In a battered old Stetson, the legendary John Wayne emerges through a door onto a wood-paneled landing. With caution, he scans his surroundings before pushing open another door, which is met by the arrival of a young Brigitte Bardot. Before she can utter a word, she quickly retreats back through the door, only to be replaced by a grizzled butler figure. With an unmistakable sense of purpose, the butler makes his way across a small room towards a black and white door. As he emerges, he transforms into the vibrant Antonio Banderas, radiating with sensitivity as he approaches yet another door. Classical strings intensify the emotion during his eight-second appearance on screen.
Swiss-American artist Christian Marclay acknowledges the symbolic significance of doors. He asks, “Why show them if not to create surprise, change, or suspense?” Marclay’s latest video work, “Doors,” seamlessly combines film clips of actors walking through doors. Viewers can experience this thought-provoking piece at London’s White Cube Mason’s Yard in September. Those familiar with contemporary art will recognize “Doors” as a follow-up to Marclay’s highly acclaimed masterpiece, “The Clock.” “The Clock,” a 24-hour compilation of film clips featuring timepieces that display the actual time, has been hailed as one of the greatest conceptual artworks of the 21st century. Since its debut in 2010, it has captivated audiences worldwide with its unique blend of entertainment and conceptual art, functioning as a clock in its own right.
Marclay, a tall and bespectacled artist with a husky New York drawl, rejects the notion of “Doors” as a mere follow-up. It took a decade to create, and Marclay sees himself as an artist who explores various mediums rather than a strict conceptual artist. He isn’t seeking another hit like “The Clock,” which brought both success and the burden of repetition. Instead, he aims to pursue his artistic vision and welcomes an interested audience. Marclay admits, “The Clock” became a nightmare akin to playing the same hit song repeatedly.
Similar to “The Clock,” “Doors” follows a captivating pattern with intercut black and white scenes and bursts of color. It melds classic Hollywood with gritty New Wave, intertwining romantic comedies with westerns and thrilling suspense films. However, “Doors” deviates from its predecessor with its disorienting repetitions. Sidney Poitier launches into a corridor filled with awestruck teenagers, only to be replaced by a young Kirk Douglas reigning over a newspaper office. But in a surprising twist, Poitier returns, racing down the same corridor in the same film. He vanishes through a door, revealing an actor instructing a blonde woman, “Stay here.”
The duration of “Doors” remains deliberately ambiguous as Marclay invites viewers to embrace a sense of confusion. He believes the film’s many repetitions make it nearly impossible to fully grasp its length. The loop-like structure negates the concept of a definitive beginning or end, a deliberate choice to confront the disconcerting unease that often accompanies viewing films or videos in a gallery setting. There’s no perfect moment to enter or leave a loop; it’s akin to contemplating a painting—spending as much time as desired before moving on.
As the diverse cast of characters navigates through an endless array of unrelated spaces, a lingering sense of doubt and anxiety prevails. Marclay describes it as a “mental architecture,” where rooms, corridors, and passages seem endless, leaving viewers unable to retrace their exact path. Each shot presents a character entering through one door and exiting through another, perpetuating the tension between what is known and unknown, the current space and the forthcoming one—a concept often explored by filmmakers.
Despite his cool and reserved exterior, Marclay’s warmth and openness become evident once barriers are broken. Having spent influential years in the vibrant creative scene of 20th-century New York City, he attributes his broad artistic range to the cultural fusion of the era. While he may come across as effortlessly cool, it surprises many to discover that he is Swiss by origin, growing up in Geneva. His exposure to avant-garde culture occurred not in the trendy lofts and galleries of SoHo but within the constraints of a strict, French-speaking Catholic boarding school. Marclay humorously shares that his access to music was extremely limited during those years, inadvertently leading him to discover artists like John Cage before the Rolling Stones. His unconventional path into avant-garde music was driven by a desire to impress girls at nearby boarding schools through “classical music appreciation evenings” rather than traditional rebellion associated with music.
Determined to attend art school, Marclay strategically chose sculpture in Geneva as it presented the easiest path of entry due to fewer applicants. However, his encounter with German conceptual artist Hans Haacke at the renowned Cooper Union college in New York propelled him further into the realm of transforming objects in a way that acknowledges their cultural and experiential qualities. He found greater power in this approach than purely abstract work that treated materials as mere wood or steel.
In 1978, Marclay stumbled upon a vinyl LP in the streets of Boston. This encounter with a damaged Batman record, warped by cars driving over it, epitomized the excess and waste of American culture. Intrigued, Marclay listened to the record at home, fascinated by the interesting loops and sounds it produced. This serendipitous event sparked a creative fire within him.
“Doors” invites viewers into a world of mystery and introspection. Marclay’s artistry transcends borders and easy categorizations. He consistently challenges the norm, providing unique and thought-provoking experiences for those willing to engage with his work.
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