experience of having an MRI, and will spark conversations around the intersection of the human body, the human spirit, and medical technology.”

The viewer becomes central to the installation: intimately connected to screens above them, the viewer lies flat on their back on a cot, vulnerable, exposed to the sound of the machine and the woman on the screens above them. In turn, they themselves are being considered by the other viewers seated around the edges of the gallery. The viewer is being watched.

Using video, dance and architecture to create a visceral experience, MRI examines the connection between scientific imaging and the body. A Dora award winning dance artist and choreographer Molly Johnson, give an electric performance and the resulting experience is fierce.

“Originally conceived of in the before-times, MRI takes on new meaning during the pandemic. A woman confined behind plexi-glass urgently tries to come to terms with her isolation and discomfort. Now more than ever this piece is relevant, exploring the complexities of the medical system as well as the tangled and sinuous effects of isolation.” says Jaye.