I Jedi, Pierre Huyghe; Bick Productions; New Museum of Contemporary Art

Pierre Huyghe uses popular culture as a reference point for his viewers to engage with social issues. The title of this video refers to the Star Wars franchise, while the stone formation at the video’s center—Devils Tower—features prominently in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Devils Tower is a national monument in Wyoming also known by the name Bear Lodge, which recognizes the site’s historic and living connections with the Lakota and Kiowa peoples.

The video is divided vertically along its center. To the left is Devils Tower amidst a snowy forest, while the right half is entirely black. For the duration of the video, an ominous orchestral soundtrack creates a rising sense of suspense and disorder. Viewers are left to wonder if the right half of the video will be revealed. Despite mounting suspense, no change occurs, sustaining the video’s mysterious undertones.