In 2016, an unintended opportunity led American artist Taryn Simon to create a video piece centered around a pivotal event in British politics. While initially visiting Alexandra Palace in London for a different project, Simon stumbled upon a rehearsal for the Brexit vote count. Captivated, she secured permission to film the actual counting process, becoming the only individual globally granted access to document it.
Currently, Simon is discussing her work from Paris, where her video has recently been unveiled. Displayed across two screens, the installation might seem ordinary at first glance: one screen captures a broad shot of the palace’s historic Great Hall, where staff, clad in burgundy shirts, are busy at tables draped in black, sorting papers marked “Leave” and “Remain”. The other screen zooms in on the action. As the piles of papers grow, so does the tension, though the climax remains elusive.
“It’s a straightforward portrayal of the event,” Simon shared about her long night, filming until 4am. “It made me reflect on the mechanisms that drive these pivotal decisions—how our collective hopes and the zeal for change are tallied, often while we’re asleep, in the dead of night.”
The stark, unembellished observation of this significant event grows increasingly haunting with the continuous, monotonous sounds of paper being shuffled, inching towards a now well-known result. “At the end of the day, it’s just paper,” Simon remarks. “Yet, it carries profound implications for many.” She views these papers as stand-ins for the citizens themselves, their almost negligible weight contrasting sharply with the substantial impact of the decisions they represent. “Sitting there, hearing the results, I was struck by the sheer rapidity of change. It was surreal.”
Simon, aged 50, is renowned for her minimalist, catalog-style photography which includes meticulously researched still lifes and portraits that reveal the unseen or overlooked aspects of everyday objects and scenes. Her work has taken her to extreme locations and subjects, from photographing Saddam Hussein’s son Uday’s body double, to a nuclear waste facility in Washington State, a cryopreservation unit, and the Church of Scientology.
A New Exhibition: The Game
Her Brexit video is part of “The Game,” her latest exhibition at the Almine Rech gallery in Paris. This exhibit explores everyday items and occurrences that sway electoral outcomes, including a quirky addition about a cat from Ohio named Miss Sassy. Alongside her Brexit video, Simon has positioned vibrant, artifact-like photographs — their bright colors designed to grab attention, yet they serve as more than mere distractions. “They actually guide our actions, knowingly or unknowingly,” she explains.
Each photograph relates to the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election, capturing items like a Fox News microphone, Capitol police riot gear, McDonald’s fries, and balloons prepped for a Republican National Convention. The exhibition also features Miss Sassy, the cat who became the center of a media frenzy after being falsely reported as abducted—and eaten—by her owner’s Haitian immigrant neighbors, a story later amplified by Donald Trump.
“It’s merely a cat,” Simon points out, “unaware of the narrative it was dragged into.” Yet, Miss Sassy became a symbol of paranoia and conspiracy, igniting significant strife within the community. Found later in her owner’s basement, the truth of her whereabouts did little to quell the spread of the fabricated story. “The lie persists, and that’s frightening,” Simon adds.
Photographic Storytelling and Humor
In another striking image, Simon captures false eyelashes belonging to Democratic politician Jasmine Crockett, preserved in their pink and white case after a heated exchange with Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. This piece underscores Simon’s focus on the seemingly trivial details that often encapsulate broader societal narratives.
Returning to her photographic roots with “The Game,” after years of exploring performance and installation, Simon reengages with the medium that first established her reputation. “Photography doesn’t always have to provide clarity,” she muses. “It can capture and freeze moments, allowing us to see what often goes unnoticed.”
The exhibition also pays tribute to Simon’s father, a pioneering designer of arcade and video games, influencing her latest work—a reimagined kleroterion, an ancient Athenian lottery machine used to select citizens for public duties. This interactive sculpture, resembling a large cabinet with slots for tokens, invites reflections on randomness and decision-making at both domestic and national levels.
“My father’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis makes this work particularly poignant,” Simon shares. “He’s been integral to everything I’ve done; now, his engagement is different, but he still enjoys it in his own way.”
As “The Game” runs until July 26 at Almine Rech, Paris, Simon contemplates a potential new direction in her career, inspired by her childhood spent in arcades crafted by her father. “Maybe it’s time to explore that path,” she considers, hinting at a future possibly spent in game design.
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Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
