L’Inconnue de la Seine (1991) was a 24-hour slide projection on to the side of a small mortuary situated on the banks of the river in Newcastle upon Tyne. The work drew upon the story of L’Inconnue de la Seine, a death mask reputedly cast from the face of an unknown woman who drowned in the river Seine in Paris, in the late 19th century. The cast was mass produced for public consumption in the 20th century, while also becoming the inspiration behind many works of art and literature.
Although the slide was projected 24 hours a day, the image only became visible after darkness.
Exhibition
1991
A Question of Identity, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Wendy Kirkup 