Surface Séance

Surface Séance puts perception to the test courtesy of the inertia of the eye, aka persistence of vision. Split seconds of the outside world occasionally pierce the darkness, glimpses of the night seen through subway windows and tram doors flash onto neon-lit zones, everyday signage, logos and public transport pictograms. Public space splinters into colorful fragments. Blink and you'll miss it.

A trip on Vienna's public transport system provides the framework for a special exploratory expedition by virtue of the conceptual delight with which Michael Heindl approaches everyday trivialities. His protagonist is an amorphous creature who takes center screen: Its dirty white...