Bursting through the floor like something from a disaster movie, The Lift, by Oded Hirsch, is a literal breakthrough for the Israeli artist.
Normally operating in the realm of video and photography, this is Hirsch’s first installation outside a gallery setting, and the commission in Liverpool ONE’s Peter’s Lane has been stopping shoppers in their tracks as part of the city’s 2012 Biennial celebrations. The Lift has been carefully placed to surprise passers-by and make them think about disruption of space and how we perceive our surroundings, in a “what on earth is going on downstairs?” sort of way.
To quote the frantic lift passenger in the Hopper-Reeves classic Speed, as I try to do as often as possible, “My God, Bob, what did you push?”
Photography © Jerry Hardman-Jones
