Reaction to Adel Abdessemed: Situation and Practice

I first entered the smaller of the 2 rooms without a guide and was greeted by a snake bite loop and a kitten lapping milk. I loved it! The yelling David Moss in a clown nose was more effective the second time I saw it with the gallery guide.
I entered the larger installation and the first thing in my eyesight was one of his earlier pieces of the woman removing the veil. I thought it was effective and lovely. Short, but not sweet, is how I would describe most of his works in the show. One of the reasons I like the installation was because Abdelessemed wanted the window out onto the construction area to remain open and unblocked as a supplement to his show. I thought this was a great use of spontaneous installation because the window added a lot by continuing the vein of realism and street-life from which much of Abdelessemed's art springs.
The guide said something that really helped my understanding of the show as a whole. He described Abdelessemed's view of video as a conduit of sonic art, not necessarily a visual experience. With his still photos (where there existed quite a bit of movement and tension as well), he catches things he feels would not be any better presented on film as moving images. I closed my eyes and stood in the room and heard the sounds of a factory, a hammering, a cacophonous place in time.
Surprising to me, the foot crushing the lemon was one of my favorites. It had a very erotic quality to it that was amplified by the size of the projection screen. I took the show as a whole piece and came away with a million thoughts spinning. Usually a good sign when leaving a gallery.