7000-Day Candles

2014
4 autonomous monitors, inkjet prints, rhinestones, paint, projection
12' x 10' x 20'

Press release from the Arthur Roger gallery:

7000-Day Candles, Dave Greber’s third exhibition with the gallery, explores the notions of spirituality, technology and transhumanism, and touches on spiritual folkways celebrated in New Orleans’ history. The installation, vibrant and revelatory, consists of four video monitor-based objects and a Stasseo (stained-glass-video) – a technique the artist developed utilizing multiple projections, painting and 3D elements to realize large, installed-video compositions.

The four ‘objects’ are video interpretations of the popular 7 Day Candles, often used as tools for prayer, devotion, ritual, meditation, protection and healing. Similar to the tangible candles, each is designated with a color and dedicated to a unique focus – Red/Love, Green/Luck, etc. The video manifestations closely mirror the physical in instruction, intent and credence. The 7000-day candles each feature their ingredients so as to describe the specific essence, and come with a piece of parchment paper for the viewer to document his/her intentions and place behind the monitor while ‘burning.’ Also like their tangible counterparts, the candles claim “achievement like no other!” and “handcrafted with over 14 ingredients!” and each comes with a lucky number. The intent is that the viewer runs the video until the monitor finishes its burn – roughly 7,000 days – thus reaching the full potential of its intervention.

The Stasseo mural depicts the view of an empty street from inside a French Quarter-inspired shop window  – a solitary experience demanding the examination of contemporary relationships in a technisized society.

Statement from the Artist:

7,000 DAY CANDLES VITALITY! VITALITY! VITALITY! THESE DIGITAL CANDLES WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE WHAT OTHERS CANNOT EACH CANDLE IS HAND CRAFTED AND CONTAINS OVER 14 INGREDIENTS OUR CANDLES COME FULLY PREPARED AND READY TO LIGHT EACH CANDLE COMES WITH LUCKY NUMBER AND A PIECE OF PARCHMENT TO WRITE YOUR DESIRE AND PLACE BEHIND WHILE BURNING BURN DIGITAL CANDLE UNTIL THE SCREEN GOES BLANK THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE CANDLE'S POWER WILL BE REACHED MAKE NOTE OF HOW IT BURNS DOES IT BURN CLEAN AND COMPLETE? ARE THERE DIGITAL ARTIFACTS ON THE SCREEN? DOES PIXELATION OCCUR? GLASS CRACKED? DID IT EXPLODE? DID THE STONES FALL? DID THE INK PEEL? MAKE NOTE AND CONTACT US FOR INTERPRETATION IF YOU NEED TO PUT THE CANDLE OUT, UNPLUG FROM POWER SOURCE NEVER BLOW OUT ONCE CANDLE HAS FINISHED IT'S BURN, EITHER BURY THE PAPER OR STORE SOMEWHERE SAFE REMOVE SD CARD FROM UNDERSIDE OF MONITOR VIDEO FILE CAN BE RECYCLED YOU MAY CONTINUE TO DISPLAY MONITOR, BUT UNPLUG FROM POWER SOURCE IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH CALLED 7000-DAY CANDLES, THEY RARELY LAST THAT LONG AN EXCELLENT BURN IS 4K-6K USE AS DIRECTED