Taking the opening sequence from Nick Roeg’s 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth as a starting point, this project explores illusion and expectations. Re-filming the sequence, we see a silent, still lake – a scene which is subject to a sudden, explosive ‘landing’. This is generated by a computer programme. It could happen at any second as we watch. It may not happen for hours, or even days. The odds (7200 – 1) gives an average of once every two hours. Graham Gussin will be working in Studio 2 until 16 November. Gussin will develop new work investigating ideas of location and duration. His materials range from drawing to video projection.

Opposite the projection is a screen which generates zeros every second, as if measuring a pulse; if the digit one appears, the landing sequence is triggered. Each day’s numbers are printed out and pinned to the wall, creating a trace of activity, a ghost of the projected landscape.

Commissioned by FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) for Video Positive 97 Escaping Gravity.