Nina Levitt: Red Herrings and Real Herstories
Nina Levitt Study for Thin Air 2008 Courtesy of the artist
We often hear that a historical figure has disappeared “into thin air.” But have they really vanished, or are we just not digging deep enough in the archives? Nina Levitt’s Thin Air installation takes on this very issue by deflating the stereotype of the female spy and evoking in its place an atmosphere of ephemeral and disquieting familiarity. Thin Air pieces together the experiences of two Jewish women who worked as spies for the British military in the Second World War through their presence in historical documents and pop culture artifacts. Archival records are layered with the artist’s own photographs, videos and interactive sculptures in order to establish an emotional atmosphere that prioritizes the women’s personal experiences over the chronological accounts of the war that we are accustomed to. The fragmentary story that results from this historical research draws attention to the incomplete and inadequate portrayals of women in our official histories.
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